Leo B. Vetter, 86, of Fargo, North Dakota, formerly of Bismarck and Moffit, passed away on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at Edgewood in Fargo.

A Memorial Service will start at 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, October 10, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy. Lunch will follow at Parkway Funeral Service, with burial afterward at Moffit Cemetery, Moffit, North Dakota.

A Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m., on Friday, October 9, at Parkway Funeral Service, with a Prayer Service starting at 7:30 p.m.

Leo was born on October 27, 1939, in Strasburg, North Dakota, to John and Anastasia "Ann" (Roehrich) Vetter, one of six children. In 1941, his father purchased a farm southwest of Moffit, North Dakota, where Leo was raised.

Farm life shaped Leo from an early age. His first job was carrying the water jug to the workers in the field, a jug he recalled as nearly too heavy for him to lift. In the years that followed, he fed pigs and chickens, milked cows, mowed hay and harvested grain. He often spoke of the long days he and his sister Rose spent working side by side, carrying water, shearing sheep and making hay.

Leo attended Buchann Elementary School for eight years, rode to school on horseback with his sisters, and graduated from Strasburg High School at 16. As a young man, he worked as a hired man for Francis Landsberger, an employer he always remembered fondly. He loved to dance and never missed a Friday night dance at the Moffit Community Hall. In 1961, he went to work in Bismarck at Schultz Creamery.

On December 28, 1964, Leo married Joanne Maly in Braddock, North Dakota. The couple made their first home on his parents' farm, where Leo farmed alongside his father for eight years. In March 1973, Leo and Joanne purchased the Harold Swanson farm southeast of Moffit, where they farmed and raised cattle for the next 30 years. During his farming career, Leo grew wheat, corn, and sunflowers; raised hogs; and milked cows, but his true passion was cattle. In the summer, he enjoyed nothing more than driving through the pasture to watch the new calves grow.

In 2003, Leo and Joanne held an auction sale and retired to Bismarck. Leo loved old cars and old tractors, and in retirement he always made sure he had a new pickup. In August 2023, they moved to Edgewood in Fargo to be closer to family.

Leo is survived by his wife of 61 years, Joanne; three sons, Tobias Vetter of Fargo, Tyler Vetter (Carla Welle) of West Fargo, and Thomas Vetter of Fargo; five grandchildren, Chelsey Kessler, Andrew Vetter, Benjamin Vetter, Rowan Vetter and Tom Scott; two sisters, Clementine and Lavina; and one brother, Alvin.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Ann Vetter; his parents-in-law, Carl and Lydia Maly; his sisters, Mary and Rose; and his granddaughter, Caroline.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be considered to Make-A-Wish North Dakota or the American Heart Association.