VanHandel, Frank H.

Other Events:

• 1900 Census: 1900, Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin, USA
• 1930 Census: 1930, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
• WWII Draft Registration Cards: 1942

Notes:

1900 Census:
Anna Stoll25
Alford Ed Stoll4
Earl Franz Stoll1
Erdine Stoll8/12
Frank Vanhandel16 (brother)

1930 Census:
Frank Vanhandel 46
Gertrude Vanhandel 44
Catherine Vanhandel 14
Ralph Vanhandel 11
Ruth Vanhandel 9
Dorothy Vanhandel 8
Joan Vanhandel 3

WWII Draft Registration Cards:
Name:Frank Henry VanHandel
Birth Date:3 Jul 1883
Birth Place:Outagamie, Wisconsin
Residence:Appleton, Wisconsin
Race:White

Frank married Schmidt, Gertrude M. Bef 1915. Gertrude (daughter of Schmidt, Matthias and Sauter, Mary) was born 19 Dec 1886, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA; died 12 Apr 1973; was buried , St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. [Group Sheet]

Catharine married Witmer, Joseph Aft 1933. Joseph was born 27 Feb 1891; died 31 Jan 1969; was buried , St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Education - High School: 1937, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
• Obituary: 3 Dec 2002; Appleton Post Crescent

Notes:

Education - High School:
Appleton High School Class of 1937

Obituary:
Van Handel, Ralph A. Lafayette, IndianaAge 83, passed away November 27, 2002. He was born January 17, 1919 in App leton and he received his bachelor’s in library science from the Universi ty of Wisconsin. He married Alice C Hogan in 1945 in Madison, Wisconsi n. He is survived by his wife, Alice C Van Handel; a son, William P. VanHa ndel (Becky), Greenwood, Indiana; two daughters: Karen Naminski (Tom), Whe eler, Indiana; Mary Jo Craig (Terry), Plymouth, Indiana; four grandchildre n, and three sisters: Ruth Kessler (Arthur), Neenah; Dorothy Spencer (Fran k), Sylacauga, Alabama; Joan Sommerville (Gene), Redding, California.Mr. Van Handel served in the Army Air Corps from 1941 to 1945. He receiv ed six battle stars and two unit commendations. He was the head librari an in Lawrence, Kansas from 1947-1951 and in Hibbing, Minnesota from 1951- 1954. He was the library director in Gary, IN from 1954-1974. From 1974-19 84 he was the library director at Wells Memorial Public Library, Lafayett e, Indiana.He was a member of the Indiana Library Certification Board from 1969-198 4, the Indiana State Library and Historical Building Expansion Committee f rom 1973-1981, a life member of the American Library Association, and a li fe member of the Indiana Library Association, of which he was president fr om 1963-1964.In 1971 he was named Indiana Librarian of the Year. He was Named Sagamo re of the Wabash in 1984. He was a member of Knights of Columbus and form er member of the Lafayette Rotary Club. He was listed in the “Who’s W ho in the World,” “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in the Midwest.

Ralph married Hogan, Alice C. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Obituary: 2 Oct 2013; Appleton Post Crescent

Notes:

