On the morning of April 7, 2016, Heaven welcomed in a Saint, and he is forever rejoicing with his Heavenly Father and other forgiven sisters and brothers in Christ.
Matthew Warren Heinen, 35, of Cedar Grove, was taken in a car accident. Matt was born on September 13, 1980 in Honolulu, HI. He attended Cedar Grove – Belgium Schools and graduated in 1999.
In 2002, he married Anna Smies, also of Cedar Grove. In 2004, he graduated from Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI and graduated in 2006 from Concordia University with his Master’s degree. They have three children, Caleb Jaymes (9), Abigail Grace (7), and Levi Michael (4).
Matt has been a guidance counselor in the Port-Washington Saukville School District, Badger Middle School in West Bend, Oostburg Elementary School, and currently, Fond du Lac Goodrich High School.
Matt believed in Jesus Christ and loved to share God’s and Christ’s love to everyone he met. Matt played with the Refuge and the Alternative praise bands, taught Sunday school, and for years helped with his churches’ youth groups. Matt currently served on the board at Oostburg Christian School.
He loved sports and coached basketball. He also enjoyed spending time with his many and solid friends, talking sports, and playing cards. Matt loved his wife and children very much and created many wonderful memories. His “dadness” was above and beyond. His silly antics and sincere guidance were both parts of his obvious love for his wife and children.
He is survived by his wife, Anna Heinen; children, Caleb, Abbi, and Levi; parents, Michael and Wendy (Meylink) Heinen; brother, Ben (Ashley) Heinen of Sheboygan Falls; father and mother in law, James and Donna (Roerdink) Smies; sister in laws Becky (Jack) Dulmes, and Sara (Jim) Gerend; and brother in law, David Smies (fiancé Becky Gardenier) of Waukesha; grandparents, Warren (Phyllis) Heinen, Joan Meylink, and Catherine “Jean” Smies, all of Cedar Grove. Matt leaves behind four nieces and two nephews, many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Matt was preceded in death by his grandparents, Audley and Arlie Roerdink, Daniel Smies, Wesley Meylink and Carolyn Heinen. He will be greatly missed by the friends, students, coworkers, church family, and many others in his life left this side of heaven.
Matt had a passion for music. A favorite music group, Shane and Shane, has a post which Matt had shared on his Facebook page. “It was an unfair deal on the part of Christ. He got my sin, I got eternal life.” That’s grace, offered to all. TO ALL. Matt was like any other flawed person, but the difference was he put Christ first and let God work through him, in all his weakness. For anyone he may have positively influenced in this life, he would have given credit to Christ, using him.
A funeral service to celebrate Matt’s life will be held on Monday, April 11, 2016 at 4:30pm at First Reformed Church in Cedar Grove with Rev. Ronald Sanford officiating. Burial will be at Cedar Grove Cemetery.
Relatives and friends may greet the family on Sunday, April 10, 2016 at the Wenig Funeral Home in Oostburg from 2-7pm and again on Monday, April 11, 2016 at the CHURCH from 3-4:15pm.
The family would like to thank everyone for their outpouring of prayers, kind words, hugs, and deeds. We are truly blessed and overwhelmed.
Matt was kind of a loud guy and seemed to raise the decibel level when excited about something. Heaven probably got a little louder on April 7, 2016 when he arrived home.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to the Matt Heinen Family Memorial Fund, which has been set up through National Exchange Bank and Trust to help fund the children’s education.