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- John J. Van Handel
Good Afternoon! My name is John J. Van Handel, often times referred to as "Big John". I was born on June 9, 1879 on the family farm on Hickory Road in the town of Buchanan. My parents were Dutch immigrants Justinius and Gertrude (Huibers) Van Handel. I am one of 8 children, having one brother and six sisters.
On August 7, 1906, I married Antonette, "Nettie" Van Domelen in St. John's Church. She is the daughter of Wilhelm and Mary (Ven Rooy)Van Domelen. Together we had 11 children, Willard, Josephine, Harriet, Della, Helen, Edith, Julius, Clarence, Ruth and 2 daughters Cora and Jane who passed away as infants.
We moved to Combined Locks in 1908, where I worked at the Combined Locks Paper Mill and also enrolled in a machinist's course from the International Correspondence School.
In 1912, I purchased the Martin Hartjes Shoe Store business in Little Chute. I moved it two doors away to 127 E. Main Street and added attached living quarters. It was a combined business. On one side we sold shoes, on the other side we sold candy, ice cream, and tobacco. There was also a shoe repair shop in the back.
William Hietpas worked for me and was even quarantined with my family when they had scarlet fever. William left when he opened the Modern Shoe Store in Kaukauna. Matthew Reynebeau then came to work for me until he was conscripted in the army. I then hired George VanderLoop Sr. as a shoe repair man.
I was a square dance caller. When friends came over we would push the dining room table into the corner. Pete "Clump" Jansen would sit on the table and fiddle. A great time was had by all.
My wife, Nettie, passed away on May 17, 1925 at the age of 39. She left me with eight children, the oldest was 17 and the youngest was 2. Mayme Van Handel, wife of George, came to help with the children and household chores.
Being a sports enthusiast, I attended as many sporting events as I was able to. In 1951, I received an award for being a loyal sports follower and supporter for more that 40 years. I financially backed many teams supplying transportation, uniforms, and equipment. I owned the franchise for Little Chute's entry into the Fox River Valley Baseball League. I also sponsored Shorty's Shoes Basketball Team, and had the first "wooden" fence constructed for the local hockey rink.
After 33 years in business, I sold out to my loyal shoe repairman, George Vander Loop, Sr. Today the shoe store remains in the extended VanderLoop family.
In August of 1944, I married Elsie Luebke Jansen and moved to Wilson Street. My last years were marred by my many falls due to Parkinson's disease. I passed away on October 23, 1953 at the age of 74.
Thank you for coming today. Have a great day.
My name is Phillip Willard Hanegraaf, great grandson of John J. Van Handel.
Little Chute Historical Society Cemetery Walk 2008
- J. Van Handel Rites Held at Little Chute
Former Shoe Store Owner Dies after Fall down Stairway at Home
Funeral services for John J. Van Handel, 74, 515 South Wilson St., Little Chute, who died about noon on Friday, were held Monday morning at 8:30 from the Verkuilen Funeral Home, and at 9 o'clock at St. John's Catholic Church at Little Chute. Burial was in St. John cemetery.
Pallbearers were former business associates, Frank Weyenberg, Sr., James Hermsen, Gregory Lenz, Herman Stark, George Vanderloop and Martin Lamers.
Van Handel, who had been in ill health for several months, was injured in a fall down basement steps at his home last Thursday evening. He was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital at Appleton where he died about 12:30 Friday noon.
He was born June 9, 1879, in the town of Kaukauna and operated a shoe store in Little Chute for 33 years. Prior to going into business for himself, he was head machinist at the Combined Locks Paper company. He retired from business in 1915.
Van Handel was well known in the Fox River valley for the interest he showed in all sporting activities and was a familiar sight at all high school and village sporting events. Prior to the formation of an athletic association in the village, he bought uniforms and paid the franchise fee for the local team in the county baseball league. He was taken to the football game Sunday, October 18 and had made plans to attend the St. John game at Fond du Lac the following week. He was a retired assistant fire chief and still active in the Businessmen's association in the village. He was a member of the Holy Name society of St. John's church.
Survivors include the widow; one sister, Mrs. Elizabeth DeBruin, Little Chute; three sons, Willard and Clarence, Little Chute, and Julius, Marshfield; six daughters, Mrs. Josephine Haupt, Mrs. Elmer Grimm, Mrs. Lewis McCormick, Mrs. Edith Weyenberg, Little Chute, and Mrs. John Busch, Jr., Kimberly, and Mrs. Ruth Hartjes, Appleton; three step-daughters, Mrs. Emil Knezic, Rockford, Ill.; Mrs. George Siebers and Mrs. Noel Marsh, Appleton; two step-sons, Norbert Jansen, De Pere, and Ralph Jansen, Coosa Bay, Ore; 20 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
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1879 - 1953 (74 years)
