There will be less talk of farming and fishing in Flintville this spring. A life-long Suamico resident, Joseph Edward Kaczmarek, Jr. ("Joe"), 90, passed away peacefully the morning of Saturday March 21, 2026.

Joe, the first-born child to Lorraine (Wright) and Joseph Kaczmarek, Sr., was born on October 15, 1935. He grew up on a Flintville farm, with his parents and paternal grandparents. He fished, hunted, and trapped with his Grandpa Stanley along the Suamico River, learned to cook from grandma Anna and his mother Lorraine, and worked on the farm with his father Joe Sr. His dad's sisters, Margaret and Evelyn, and his own siblings, Judy and Mike, were around the farm throughout Joe's childhood.

Joe walked more than one mile to Flintville School and graduated from eighth grade in 1949. He graduated from Pulaski High School in 1953. After graduation, he worked on the family farm along with other side jobs. Joe enlisted in the United States Army in 1957 and attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, eventually moving to Fort Riley, Kansas where he trained as a cook. After leaving active duty, Joe continued to serve in the Army Reserves.

Joe met a farm girl named Jean Drewiecki through the Farm Bureau Young Farmers and they began dating. Joe and Jean were married on October 25th,1958 at St. Francis Church in De Pere. While dating, and during their early years of marriage, they enjoyed polka dances, card parties, baseball games, and Packers football games (including the "Ice Bowl"). They bought the family farm from Grandma Anna. Over the course of their 64 years of marriage, they established and maintained a productive dairy farm and welcomed nine children and 13 grandchildren. Joe often spoke proudly of where his kids were and what they were doing. Even after farm retirement in 1997, Joe became "south side farm surveillance" and a "professional co-pilot" for almost 30 years.

Joe was part of several farming and planning organizations including membership (and chairman) of the board of directors of Farm Credit Services (now Greenstone FCS), 20 years on the Pulaski Chase Cooperative (United Co-op) board of directors, Town of Suamico planning committee, and lifetime membership on the Brown County Holstein Breeders Association. He received several awards related to crop management, dairy production, and conservation. In 1970, Joe and Jean received the Outstanding Young Farmer award by the Green Bay Area Jaycees. In 1990, he received recognition for "Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture in Brown County" from the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. His biggest accolade was receiving the Cooperative Builder Award from the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives in 1997.

A man of faith, Joe was a life-long member of Saints Edward and Isidore Parish in Flintville. His service to the parish included vice-president of their Holy Name Society, membership in the Knights of Columbus, and a member of the church finance committee. He volunteered for 65+ years at the Harvest Fest and for the K of C booyahs.

Joe was an avid outdoorsman. He loved to fish and to hunt, and he was a terrific shot. He fished his whole life and only stopped fishing in 2024. He loved to go to the "Hobble Inn" near Florence to hunt in Wisconsin. He enjoyed hunting and socializing with his friends in the U.P. He even got a deer at 5:01 am when he was 77. In later years of life, Joe liked to watch Brewers baseball and listen to Polka music. If you ask Joe's children, his number #1 obsession was firewood: sourcing, cutting, piling, loading the wood stove and asking his children "Did you put wood in? When? How many pieces? What pile did you take the wood from?" The home was always warm.

Many Kaczmareks grew up but moved away from the farm south of Flintville, but no one lived there for as long as Joe (90 years), so he had plenty of history to share. Joe was a gregarious and funny storyteller with an incredible memory. He will be remembered for his ability to tell a story or joke with unbeatable comedic timing and a flair for exaggeration.

Joe is survived by his brother and sister-in-law Michael and Janet Kaczmarek (Oconto Falls), sister-in-law Joyce Drewiecki (Ledgeview), his children Stanley Kaczmarek (Kathy; Pittsfield), John Kaczmarek (Riverton, WY), Rose Ann Turner (Jim; Blythewood, SC), Paul Kaczmarek (Vicky; Suamico), Doug Kaczmarek (Suamico), Lisa Milkowski (Andy; Issaquah, WA), Helen Sable (Jeff; Memphis, TN), and Amy Kaczmarek (Suamico), son-in-law Bernie Kontny (Suamico), grandchildren Megan, Sara, Matthew, Guner, Lindsi, Hut, Justin, Jason, Maria, Angela, Zosia, Peter, and Karl, and nephews Jim, Tom, Bob, Bill, Mike Jr, and Scott.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, paternal grandparents Stanley and Anna (Wenzel) Kaczmarek, maternal grandparents Florence (Devroy) and Martin Wright, sister and brother-in-law Judith and Julian Heier, aunts and uncles Clifford Wright, Leila Valentine, Anita Verheyden, Evelyn Sheedy, and Margaret Kaczmarek, daughter Karen Kontny, and his beloved wife Jean. Joe deeply missed Jean during the 3.5 years since her passing. Fittingly, their souls were reunited on the first day of spring, leaving the planting of fields and gardening to others.

The family would like to extend a huge thank you to Cathy Moore and Lisa Berryhill from Home Instead, who provided outstanding care for Joe and Jean the last six years and made their living at home enjoyable. Additional thanks to the healthcare staff at St. Mary's Hospital in Green Bay.

Visitation will be held at Saints Edward and Isidore church, Flintville on Friday, May 1, 2026, from 2-6 pm and on Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 9-11 am. The funeral mass will occur at the church on May 2 at 11 am, followed by burial in the church cemetery (weather permitting).

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Bay Port chapter of the Future Farmers of America ( https://howard-suamicoschools.revtrak.net/bp/bp-ffa/bp-ffa-donation ).