Yvonne Mary Haas

Yvonne Mary Haas, age 91, passed away peacefully with family at her side Saturday, December 27, 2025. She was born at home in Columbus, OH, September 9, 1934, daughter of the late Merrick and Mailli (Nee: Hallen) Burkhardt. Her dad was a salesman and they moved often. She attended high school at Manistique High School in Michigan where her Swedish immigrant grandparents ran the Park Hotel. She graduated from St. Catherines High School and attended Dominican College in Racine.

On April 14, 1956, she was united in marriage to Gerard N. Haas and they were blessed with 8 children. Gerard preceded her in death March 28, 1993. Yvonne and her husband moved their family to a “funny farm” in Yorkville where gardening and her children’s activities – including animals, 4H, county fairs, horse shows and sports - took up much of her time. She was a member of St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church in Union Grove. Yvonne and family spent some years in Waupun and later in Kenosha, where she made numerous friends along the way. Yvonne was an employee of the Racine Journal Times where she gave tours for many years. She will be remembered for her cottage style garden on Wisconsin Avenue in Racine, which she called her ministry. She encouraged all who passed, friend or stranger, to smell the flowers and herbs or to taste the apricots fresh from the tree. Yvonne enjoyed flower gardening but her passion was being a mother and grandmother. She will be dearly missed. Her children rise up and call her blessed. – Proverbs 31:28.

Surviving are her children, Gerard “Jed” Haas Jr., Ann-Marie (Kenneth) Niec, Jean (the late Lloyd) Fude, Martin (Lesa) Haas, Sharon (Douglas) Van Eeckhout, Matthew Haas, Nicholas (Ana) Haas, Benjamin Haas; 11 grandchildren, Kaleb Haas, Abby (Shamus) Stone, Alex (Stefanie) Fude, Rachel (Benjamin) Borgardt, Nathan (Abby) Van Eeckhout, Joel Van Eeckhout, Adah Van Eeckhout, Madeline NIec, Burkhardt Niec, Noel Niec, and Adam Haas; great grandchildren, Braelyn and Brooklyn Haas, Isabel, Reiny, and Wiley Stone, August and Wesley Fude, Ella Borgardt, and Arthur Van Eeckhout; brother, John Burkhardt; in-laws, Susan Burkhardt, Daniel Haas, Lawrence Jansen, Alvin and Bernadette Morrow, Ruth Ann Haas, Laurine Haas; nieces nephews, other relatives and dear friends. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her stepfather, Wallace Nelson, father and mother in-law Edward and Carolyn (Reichert) Haas, her brothers, Merrick Burkhardt, Paul Burkhardt; in-laws, Justyn Burkhardt, Gregory and Elaine Haas, Joseph and Diane Cook, Foy and Germaine Brigman, Rosemary Jansen. Richard and Marjorie Malko, Marlene Haas, Norman Haas, and John Haas.

Private Interment at Holy Family Cemetery, Hwy 31. Relatives and friends may meet with family at River Bend Nature Center Main Hall, 3600 N. Green Bay Road, Racine, WI on January 17th 2026 between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m..