Loren Ray Vanderkinter

Loren Ray Vander Kinter, 68 of Shirley, sadly and unexpectedly left us on February 1, 2023. Loren was born on September 25, 1954 in Green Bay to the late Wallace and Joyce (Pahnke) Vander Kinter.

Loren loved farming, driving his motorcycle, traveling, and a good time out with friends. He was a very generous man to many in the community. A farmer at heart, he was like a little kid getting into a combine, chopper, or a tractor. He looked forward to harvest season every year. In his last months, he was online regularly looking for additional machinery to get ready for the upcoming season. When he purchased his farm, he started with milking cows, evolved into trucking, and then eventually added in cash cropping and custom work. Loren was an avid Harley Rider. He made several trips to various parts of the county to ride, even driving his bike to Alaska. He eventually got the opportunity to travel abroad and rode motorcycle in Thailand and Australia. His love for travel extended to Africa where he began to spend more time each winter. He loved the weather and couldn’t wait to get back there. In his free time, he enjoyed getting out to play bar dice, cribbage, rummy, and socializing with his friends. Loren enjoyed kids. He always tried to cultivate their farming knowledge. He was either picking on them to make them smile, playing card games with them, or enjoying a bowl of ice cream.

Loren was hospitalized in early December of 2021 where he was diagnosed with cancer. He began broadband chemo in mid-December and was discharged from the hospital to live with Daisy (his niece) and her family just before Christmas. The outlook of his official diagnosis, Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer, was dismal. Several days of research and calls lead them to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas for a second opinion. Loren, Alan (brother), and Daisy flew out in early January for several weeks of visits, scans, and tests. By February, Loren was partaking in their FAST program, a trial for Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer treatment. The trial required Loren and Daisy to make visits every 3 weeks to MD Anderson for immunotherapy. In early June, the mass shrunk enough for surgery to take place, and he began 5 weeks of radiation shortly thereafter in mid-July. Radiation took a toll on him; however, he was able to make it to Indiana in early September to watch the corn chopping harvest that he had been a part of for over 20 years. This meant the world to him! In October 2022, all scans came back with no signs of cancer. Visits continued to Houston every 3 weeks for maintenance care. Unfortunately, while in Houston, Loren suffered massive internal bleeding which took his life.

Loren was one of seven children and is survived by: Lyle (Kim), Two Rivers; John (Lindy), Denmark; Wayne (Karen), Clyde, both of Green Bay; Alan (Eileen), Denmark; and Glen (Terry), Green Bay. He is further survived by his former-wife and friend Kathy Vander Kinter along with her children Dee (Lane), Greg (Tammy), Katie (Andrew), along with their children; ten nieces, nine nephews, many great-nieces and great-nephews and numerous amazing friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents; a sister-in-law, Betty; and Kathy’s son, John Paul Bowe.

Family and Friends may visit at Cotter Funeral Home-Denmark (536 County Road R) on Thursday, February 9, from 3:00-7:30pm. A prayer service will conclude the evening. Visitation will continue on Friday at Immanuel Lutheran Church- Shirley (3735 Shirley Road- De Pere) from 9:00am until 10:30am. Funeral service at 11:00am with Pastor Dave Ruddat officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

The family would like to extend a very sincere thank you to the staff of MD Anderson for the care and compassion they gave Loren during his cancer treatment and his last days. Also grateful for Dr. G and his staff at Bellin Cancer Center as they assisted with his care here at home. Loren wouldn’t have made it as long as he had without the ladies who helped with his care and made it possible for him to enjoy this last year: Mandy Vander Kinter, Dee Stein, and nieces Brenda Brunner and Daisy Larsen.