John L. Vander Plaats

John L. VanderPlaats, 52, Neenah, Wisc. died Thursday, Jan. 8, 2004 of an apparent heart attack at the Theda Clark Medical Center.

Memorial services were Tuesday, Jan. 13 at the Westgor Funeral Home in Neenah with Chaplin Jordan Kuczwara officiating.

Interment will be held at a later date at St. Leo’s Catholic Cemetery in Pipestone.

John LeRoy VanderPlaats was born on March 14, 1951 to Gerald and Janet (Wollmuth) VanderPlaats of Hatfield. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Pipestone. He attended elementary and high school in Pipestone, graduating in 1969. He attended Pipestone Area Vocational School, graduating from the Auto Technician course on July 31, 1970. On Jan. 18, 1971, he was inducted into the United States Army. He trained at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. and Fort Hood, Texas. He departed from Fort Jackson, S.C. to serve in Germany for one year. He was a sharpshooter with the M-16, expert with grenade and was Battery Maintenance Mechanic for the 36th Field Artillery. He was honorably discharged on Jan. 17, 1973. After getting out of the service, he worked for Bayliner for several years before moving to Milwaukee, Wisc. where he worked for Briggs & Stratton. He moved to Neenah, where he met Janice Wandahsega and his two daughters were born. He continued to live in the Neenah area until his death.

He is survived by his mother, Janet, Hatfield; two daughters, Janna Vander Plaats (fiance Matt Havel), Neenah; and Janelle VanderPlaats, Wilson, Mich.; their mother, Janice Wandahsega, Wilson, Mich.; three brothers, Jerry (Carol) VanderPlaats, Rhinelander, Wisc.; Tom (Eileen) VanderPlaats, Oak Creek, Wisc; Bill (Tami) VanderPlaats, Pipestone and one sister, Pat (Dan) Carstensen, Trosky.

He was preceded in death by his father, Gerald; one sister, Penny Krempges and two brothers, James and Kenneth.