Daniel Smith

Daniel (Dan) John Smith, 94, of Johnston, formerly of rural Grimes, passed away on December 27, 2025. He was surrounded by his six children, their spouses, and some of his grandchildren.

Dan Smith was born September 19, 1931, at home and was baptized at Assumption Catholic Church, Granger, Iowa. He is the son of John and Agnes Smith. During his childhood, he grew up on farms in rural Waukee and Grimes with his 4 sisters. Dan graduated from Dowling High School in 1950, where he was a boarder. He had many stories from his days at Dowling.

 Dan served in the Army from 1954 to 1955 and was stationed in Texas, New Mexico, California. Dan was part of the occupational forces in Germany during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged and returned to Iowa to farm with his father.

Dan married Shirley Specht on June 16, 1956 at St. Ambrose Cathedral in Des Moines. Dan and Shirley took over the farming operation and raised 6 children on the farm. Shirley died in 1998. On May 22,1999, he married Eleanor Jackson at Assumption, Granger, Iowa. In 2008, Dan sold the Grimes farm and moved the farming operation to Eagle Grove, Iowa, where he farmed with his son, Mark, until his retirement in 2019. Dan moved to Martina Place in Johnston, Iowa, in 2022 and lived there until a short time before his death.

Dan enjoyed farming, keeping his kids busy, golf, playing cards, watching western shows, camping, traveling, and collecting toy tractors. He served on the Assumption Parish Council, was a Parish Trustee, and a member of the Knights of Columbus. Dan and Shirley were key members of the Assumption church building committee. He prayed the rosary daily and attended Mass frequently.

Dan is survived by his 6 children – Susan Murphy (Tim) of Carroll; Mark Smith (Colleen) of Eagle Grove; Karen Marean (Jeff) of Grimes; Larry Smith (Stacy) of Johnston; Donald Smith (Susan) of Clive; Patrick Smith (Marla) of Pleasantville; 10 grandchildren, John Murphy (Steph) of Johnston, Amy Greteman (Chris) of Glidden, Nathan Marean (Kelly) of Granger, Chelsea Smith of Ankeny, Eric Marean (Jess) of Madrid, Courtney Smith (Grant) of Ankeny, Jackie Smith (Clay) of Meriden, Kansas, Ryan Smith of Omaha, and Rachel and Kate Smith of Clive; and 14 great-grandchildren;

Other survivors are his sister, Jeanne Phelan of Zearing, and many nieces and nephews. Dan was preceded in death by his parents, John and Agnes Smith; his wives, Shirley and Eleanor; his sisters: Rita Evans, Sr. John Agnes Smith, BVM (Mary Ag), and Madonna Smith.

The funeral service will be at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday January 3, 2025 at Assumption Catholic Church in Granger followed by burial at Beaver Catholic Cemetery. A funeral luncheon will immediately follow. Visitation is from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M on Friday January 2, 2025 at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home in Urbandale.

Memorials can be made to the family or charities to be determined at a later date. Cards and memorials may be sent to the family at Assumption Catholic Church.

The family would like to extend their sincere thanks to the staff of Martina Place for their loving care and support to our dad and to the dedicated staff of EveryStep that made his final days more peaceful.