June 7, 1928 – April 8, 2026 · Age 97
Beloved mother, grandmother, and the most powerful force ever to enter a kitchen.

Delores Ann Stillmunkes passed away on April 8, 2026, at the age of 97 — a life measured not in years but in the countless people who felt more loved because of her.

Friends and family may visit from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 13, 2026, at St. Joseph the Worker, with Very Rev. Brian Dellaert officiating. Burial will be at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Dubuque.

Her children and grandchildren were her life. She poured herself into each of them completely and somehow made every single one feel like the most important person in the room. That was her gift, and she gave it without reservation to everyone she met.

She was a woman of endless energy, a legendary home cook, and a steady presence who added light wherever she went. Her homemade cinnamon rolls were the stuff of family legend — but anyone who knew her understood the real gift was always her.

“It is what it is.” Five words that said everything about her — acceptance, resilience, quiet humor, and a refusal to waste a moment on things she couldn’t change.

Surviving are her children Linda (Richard) Smith of Green Valley, AZ, Ronald (Kathy) Stillmunkes of Palo Cedro, CA, Steven (Sally) Stillmunkes of Bellevue, IA, Dennis (Alice) Stillmunkes of Benton, WI, Julie (Ross) Hemesath of Dubuque, IA, Brian (Teri) Stillmunkes of Brighton, CO, Jenifer (Chris) Martel of Dubuque, IA, and Gina Link of Ankeny, IA; 20 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and her sister, Lorraine Shaffer.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Virtus Stillmunkes; her parents, Clifford and Calista Noggle; her sister, Darlene Weber; her brothers, Michael Noggle, Clifford Noggle, Jr., and Dwayne Noggle; and her great-granddaughter, Heather.

She leaves behind a legacy of love and a warmth that will never go out.

Special thanks to the angels at Bethany Home and Hospice of Dubuque, whose kindness, joy, and devoted care brought so much comfort and happiness to our mother in her final years. We will be forever grateful.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in Delores’s to Hospice of Dubuque.