Joan Mary Van Krey

Joan M. (Philipsen) Van Krey, age 86, of Kimberly, passed away surrounded by family and love at St. Paul Elder Services, Kaukauna, on Sunday February 2nd, 2025. Joan was born on May 24, 1938, in Kimberly, to the late George and Ann (Kempen) Philipsen. 

She married Tony Van Krey on August 24, 1957, in Kimberly. Joan was an amazing Wife, Mother, Grandmother, and very recently Great Grandmother. Everyone that knew Joan described her as the most authentic and honest person that they ever had the pleasure to meet. She was a gentle soul that always looked for the positive in people. Joan was the matriarch of the family and her steady guidance will be greatly missed by the entire family. She worked hard her entire life and continued cooking all the soup for Tanners well into her 80’s.

 Survivors include her children, Lynn Van Krey (Thomas Ehlenfeldt), Appleton; Jean (Bruce) Hawley, Kimberly; Cindy (Mark) Apitz, Menasha; Dianne (Matt) Young, Weston; and Ken (Tamara) Van Krey, Greenville. Her grandchildren Tanner, Trace and Griffin Hawley; George and Chester Sosnowski, Maria and Sylvia Young: Hannah (Jake) Skalmusky, Chase and Ella Van Krey and her great grandchild Halyn Skalmusky; her brother Ken Philipsen, Clem (Gerry) Philipsen, and sister Janet Meyer. She was also preceded in death by her parents George and Ann Philipsen, brother Allen Philipsen, brother-in-law Dick Meyer, sister-in-law Dot Philipsen, and her grandson Joshua Young.

Joan was preceded in death by her late husband Tony on December 16, 2015.

We will be having a “Celebration of Life” at Tanners in Kimberly on March 30, 2025, from noon to 4pm. Her remains will be laid to rest next to Tony’s in a small private ceremony.

Each of Joan’s children described their best memory of our Mother: Lynn - I will always remember her unconditional love and respect for all of her family, friends and even strangers. Our dad was a very lucky man and we are all so blessed to have been a part of her life. Her passing will leave a huge void in all of our lives. Jean - My favorite memory of my mother is not a single event. It is the absolute pleasure of getting to work side by side with her most of my life. She taught me a work ethic that very few people have. To see her always smiling face every morning when I went to work was the perfect way to start my day! I will miss that face every day. Cindy - Still working in the family restaurant I don't think a day goes by without a customer mentioning my Mom's amazing soups. Everyday she would create two so simple and yet so delicious, giant pots of happiness. What a comforting gift she shared with our community. My siblings and I joke we try to recreate her soup magic based on her handed down recipe cards. But they are basically just grocery lists without the measurements. That lil stinker! Dianne - In our younger years our Mother, during the Holidays, transformed into a devoted seamstress. Creating beautiful outfits for us girls. Maxi dresses, jumpsuits, and the like. Such an incredible memory that made us feel special, loved and beautiful. Ken - My best memory of my Mother is the simple fact that she was so easy to love. She was always the calming force in my life and she never raised her voice in anger. She kept me centered and hopefully made me a better person.

The family would like to give special thanks to all the fine people that took care of our Mother at St. Paul Elder Services. They made her feel truly loved and we were comforted in knowing that she was safe when we couldn’t be with her.