Joan J. Eckert, 94, of Fish Creek, WI passed away the evening of January 19, 2021 at her home with her daughters at her side.
Joan was born June 11, 1926 in Wrightstown, WI, the daughter of the late Jerome and Josephine (Bries) Verhasselt. She grew up living along the Fox River with seven siblings and graduated from Wrightstown High School when she was 16. When working at the Alpine Resort in Egg Harbor during the summer of 1948, she met Carl “Buck” Eckert, a local Fish Creek fellow and they started their life adventure of 64 years together. They married in 1949, settled in Fish Creek and started their family. After having three of their five children, they decided to move to Milwaukee for better opportunities and lived there for 37 years. Two more children joined the family. Joan always worked full time doing waitress work while raising her family. She was a wonderful mother and homemaker and enjoyed raising her kids. She was a regular fixture on Saturday nights watching her two sons at the stock car races. A great cook, baker, seamstress and quilter. Joan always had time for fun and had many lifelong friends – there was always room at the table. She had her own cake business, “Cakes by Joan”.
Joan and Buck were thrilled to return to Fish Creek in retirement in 1994 and enjoyed every bit of it. A great hostess – she enjoyed entertaining family & friends. They had “Eckert Vacation Homes” and enjoyed renovating real estate. Joan was a member of Stella Maris Parish. Throughout her life Joan was an avid Milwaukee Bucks basketball fan and she enjoyed her friends at Water Walkers at the Fish Creek YMCA. Her sheer determination to live and enjoy life to the fullest was evident as she fought back from her near miss with death at 90 after being run over by a car and recovering from that to return home.
Surviving family includes her dear children, Wesley (Sandra) Eckert of Hales Corners, Deborah Eckert (Jerry Butzen) of Ephraim, Mark Eckert of Waukesha, Carla (Jay) Marr of Fish Creek; nine grandchildren, John, Merci, Danielle, Kelsey, Wesley, Lindsay, Dan, Nicholas and Leah; and seven great-grandchildren, Landen, Thomas, Jack, Gabby, Emily, Jacob and Ben; and sister, Zita Wessa, Goodyear, AZ.
Preceding her in death were her parents, Jerome and Josephine Verhasselt; husband, Carl “Buck” Eckert; son, Bruce Eckert; two sisters, Mary Thede and Rita Shebel; and four brothers, Basil, Leo, Jack and Orlo Verhasselt.
Services are being planned for June 2021. Burial will be at Blossomberg Cemetery in Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek.
“We would like to thank Unity Hospice for their compassionate care and being the strength at our side. A special thank you to Pat Thorp.”
The family welcomes memorials in Joan’s name to the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue or the Stella Maris Food Pantry in Fish Creek.
Casperson Funeral Home & Cremation Services, LLC is assisting the Eckert family with arrangements. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Joan may be shared with her family through her tribute page at www.caspersonfuneralhome.com
