Betty Anne Smith

Betty Danner Smith was born January 9, 1927 on a farm near Ottawa, Iowa on a snowy night to Blanche Heston Danner and David Newton Danner III. She would become the oldest of six children. She spent her childhood living on various farms in Clarke, Lucas, and Wayne Counties and for a short time, in the town of Truro. She attended country schools and graduated from high school in 1945 at Chariton. She learned to cooking, sewing, farming, and to be an oldest sister-all at an early age. Her father said she did an excellent job at milking cows and she joined him often in putting up hay. She remembered the home birth of her next sibling, David Newton Danner IV (Margaret), followed Ruth Danner Warren (Clell), Katy, Clifford (Dorothy), and Don (Connie). She was seventeen when Don was born and was, in many ways, a second mother to her siblings. Betty remembered that she was to take a classroom test on V-E Day and the teacher suspended the test because of celebrating the end of the war in Europe. In the fall of 1945, she began teaching country school at the 4M School in Lucas County. Betty took a Normal Training Course at Simpson College in the summer of 1946. The next two country schools she taught were in Wayne County. On August 27, 1947, she married Ray Eugene "Gene" Smith. They made their home in Millerton where Betty traveled through the town of New York, crossed the River Jordan, and taught school in the little town of Bethlehem (all in Wayne County). On August 26, 1948, Betty and Gene became parents with the birth of Steve Eugene Smith. On January 13, 1950, while Gene was recovering from an appendicitis, Lye Ray Smith (Judy) was born. Their third child, Mark Danner Smith (Karen) was born on January 5, 1952. Fran Diane Smith was born on June 2, 1955. Brian Clell Smith was born on January 27, 1959, and Bruce David Smith (Lisa) was born on August 3, 1961. Tragedy struck the Smith family when Steve drown in their farm pond in 1961. Betty was very proud when she became a grandmother on February 3, 1981 with the birth of Gabriel Newton Smith (Mindy) and again on February 13, 1989 with the birth of Allison Elizabeth Paarsmith (Travis), a third time with birth of Eden Elyse Smith on February 2, 1999, and a fourth time with the birth of Karson Ann Smith on December 18, 2003. Betty celebrated becoming a great grandmother on December 18, 2015 with the birth of Mae Eloise Smith and again with the birth of Wren Rose Smith on October 8, 2020. Family was always important to Betty. Through various moves (Millerton, rural Woodburn, rural Weldon, Winterset, Shelbina, Missouri and Melcher-Dallas), she and Gene always made time for their children, their parents, their siblings, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles grandchildren, and great grandchildren. It was rare for Betty to miss any event involving family. The Heston Reunions held on the first Sunday in July and the Danner Reunions held on the third Sunday in August were always important to her. Betty was active in the Dallas Christian Church until health and the pandemic restricted her involvement. Preceding Betty in death are her husband of 61 years, Gene, her son Steve, her parents, brother David Newton Danner IV, sister Ruth Danner Warren, brother-in-laws Clell Warren, Rex McMurry, and Vere Smith, and sister-in-law, Marie Smith. She is survived by her children, their spouses, brothers Cliff and Don, sister Katy, and sister-in-law Lois McMurry as well as a host of nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Melcher-Dallas Fire and Rescue, the Melcher-Dallas Library, or Smile Train. Due to COVID 19, a short graveside service will be held at the Maple Hill Cemetery in Osceola, Iowa on Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 a.m. The event will be available for viewing at . Parties are encouraged to wear masks, be prepared to socially distance and consider participating via the live stream. Cemetery Details Maple Hill Cemetery 1122 S. Ridge Road
Osceola, IA 50213

Graveside Service

OCT 24. 11:00 AM

Maple Hill Cemetery