Herma Lou Smith Lane
Visitation will be held 5:00p.m.~7:00p.m. Thursday, October 16, 2025, Hennessey Funeral Home Missouri Valley, Iowa.
Funeral Service will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 17, 2025, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Missouri Valley, Iowa.
The family has
invited everyone to join them in a luncheon and fellowship immediately following
the service. For those that wish to join Herma’s family at her temporary resting
place at Grange Cemetery in Honey Creek, IA. may follow the procession after
the luncheon, where she will be laid to rest alongside Gene.
Memorial may be
given to her church, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Missouri Valley.
Herma Lou (Koenig) Smith Lane, age 95 of Missouri Valley, Iowa passed away on October 12, 2025, at Azria Health Longview Nursing Home in Missouri Valley, Iowa. Herma was born on March 30, 1930, to John and Juanita (Grossmann) Koenig. She attended school in Missouri Valley, Iowa and graduated in 1948.
On June 13, 1948,
she was united in marriage to Gene H. Smith at St. Paul Lutheran Church in
Missouri Valley, IA. They lived on a farm about one mile north of town until
1965 when they moved to town and were then referred to as, “city farmers”.
They were blessed
by the birth of three children, Dennis Lynn, Valerie Jean, and Jay Howard. Gene
died on October 21, 1997, less than a year shy of their 50th wedding
anniversary. This union created many joys and memories for the generations to
follow.
Herma remarried
on August 2, 2003, to Ralph Lane, also of Missouri Valley, Iowa. They lived in
Missouri Valley until Ralph was placed into skilled care. Ralph died on February
21, 2017.
Herma was a
loving and caring wife, mother of three, grandmother of seven, great
grandmother of eight, and friend of many. She was commonly known as “Granny Apples”
by the great grandchildren. She loved to cook for the family, pamper all those
that visited, garden to her flowers, quilting and sewing projects for the
family and most of all she loved to make us feel special.
Herma worked as a
bookkeeper at the JC Penny store in Missouri Valley as the kids grew up until
the store closed around 1971. She then went to work for Bob Warner at the
Warner, Kellogg & Day Insurance office as the bookkeeper. Gene and Herma
had an opportunity to purchase the agency in 1981, Herma continued to work as
the bookkeeper and agent until she retired in 1998.
Herma was
preceded in death by her parents, John in 1970 and Juanita in 2000, two
sisters, Olive (Corrine) Arndt in 1983 of Denver, CO., and Lorna Johnson of
Council Bluffs, IA. in 2004, nephew Steve Johnson of Logan, IA. in 2012, Gary
Lane, Jon Lane, and Diana Lane.
Those left to
cherish memories of Herma are her three children: Dennis (Joanie) of Missouri
Valley, IA., Valerie (Charlie) Meyer of Lincoln, NE., and Jay (Gail) of
Missouri Valley, IA., her seven grandchildren: Tracy (Terry) Deutmeyer of
Fairbank, IA., Cody Smith of Missouri Valley, IA., Jamie (Ryan) Von Sossan of
Sacramento, CA., Amber (Pete) Fencl of David City, NE., Brian Meyer of Lincoln,
NE., Lindsey (Ben) Rand of Elwood, NE., Brad (Mackenzie) Smith of Phoenix, AZ.,
eight great grandchildren: Lou and Cole Von Sossan of Sacramento, CA., Isabella
Wagner of David City, NE., Brody and Maxine Fencl of David City, NE., Noah and
Noelle Rand of Elwoood, NE., Chance Christopher Howard Smith of Phoenix, AZ.
Nieces: Sharon (Arndt) Jones of Henderson, NV., Brenda (Arndt) Page of Laramie,
WY., Connie (Johnson) Pires of Modesto, CA., nephews: Scott Smith of Colorado
Springs, CO., Tom Smith of Richmond, VA., Richard Smith of Hudson, OH., Stanley
(Jim) Johnson of Omaha, NE., along with all those whose lives she touched.