Donna Lee Smith, 80, of Atlantic, Iowa, passed away, Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
Donna Lee (Petersen) Smith was born on December 21, 1945, in rural Lewis, Iowa to Arthur Leroy and Berdele Elaine (Sothman) Petersen. She grew up on the farm, helping raise hogs, cattle, corn and beans. Being the oldest of five children, she was an adventurous and intelligent child who could “carry on quite a conversation at 2 ½ yrs” old, according to her baby book. Her love of wandering around the southwest Iowa countryside started at an even younger age, setting out down the gravel road in front of the house when she was not quite 2 years old. She crossed a nearly-blind intersection of Highway 6 and then wandered along the fence line of the cornfields. It is likely that she had followed her dog and after disappearing for a few hours, was found 1.5 miles from home!
Donna had many fond memories of helping her dad in the fields and around the farm and liked to recount the story of driving a tractor in the field at the ripe old age of 5. Donna entered school in a one room school house where she attended classes for her first eight years of education. She once bragged that she could run faster than all the boys, making her the fastest person at the school. When her family moved to Hancock in 1961, Donna began attending Avoca High School, graduating in 1964. She participated in 4-H and Latin Club and her parents, recognizing Donna’s intelligence, talked about getting her a scholarship to attend college.
After graduation, Donna moved to Atlantic and had an apartment where her younger sisters would often visit and she worked at Young’s restaurant as a waitress. While working, a handsome, tall, young man who worked nearby as a mechanic, would often stop by for coffee. One day, he slid a napkin her way with a note on it asking if she would like to go to a movie. Donna would later marry that man, David Smith, in September 1966. They had three daughters, Michelle, Sonja and Tina (Christina).
As a Mom, she provided a home of unconditional love, supported by her strong faith in Jesus that was the bedrock for her life. Donna had a love for gardening, baked the best sugar cookies in the world and the best cookies as well as banana and zucchini bars around. She could get out the toughest stains and she remained the family seamstress right up to the end, mending and tailoring her family’s items upon request. She was also good at fixing home appliances and was a handy man around the house as well as a homemaker. Basically, Donna was a Renaissance woman who could do it all. The family would often joke, ‘Do we google it or call G’ma Donna?’ . . . What will we do without her? Google is no match for the kindness and caring that came along with her know-how and practical problem-solving as well Donna’s homemaking abilities.
Donna loved her cars and for a few years drove a Datsun 280zx before going a little too fast on the Elk Horn curves one evening in the early 80s. By God’s grace, she made it through that accident with a few scratches but her 280zx did not. She always enjoyed taking road trips and spent many afternoons and evenings on the dirt roads in southwest Iowa looking for cattails or rocks and enjoying sunsets and meteor showers. Her most cherished moments by far, were the times she spent with family – her three girls and her precious grandkids and great grandkids.
Donna is survived by her three daughters, Michelle (Duane) Peltz of Waseca, Minnesota, Sonja Smith of Atlantic and Christina Smith Larney of Charleston, South Carolina; grandchildren, Sarah (Brandon) Henderson, Katie (Frankie) Cacich, Jasmin (Zach) Moore, Leah (Jay) Moore, A’lece Moore; nine great-grandchildren, Felicia, Christopher, Hudson, Frank, Zeke, Amelia, Jordan, Raleigh and Imagine; sisters, Diane Cremo of San Diego, California, Debbie Drefs of Shelby, Iowa, and Denise Petersen of Council Bluffs, Iowa; and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.
She is preceded in death by her ex-husband, David Smith; parents, Arthur and Berdele (Sothman) Petersen; brother, Dennis Petersen; and close friend and companion later in life, Loren Thomas.
