Maureen Van Elzen

Maureen passed away unexpectedly on Monday, March 2nd 2026. She was born Maureen Ann Murphy on February 7th, 1962 to Jacqueline and Marvin Murphy in Neenah, Wisconsin.

Maureen grew up in Appleton and loved spending time at the Valley Fair Mall down the street. She attended Sacred Heart Primary school, Foster Elementary and East High School. She married John Van Elzen on February 27th, 1988 at Holy Name Parish in Kimberly. They were married for 18 years and had 3 children.

Maureen was well-liked by almost every single person who knew her. She was extremely generous and helpful. She was known for her friendly, bubbly personality and strong work ethic. She treated everyone as equals and as if they were already friends. She spent 7 years staying home with her children and helping out at Don and Rita Van Elzen’s Apple Orchard in Kimberly. She then worked for her father and step-mother at Fox Cities Magazine for many years as an administrative assistant. She went on to follow her passion for fashion at Kohl’s, and then Marshalls, eventually becoming assistant manager at Marshalls. She made many great friendships at these stores and was known to make the workplace fun! Maureen loved chatting and catching up with former neighbors and old friends while they were in the check out line, and she loved finding her 6 degrees of separation with new people. She ended her career last year after a short time of managing her own Icing jewelry store in the mall. The visiting managers were blown away with how well-organized and tidy the store was! She also had fun working at Jitters Bar in Menasha with her youngest sister for several years in her earlier adulthood. Maureen loved to spend time with her grandchildren and cuddling with her fur-grandbabies whom she lived with. Her children and grandchildren were the pride of her life. She found solace and peace tending to her flower gardens, and she loved doing crafts, such as cross-stitch and mosaic glass art, most of which became gifts for people she cared about. She could almost always be seen with a cup of McDonald's coffee in her hand or nearby. She had fond memories from her family trip to Hawaii, her honeymoon in Jamaica and a later visit to Paris & Amsterdam with her former husband, a trip to Myrtle Beach with a friend, a solo trip to Graceland to see her favorite star’s former residence, another visit to Paris with her eldest daughter and her mother, and then Ireland with her father, stepmom, siblings and spouses.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents: Beatrice and Frank Murphy, and Joseph and Leona Gerrits, her former mother-in-law Rita Van Elzen, former stepfather Ray Hoppe, uncle Franklin Murphy, uncle David Gerrits and aunt Diane Mykel.

She is survived by her parents: Jackie, Marv, and step-mother Ruth Ann Heeter. Her siblings: Chris (Paul) Sellner, Kevin (Myong Ha) Murphy, Geri Woeschnick, and Jill (Randy Laabs) Murphy. Her children: Anna (Travis) Meyer, Jack Van Elzen and Jami (Ricky) Olvera. Her grandchildren: Ivan Dominguez, Nova Dominguez, and Adria Marschall. And also by many loving aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, as well as many other friends and relatives, including her dear friends Jody and Matt Van Deurzen.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date and will be shared as the event nears.