Joseph Van Houten Obituary
The memorial service for Joseph “Joe” Van Houten, will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 21, at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church in Lake City with Fr. Joseph Pete officiating. Friends and family may visit from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 20 at Schleicher Funeral Homes, Lake City Chapel in Lake City, and from 10 a.m. until the time of service at the church on Friday.
Joe Van Houten, 78, of Lake City passed away peacefully on Friday, April 14, 2017 at Mayo Clinic Health System – Lake City Care Center in Lake City, after a long battle with dementia. He was surrounded by his loving wife and family.
Joseph Franklin Van Houten was born Aug. 20, 1938 in West Albany Township, Wabasha County to George and Irene (Schultz) Van Houten. He had three brothers and three sisters. He graduated from Wabasha High School in 1956. On Aug. 28, 1965 he married Carol Miller at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church in Lake City, and they were married for 51 1⁄2 years. They resided in Lake City.
Joe worked for the City of Lake City in the Water and Light Department for a total of 38 years. He was known to have two to three jobs at a time during most of his working career. Those jobs also included taxi driving, mowing lawns, snow blowing, farming, tilling gardens, and working at Staehli’s Park. Joe’s hobbies included working, working, and working. In his spare time he could often be found reading western novels, playing cards, watching western movies, or Wheel of Fortune with his dog Candy on his lap.
Joe leaves behind his wife Carol and three daughters, Lisa (Eric) Kettunen of Wyoming, Minn., Tina (Troy) Sievers of Plainview, and Melissa Van Houten of Rochester; four grandchildren, Jacob (Bobbi Jo) Sievers, Scott Frohwein, Analisa (Jordan) Anderson, and Katlin (Justin) Bauer; three great-grandchildren, Matthew and Annabelle Sievers, and Paxton Bauer; his sister, Freida (Allyn) Stoltz of Plainview; three brothers, Ralph (Betty) Van Houten of Byers, Colo., Dwaine (Mary Jo) Van Houten of Little Canada, Minn., and Mark Van Houten of Rochester; and two brothers-in-law, Bob Wallerich of Plainview and Roger Packer of St. Paul. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Orlene Wallerich and Georgia Packer; and his godson, Glen Stoltz.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Schleicher Funeral Homes, Lake City Chapel, in Lake City. The guest register may be signed online at www.schleicherfuneralhomes.com.