Leo Mundus

     Leo Mundus, 87, of Emmetsburg, passed away on January 21, 2026, at Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 28, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Emmetsburg. Burial will follow at St. John’s Catholic Cemetery in Emmetsburg. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday at Martin-Mattice Funeral Home in Emmetsburg. Mass will be livestreamed via Martin Mattice Funeral Home's website: https://www.hdezwebcast.com/show/leo-mundus.
 
     Leo Francis Mundus, the son of Lee and Frances (Grossnickle) Mundus, was born at home on the family farm near Emmetsburg, Iowa, on November 19, 1938. He attended country school through the eighth grade and later graduated from Emmetsburg Catholic High School in 1957. 
 
     Leo was first married to Jean Henely, and together they raised five children: Cindy, Laura, Mike, Kim “Beni,” and Matt. 
 
     On September 2, 2021, Leo was united in marriage to Wendy Stickney at The Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. 
 
     After high school, Leo spent a short time in Ringsted, where he worked for a local farmer. It was there that his first daughter, Cindy, was born. In the early 1960s, Leo returned to Emmetsburg and began farming with his brother Larry. The two farmed together for a few years until Larry entered the military, after which Leo continued farming on his own. In 1986, Leo began purchasing his own land and continued farming throughout his life, steadily expanding his operation over the years. He loved sharing stories about growing up on the farm and often spoke of his father, whom he affectionately referred to as “Pap.” His farming legacy will continue through his children, who will now oversee the Mundus farmland. 
 
     Leo enjoyed hunting and riding horses, and in his younger years he even participated in rodeo events. Above all, he deeply loved his family and cherished time spent with them. 
 
     Left to cherish Leo’s memory are his wife, Wendy; his children, Laura (Mike) Rose of Tripoli, Michael (Lisa) Mundus of Emmetsburg, and Matthew Mundus of Phoenix, Arizona; his stepdaughters, Becca Sweers of Clear Lake, Kendra (Bobby) Webb of Emmetsburg, and Alicia Tuttle of Humboldt; his son-in-law, Paul Urness of Gilbert, Arizona; ten grandchildren; nineteen great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; his brothers, George Mundus of Spencer, Frank Mundus of Spencer, and Larry Mundus of Oklahoma; his sisters, Dorothy Johnson of Texas and Sharon (Al) Lines of Ruthven; along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. 
 
     He was preceded in death by his parents; his daughters, Cynthia Soenen and Kimberly Urness; his son-in-law, Denny Soenen; his sisters, Louise Meiners and Barb Culver; and his brothers, Bernard and William Mundus.

 

Leo Mundus Service Folder