Daniel A Schmidt
Daniel A. Schmidt, 68, of Ames, passed away on Friday, August 1, 2025, at Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, Iowa, after a year-long fight with cancer and chemo. Funeral services for Dan Schmidt will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at Gilbert Lutheran Church, 135 School Street, in Gilbert, Iowa, with Pastor Christian Johnson officiating. Serving as honorary pallbearers are: Greg Kautz, Bob Kremers, Jon Mullenbach, Matt Rhodes, and Roger Underwood. Dan Schmidt will be laid to rest in a private family ceremony. Link to Dan Schmidt's Funeral Service Livestream: https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus02web.zoom.us%2Fj%2F82485192704%3Fpwd%3DeopveG6tFEs...[more]View Full Online Obituary and Tributes
Y3RkMOaE7LFqK28z.1&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cedb7e39c12c74758ef7408ddd45c0405%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638900213844911745%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RWoPR3dVSlVtfs5aqKp4iB0FRn%2BR2zKuBT07ezEWiOA%3D&reserved=0 A gathering of family and friends will immediately follow the funeral service at the Ames Moose Lodge, 644 West 190th Street, in Ames, continuing until 6:00 PM. Join the family to share your Digger Dan stories! Visitation for Dan Schmidt will be held from 4:00 - 6:00 PM on Friday, August 8, 2025, at Gilbert Lutheran Church. Daniel Arthur Schmidt was born to Kitty (Wormley) and Dan Schmidt on March 8, 1957. Danny was the eldest of the seven children who lived at 1026 East High Street in Davenport, Iowa. In hopes of keeping his busy feet and hands productive, Kitty enrolled Danny in competitive swimming at a young age. Four to six hours of swim practice every day over the next 15 plus years, brought many accolades to Smitty, both locally and nationally. After graduating from Davenport Central High School in 1975 and earning a swimming scholarship, Dan attended Iowa State University, where he joined Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. As a TKE, Dan made life-long friendships. Through Homecoming, Greek Week and VEISHEA, he discovered new and unique ways to build and develop his interests and talents. In 1979, Dan married Chris Youngblade, and together, they built a life in Ames/Gilbert with four sons: Dan (Joelle) of Ames, Brian (Hannah) of Gilbert, Brad (Megan) of Chicago, Illinois, and Erik (Stephanie) of Littleton, Colorado, and five grandchildren - Daniel, Zayne, Finley, Tyson, and Sydney. Dan's strong work ethic laid the base for a construction career path patterned after his father's: "Be the first to arrive and the last to leave the job site"; "If you're going to do a job, do it right"; and "Leave the site in better condition than you found it." Dan's career was marked by dedication, excellence, and serving others. Dan joined Ames Trenching in the early 1980's, and quickly found there wasn't a dirt project he was afraid to attack. Anything that went in the ground, Dan did it. We often told people, "Work is Dan's hobby." Some people love to vacation; Dan loved to work. This past year, Dan and sons Danny and Brian purchased Ames Trenching, and his work legacy will continue on. Solidly woven into his work/ hobby was Dan's commitment to helping others and community service. For a decade or two, there weren't many Eagle Scout projects completed in Gilbert that Dan and at least one or two of his sons weren't somehow a part of. In 2007, Dan and Jon Mullenbach, one of his "work partners in crime" received the Governor's Volunteer of the Year Award for all their volunteer work in and around the Gilbert School District. Predeceased by his parents and in-law's (Dan & Arjes Youngblade), Dan's legacy is carried on by his wife Chris, four sons and their spouses, and his grandchildren; his siblings: Julie Schmidt Urban of Davenport, Ann (Doug) Vose of Mankato, Minnesota, Mary (Bill) Collins of Davenport, Tom (Jay) of Atoka, Tennessee, Sarah (Scott) Paller of Davenport, and Mike (Becky) of Wilton; sisters/ brothers in-law's: Beth (Pat) McCrann of Denver, Colorado, Dan (Brigid) Youngblade of Sioux City, Alan (Rhonda) Youngblade of Centennial, Colorado, Mary (Kelly) Scott of Johnston, and David (Julie) Youngblade of Dallas Center. Many nieces, nephews, and cousins will also feel his absence, along with wide circle of friends and colleagues. Dan Schmidt will be remembered as "one tough SOB" who: rarely turned down a job; thrived on working and helping others; and has left his mark in the dirt all over Story County and central Iowa. His too often "colorful language", strong work ethic, and unique problem-solving strategies will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing or working him. Special thanks to Dr. Austin Greco, the entire staff at Bliss Cancer Center, and the exceptional staff at Hospice House for their outstand skills and care as we walked this path through cancer. In lieu of flowers, two Memorial funds have been established in Dan's name: the Dan Schmidt TKE Scholarship, ISU Alumni Association and the Israel Family Hospice House, Mary Greeley Foundation. Memorial contributions for these two funds may be sent to the attention of Dan's family, c/o Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa, 50010. And to support one of his greatest prides, a "Swear Jar" will be present and the proceeds will be used to place a "Dan Schmidt red bench" near Slide Mountain on the Gilbert Elementary playground.
