MICHAEL DEPIES

Michael Gerald Depies, 77, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on February 19th, 2025. 
He was born on May 28th, 1947, to Rainer and Margaret (Van Lankvelt) Depies. Mike grew up in Hilbert, Wisconsin where he had many fond memories of spending time with his grandparents and helping out on his Uncle Leo's farm.  Mike graduated from Hilbert High School in 1965, and from UW - Eau Claire in 1970, with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry.  It was where he met the love of his life Deborah (Deb) Lindauer.  They were married on June 13, 1970, and the day after their wedding they packed up and headed to Albany, New York where Mike worked as a research assistant at Sterling Winthrop Research Institute.
 
A desire to return to the midwest brought Mike back to school first to become a cytotechnologist and finally a Registered Nurse after graduation in 1983 from St. Joseph School of Nursing in Marshfield Wisconsin. 

Most significantly in Marshfield. in May of 1979 was where Mike put his trust in Christ's sacrifice accepting that Jesus took his punishment and made it possible for him to receive God's free gift of eternal life. In 1981, he was blessed with the birth of his son, Joel. 

Following graduation, he returned to the Fox Valley where Mike spent the next 21 years as a psych nurse at the Wisconsin Resource Center.  In 1984 a second blessing, his son, Benjamin, was born.  

Mike lived out his faith having a passion to study God's Word and share the good news of salvation with others.  Mike studied both Greek and Hebrew and completed a Lay Pastors training program at Appleton Alliance Church where he attended and was active in many ministries for over 30 years. 

Mike had a heart for people of other cultures which led to teaching himself Spanish, participating and leading 10 ESL short term mission trips to Ecuador, Peru and Chile.  He had a vision for reaching others for Christ through teaching English as a second language in South America.  Mike was also a Gideon and loved to share New Testaments with those he felt had a searching heart.  
Mike had a love of the outdoors, and he and Deb enjoyed camping, biking, kayaking, hiking, cross country skiing and spending time at their cabin in the UP on the Paint River. He and Deb also loved to travel and and visited many places throughout the United States after retirement.
 
Mike was preceded in death by his grandparents, Arthur and Freda Depies and John and Hattie Van Lankvelt as well as his parents, Rainer and Margaret Depies and his in-laws, Arthur and Iris Lindauer.  

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Deborah; and his 2  sons; and 6 grandchildren: Joel (Emily) Wesley, Iris, Sam, and Ellie; Benjamin (Brenna) Arthur and Dean, and sister-in-law Cynthia (Richard) Platz.

The family would like to thank the staff at Valley VNA Neenah for their faithful care of Mike during the last year of his illness with a special thanks to Joelyn, Shonna, Angi, Sherri, Corey, Nathan, and many others who showed great kindness, understanding and compassion. We would also like to thank Heartland Hospice, and especially his nurse Crystal, who walked with Mike through his last days. 

 A service of Christian burial will be held at 11:30 AM on Friday, February 28, 2025, at Alliance Church, 2693 Grand Chute Blvd, Appleton, with Rev. Mark Tegtmeier officiating. Visitation at the church from 9:30 AM until the service. Interment will be in Oak Hill Cemetery in Neenah. In lieu of flowers Donations can be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association.  

“Be  faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life. “  Revelation 2:10 (NASB)

To view services via live stream, please click on the following link: https://youtube.com/live/kMZzBVZp0L0