Ida Elaine(Penny) Smith, age 84

Ida Elaine(Penny) Smith, age 84
September 30, 1937 - June 25, 2022

Ida Elaine (Penny) Smith, 84, passed away peacefully at home on June 25th, 2022.

Services will be held at a later date.  

MEMORIALS: To the family for future designation.

Elaine was born to Bernard W. and Ethel M. (Farrens) Penny on September 30, 1937, south of Decatur at a farm along the bluffs. After attending Farrens School, she attended and graduated from Decatur High School in 1955. After spending nearly five years in California, she returned to Decatur and attended a fireman’s ball while she was back. “This good looking guy asked me to dance, and we danced for over 60 years.” Elaine married Dan L. Smith of rural Craig, NE during a blizzard on January 15th, 1960. To this union, three children were born. David Wayne (12-22-61), Donette Elaine (10-5-64) and Darol Eugene (5-29-73).

Elaine is survived by her husband of over 62 years, Dan, her children David (Jamie) Smith of Arlington, NE, Donette (companion Daniel Hanna) Smith of Lyons, NE and Darol (Tabetha) Smith of Bennington, NE and her five grandsons, Tanner Smith of Indianapolis, IN, Riley Smith of Omaha, NE, Keaton, Aidan and Connor Smith of Bennington, NE. Elaine is also survived by two sisters, Bonnie Banner of Red Oak, TX and Jeanine Penny of Rossville, KS, and a sister-in-law, Marjorie Johnson of Fremont, NE, plus numerous nieces, nephews and close friends living across the country.

Preceding her in death were her parents, sisters Norma (John) Banner, Wilma (Earle) Maddox, Lois (Francis) Eriksen, Helen (Harlan) Eriksen, brothers Elwin (Hazel) Penny, Forrest (Lucille, Erma) Penny, Brothers-in-law, David Banner, Bill (Iris) Smith, Sisters-in-law Velma (Philip) Cooper, Opal (Willard) Lofdahl, nephews Joel Penny, Phil Penny, Dennis Maddox, Bob Mussack and Bob Henderson, great-nephews Colt Penny and Shane Vogltance, and a great niece Amanda Christ.

After marrying Dan, Elaine lived on a farm west of Craig for close to 10 years before moving to a farm 5 miles east of Lyons on New Years Eve of 1969, where she resided until death. They farmed there until 1984, when about that time Elaine began work as a dental assistant for Dr. Charles L. Bradley in Lyons. She was employed there for 24 years after which she worked at the Happy Days Senior Center for 10 years until fully retiring in 2017. She belonged to the Craig Methodist, Divide Center Presbyterian and Lyons Presbyterian churches.

As a couple, Dan and Elaine were undoubtedly known for their dancing. Along with going anywhere from local VFW’s, to ballrooms, to out-of-state polka festivals, they also instructed a ballroom dance course offered by Northeast Technical Community College. Dan and Elaine closely followed their children’s musical careers in the bands Street Legal, Ivory Star, One Night Stand, Soul Dawg and Silver Moon. An immense amount of friends were made from these bands as were countless 4 am breakfasts at Elaine’s hands hosting housefuls of tired, yet starving groups of musicians and stage crews.

Elaine thoroughly loved watching her grandsons, whether it was a school play, a musical, or football, basketball and baseball games, and as mom said, “Just watching the grandsons mature into fine young men.”