Ramonde “Monde” Cussen Zenor was born August 4, 1937 in Sioux city, Iowa, right after her twin sister, Claire. They were the 5th and 6th children of John and Emma (McComb) Cussen. Her family was poor, even by Great Depression standards (she was 18 before she was ever outside Sioux City limits), but they persevered with love, faith and not a small amount of crazy Irish humor. Monde attended St. Boniface Elementary and Heelan Catholic High School in Sioux City. She attended Stewart’s Beauty School then worked as a beautician in the salon at Younkers Martin department store.
Sometime in 1957, Monde met a freshly discharged GI returning from Korea, a Lawton farm boy named Donny Zenor. They were married August 3, 1957 at St. Boniface, one day before her 20th birthday. Don and Monde were married for 60 years at the time of his death in 2017. They initially made their home in the Morningside area of Sioux City while Don worked at the Purina feed mill. In 1962 they moved to the family farm north of Lawton when Don’s father retired, and they took over the farming.
Monde was a devout Catholic, a loving and devoted wife and mother, as well as a doting (and very entertaining) grandma, whose family was the center of her world.
Survivors include Marty (Marti) Zenor of Boca Raton, Fl., granddaughter, Kristen Zenor, son Michael (Kim) Zenor of Cedar Park, TX, granddaughter, Emily Zenor of Austin, TX and grandson, Chester Zenor of Chicago, IL, daughter, Barbra Bowman of Kingsley, IA, granddaughters, Abigail (Jonathan) Woodruff, Preston, England and Olivia Bowman of Sioux City, IA.
Monde was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Don, son-in-law, Mark Bowman, and her siblings, Alma, John, Margaret, Maureen and her twin sister Claire.