Peter Wachtendonk

Peter "Pete" Wachtendonk, 77 of Seymour passed away on Monday, November 9, 2026 peacefully at home. He was born on March 25, 1949 son of the late Richard and Virginia (Surman) Wachtendonk.

Pete was united in marriage to Helen Letter on August 5, 1972 at St. Sebastian Catholic Church in Isaar having celebrated 54 years together.

He was a lifelong member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church were he was an usher and Eucharist distributor. Volunteering at church also included cutting lawn at the cemetery, plowing snow at church, and he donated the use of a skid steer and salt.

Pete retired from the Outagamie County Highway Department after a long career of maintaining the highways and roads. Following his retirement, he also hauled pickles and milk, and was a tour bus driver.

He truly liked helping others and one of the ways he did so was by helping local farmers milk cows, work the crops, and doing chores.

Pete served on the Seymour Rural Fire Department for 35 years, with ten of those years at the Fire Chief. He also was a town of Seymour Supervisor. His involvement with 4-H was for 38 years.

He had served as a woodworking leader and resource leader for Woodworking for Outagamie County. Pete liked making woodworking projects for the family and friends. He also liked to get out on the water with a fishing pole in hand.

Pete is survived by his wife, Helen; son, Michael (Vicki) Wachtendonk; daughters: Jennifer Novitski and Cynthia (Travis) Bartlett; 6 grandchildren: Justin (Brenna) and Eric Wachtendonk, Brianna and Jordan Bartlett, Joselyn and Jada Novitski; 1 great-grandson, Joseph "J.J." Wachtendonk. Further survived by brothers: John and Dave; brother-in-law: Ray (Diane) Letter, sisters-in-law: Mary (Dave) Tesch, Veronica Borlen, Ev (Bob) Moser, Elaine (Frank) McGinnis, and Mary Jane Letter.

He was preceded in death by his parents, father-in-law and mother-in-law, Henry and Evelyn Letter; son-in-law, John Novitski; brothers-in-law: Gerald Letter, Jim Borlen, and Steve Buchholz.

Visitation for Pete will take place at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Seymour on Friday, November 13, 2026 from 4 pm until the parish prayer service at 7 pm. On Saturday, November 14, 2026 the visitation will continue from 9 am until 10:45 am, with the funeral mass at 11 am with Fr. Sengole Dass and Fr. Bob Kabat concelebrating. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.

Special thanks to our children Mike, Jenny, and Cindy and to Unity Hospice, especially Hannah and Kiana, for taking such good care of Pete in his final days.