Obituary:
Van Handel Miller Kessler, Ruth Mary
Ruth Kessler, age 93, died on Saturday, September 28, 2013, at the Valley VNA Assisted Living in Neenah with her niece, Beth Seebert, by her side.
Ruth was born on September 26, 1920 to Frank and Gertrude (Schmidt) Van Handel in Appleton, WI. She lived in the historic Third Ward for much of her life, and took care of her mother until Gertrude's death.
Ruth was employed at Kimberly-Clark from 1942 until her retirement in 1977. She held executive secretarial positions, including one for John R. Kimberly.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents and her husbands, C. Jarvis Miller and Arthur J. Kessler.
Ruth's four siblings also preceded her in death: Catherine Witmer, Ralph Van Handel, Dorothy Spencer and Joan Sommerville. She is survived by her first cousin, Mickey Milbach, her sister-in-law, Alice Van Handel, and her brother-in-law, Frank (Spence) Spencer.
Ruth loved photography and carried a camera on her many adventures. She chronicled the family history with still photographs and home movies. Ruth was quite athletic and played softball, rode bicycles and loved to golf. She stopped playing golf when she was 80.
Aunt Ruth dearly loved her 19 nieces and nephews. The feeling was mutual. She provided all of us with precious memories of special events with her ever-present camera. We cherished the trips to the Milwaukee zoo, the Baraboo circus museum, Milwaukee Braves baseball games, Crystal River canoe trips and swimming at Two Rivers. When the relatives made their arduous cross-country drives for family reunions at Grandma's house, Ruth would show home movies and demonstrate why Wisconsin cookouts are the best.
Ruth's sense of adventure influenced all of the cousins. We learned from her the proper way to mature gracefully, while still having laughter and a hint of mischief in our everyday lives. The Witmer neighborhood children used to call her Aunt Ruth (and some of those long-grown children still do), as if they wished that she was their aunt too.
Aunt Ruth was a second Mom to the seven Witmer children in Appleton: Beth (John) Seebert, Mary (Don, deceased) Hook, John Witmer, Joan (Dan) Kessel, Joe (Mary) Witmer, Ruth (Steve) Warner and Steve (Ann) Witmer. The Van Handels, Bill (Becky) Van Handel, Karen (Tom) Naminski, and Mary Jo (Terry) Craig, grew up in Indiana. The Spencers, Jim (Jean) Spencer, Bishop F. Richard Spencer, Bill (Elaine) Spencer, Fr. Robert Spencer and Peg (Joe) Fetyko grew up in Alabama. The Sommerville girls, Carla (John) Satterwhite, Donna Roberts, Nancy (Dan) Armstrong, and Gail (Dave) Conklin, grew up in California. Ruth is further survived by the children and grandchildren of her nieces and nephews.
Ruth resided at the VNA since 2002. She loved living there and was unfailingly cheerful to her fellow residents and the staff. She always said how lucky she was to live in such a wonderful place. Ruth loved to walk through the VNA courts and greeted residents and staff with a smile and, quite frequently, a compliment. We send heartfelt thanks to the staff for the loving care they extended throughout the years and especially the last two weeks of her life. We thank ThedaCare Hospice for their compassionate care which eased Ruth's final journey.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 4, at St. Joseph Church, 404 W. Lawrence Street, Appleton, with Rev. Jim Leary, OFM Cap officiating and Rev. Robert A. Spencer, U.S. Navy Chaplain, concelebrating. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the church on Friday until the time of the mass. Interment will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, Appleton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Joseph Food Pantry in Menasha, where Ruth volunteered for many years.
Aunt Ruth, thank you for your unconditional love and for all of the wonderful adventures. Love, your nieces and nephews
Published in Appleton Post-Crescent from September 30 to October 2, 2013

Ruth married Miller, C. Jarvis [Group Sheet]

Ruth married Kessler, Arthur J. 20 Nov 1989. Arthur (son of Kessler, George Peter and Wegenke, Bertha) was born 19 Sep 1905, Little Chute, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA; died 25 Dec 2005, Neenah, Winnebago, Wisconsin, USA; was buried , St. Margaret Catholic Cemetery, Neenah, Wisconsin, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Education - High School: 1939, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA

Notes:

Education - High School:
Appleton High School Class of 1939

Dorothy married Spencer, Frank [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Obituary: 24 Jun 2009; Appleton Post Crescent

Notes:

Obituary:
Sommerville, Joan M.
Joan M. Sommerville age 82, died June 21, 2009. Joan was born October 23, 1926, in Appleton, Wisconsin, to the late Frank and Gertrude (Schmidt) Van Handel. Joan was a devoted wife, mother and friend. She loved her family, the church and her country. She worked 30 years for the Veterans Hospital as a registered nurse before retiring to travel with her late husband where they made lifelong friends throughout the country.
Surviving relatives include sister, Ruth Kessler; daughters: Carla Satterwhite, Donna Roberts, Nancy Armstrong, Gail Conklin, Sandy Ebersole, our dear family friend adopted as a daughter into Joan's heart, seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Joan was preceded in death by her loving husband Gene, brother Ralph Van Handel, sisters Katherine Witmer and Dorothy Spencer.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday June 26th at 1 in the Chapel of Our Lady of Peace. Memorial contribution may be made to the donor's favorite charity. On-line condolences may be made at

Joan married Sommerville, Gene [Group Sheet]