Dennis D. Mattes

Dennis Dee Mattes, the son of Earl and Dorothy (Weaver) Mattes was born on March 21, 1943 in Ponca, NE.  He was raised on a farm in rural Dixon County Nebraska.  It was there that his love for nature began.  He attended a one room school from 1st through 8th grade.  He graduated from Laurel High School, Laurel, NE in 1960.  He attended Wayne State College, Wayne, NE for two years. He enlisted in the Army in 1962.  His basic training was at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington until he was discharged in 1964.  He returned to Wayne State and graduated in 1967, a few years later he got his Masters from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.  He taught business for one year in Glenwood, Iowa.  His next job was at Omaha Technical College, which was part of Omaha Public Schools, later became Metro Tech College until 1976.

Dennis met Karen Marie Quam in 1974, she was student teaching at that time in Millard.  Dennis and Karen were married at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Fairbury, NE in 1976.  Immediately after returning from their honeymoon to Colorado, Dennis got word he was accepted into the FBI academy in Washington DC/Quantico, Virginia.  His first assignment with the Bureau was St. Louis, MO 1976-1979.  Dennis was transferred to the Chicago office summer of 1979.  He got involved with an undercover project that eventually brought him to Omaha in 1985.  Dennis retired from the FBI in 2000 at age 57.  

The next 18 years he did contract work doing background investigations for new government hires.  He really enjoyed meeting and talking to many interesting people in Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota. His other part time work was managing rental and farm properties. He has always been a farm boy at heart.

Dennis loved the outdoors; his favorite sports were hunting and trap shooting.  He was an avid pheasant, deer and turkey hunter.  Bird hunting was by far his favorite so that is why South Dakota became his home away from home each fall. 

Dennis had great love for birds, planning his yard around that.  He planted nearly 500 trees and shrubs to support wildlife habitat.  He had up to a dozen feeders and  a constant running battle with the squirrels.  Bird watching with morning coffee brought great enjoyment.  

Over the years he raised several litters of German Shorthaired Pointer puppies. Training his hunting dogs was important.  He knew to have the best hunting he needed his black lab and pointer companions with him.  Hunting with his sons was among his most cherished times and created years of memories for his boys. 

Dennis taught Hunter Safety in Gretna for 25 years.  Teaching safe hunting to young hunters was a priority.  He was instrumental in getting trapshooting a lettering sport at Gretna High School. Dennis and his sons have done team trapshooting for 30+ years.  He served as chairman of the Omaha Retired Agents Association for many years.

Dennis was a great storyteller, as most of you know.  He could keep a captive audience with no problem including the nurses at the hospital!

He became Papa Denny in 2017.  He has three beautiful granddaughters who have been the center of his world for the past 7 years.

Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Dorothy Mattes, one brother Franklin Mattes.  He is survived by his wife Karen, sons Erik (Pola) Mattes, David (Kayla) Mattes and Bryan Mattes, granddaughters: Tamalii, Ellie and Kolbi Mattes, sisters: Shirley Fredricksen and Ellen Collins 

Visitation Monday 5 - 6:30 PM with Vigil Service 6:30 PM at church. Funeral Service 10:00 AM Tuesday (3/26/24) at St. Patrick Catholic Church 508 Angus St. Gretna. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Memorials to the family to be designated later.