CARL F. MATTES

Carl Frank Mattes, 88, of Newton died surrounded by his family, on Friday, June 5, 2026, at MercyOne Newton Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at St. Luke United Methodist Church in Newton. The family will greet friends following the service at the church. Memorials in Carl’s name, to be used for children’s educational and sports opportunities, may be left at the church the day of the service or the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory (checks made payable to Judy Mattes).
Carl, the son of Bernard and Wealtha (Wade) Mattes, was born on February 5, 1938, in Hamburg. He was raised on a farm in southwest Iowa and always considered himself a “Farm Boy at Heart”. While in school he was active in athletics, student government, 4-H and FFA. Carl graduated from Sidney High School and then attended Community College in Clarinda, where he played basketball. He then transferred to Iowa State University with a B.A. degree in Agriculture Education. During that time, Carl was also a member of the Iowa Army National Guard. Carl would go on to receive both his Masters of Education and Specialist of Education form Iowa State University.
On May 31, 1964, Carl was united in marriage with Judy Dahlstrom, celebrating 62 years of marriage this May. For 18 years, Carl worked at Prairie Community Schools in Gowrie and Calendar, first as a Vo-Ag teacher and then as a high school principal. From 1979-1997, he served as the Superintendent of Schools for Odebolt Arthur and Humboldt Community Schools. Upon retirement, he worked several years as a Human Resource Director in the public sector and was a Real Estate Agent. In 2023, Carl and Judy moved to Newton.
In all the communities Carl lived in, he was active in church, community, county and state activities. He served on the Board of Directors and was President of the Iowa Girls Athletic Union. While serving for 12 years as a Humboldt County Supervisor, he also was a Board Member and President of the Iowa State Association of Counties. Public service was a strong driver for Carl. Carl was an active member and office holder in Rotary. He was an avid Iowa State University Alum and sports fan. He loved playing golf and attending his children and grandchildren’s events.
Carl is survived by his wife, Judy Mattes of Newton; three sons, Douglas Mattes of Coralville, David (Ann) Mattes of Muscatine, and Steven (Lori) Mattes of Newton; grandchildren, Isaac Mattes, Thomas Mattes, Sasha Mattes, Ethan Mattes, Adam Mattes, Caleb Mattes, Micah Mattes, and Brennan Mattes; and his sister, Doris (Bob) Nenneman of Sidney. He was preceded in death by his parents.