Carl A. Vandermeulen

“I’m a word nerd, someone who loves stories and poetry and the magic of language.” –Carl Vandermeulen, 2009

Carl A. Vandermeulen, age 81, of Menomonie, died at home on Thursday, December 11, 2025. His wife Amy, son Simon, and end-of-life doula were with him when he passed. Carl was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer in April 2024, living a year and eight months beyond diagnosis while continuing to play pickleball and building frames for Amy’s art exhibition at the University of Northern Iowa in September. His cancer took an aggressive turn for the worse in mid- to late November, when he was cared for by the Emergency Department of Mayo Clinic Health System in Menomonie, Mayo Clinic Hospital and Oncology Department in Eau Claire, and St. Croix Hospice for his last three days at home.

Carl was born September 24, 1944, to Jake and Tena (Bouwman) Vandermeulen in Missaukee County, MI and grew up on a dairy farm near Falmouth, MI where he bottle-fed kittens, fished in Butterfield Creek, hunted for squirrels and rabbits, swam in Dyer Lake, and hung out with Danny Martinez. Carl attended elementary school in Falmouth, MI and high school in McBain. He continued his education at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI where he struggled his first semester, was given grace by his German professor, and ultimately fell in love with reading and writing and the craft of storytelling. He majored in English Education and committed to bringing this same love of learning to his future students. 

Upon graduation from Calvin College, Carl was offered a teaching position at Unity Christian High School in Orange City, IA, where he was afforded the space and authority to teach literature to students in a meaningful way. He also served as advisor of the student newspaper, The Lance, and the yearbook, creating opportunities for students to find their voice.

Carl married his first wife Janice in 1963, with whom he had three children: Mark, Shari, and Lynae. He had fond memories of long road trips with them and was proud of the solar-powered home he designed and built for them in Orange City. Carl founded the Middleburg Press in 1978 and published literary and school journalism titles, including his own Photography for Student Publications, published in 1979.

In 1981, Carl began teaching Communication Studies courses part-time at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA. In 1982, he became advisor for the Northwestern College newspaper, The Beacon, and also advised the poetry and fine arts magazine, The Spectrum. He soon joined NWC as a full-time faculty member and was a beloved part of the English and Communication Departments there for 25 years, establishing Journalism and Writing & Rhetoric majors, chairing the Communications Department, advising students, and securing a two-million-dollar Lily grant for the college before retiring in 2009.

Carl earned a Master of Arts degree in English from the University of South Dakota in 1970 and a Ph. D. in English with concentrations in rhetoric and composition, creative writing, literary theory, and Renaissance literature from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1995. In 2004-05, Carl spent seven months in South Africa, beginning work on his book and teaching at The King’s Court Christian School in Modjadjiskloof, Limpopo.

After retiring from NWC, Carl moved to Menomonie. He and Amy were married in 2010, and he adopted her son Simon in 2011. During his early years in Menomonie, he finished writing the manuscript of his book, Negotiating the Personal in Creative Writing, published by New Writing Viewpoints in August 2011. Carl also worked as a substitute teacher in the Menomonie Public School District, taught Composition I and II at UW–Stout, and an English Education course at UW–Eau Claire.

In 2015, Carl retired from work outside the home and became a full-time stay-at-home husband and dad. He built an extension to the kitchen, a sunroom, and backyard shed from used and sustainable materials; gathered and chopped wood for the wood stove; and learned to cook various cuisines, with Indian being a favorite. He spent many hours helping Simon with Science Olympiad projects and enjoyed going on food adventures with just the two of them. Carl was an amazing woodworker, building not only cabinets and rooms on the house, but an easel, desk, flat file, and cart for Amy’s studio and classroom. Carl enjoyed birdwatching, mushroom hunting, gardening, reading, learning about subjects Simon was studying, taking photographs, playing pickleball, and adoring his cats. Carl served as a Dunn County Supervisor for several years, representing District 19. In the role of county supervisor, he also served on the Judiciary Committee and was a commissioner on the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.

Carl is survived by his wife, Amy Fichter of Menomonie; sons, Simon Fichter of Austin, TX; Mark Vandermeulen of Orange City, IA; daughters, Shari Vandermeulen (Jennifer Tremaine) of Milwaukee, Lynae Vandermeulen of Santa Fe, NM; and his first wife, Janice Vandermeulen of Orange City, IA.

He is preceded in death by his parents Jake and Tena, his brother Earl, and sister Jean.

A celebration of life gathering will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 29, 2025, at Olde Town Banquet Hall at 903 Cedar Falls Road in Menomonie, with a time of sharing at 6:00 p.m.

To share a memory, please visit obituaries at www.rhielfuneralhome.com