- Date Of Birth: September 20, 1920
- Date Of Death: December 15, 2015
- State: Iowa
David Andrew Smith, age 95, of Algona, died on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at the Goodwin House in Alexandria, Virginia while visiting family. David was born in Algona, Iowa on September 20, 1920 to Neal and Edna (Black) Smith.
A favorite story of his was that he was born on the table that we still have today. Dave, as he liked to be called, attended Algona Public Schools, graduating in 1939 after which he attended Kemper Military School in Booneville, Missouri. He then enlisted in the Navy and after training in various locations was assigned as an ordinance technician to the U.S.S. Chenango where he was responsible for taking care of the guns onboard as well as for loading planes with ammunition and bombs as his ship provided support to convoys going into Guadalcanal and other campaigns in the Pacific.
On November 8, 1942, Dave married Esther Scheppmann in the Algona Methodist Church. Following the end of the war, he returned to Algona to resume farming on the east end of Algona, an area that he later developed for single family homes. In the 1950’s he began his career as Algona’s City Clerk, serving for 26 years.
Dave was active in several community organizations, among them the Lions Club where he was a member for over 50 years, and he was on the Board of Directors for the Iowa State Bank where his father was one of the founders. He enjoyed singing with the Barbershoppers and the Trinity Lutheran Church choir where he also donated time as the church treasurer. He and Esther always loved to play golf, go dancing and to travel which included trips on all 7 continents. In 2010, he was a honored to be a recipient of the Algona Heritage Award.
Dave was preceded in death by his wife, Esther, his parents, Neal and Edna, a brother, James who died in infancy, his sisters Leona Smith and Harriet Smith Ogg. Dave is survived by his daughters, Sharon Cashman (Pat) of Lorton, VA, and Diane McGuire (Jim) of Upper Marlboro, MD., his son, Neal Smith (Nicole) of Ivins, UT, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memorials can be given in David’s name to Kossuth County Regional Health Care Center, Trinity Lutheran Church or the Algona Public Schools.
