DeAnna M. Smith passed away on Friday, January 7, 2022. She was born August 5, 1938 to Donald D. Dempster and Mina Marie Bennett Dempster at the family farm near Tilden, Nebraska.

In May in 1956, she moved to Gering, Nebraska to join her family who lived there. DeAnna had stayed in Tilden to finish her senior year of high school and lived with a family while doing so. On April 14, 1957 she was united in marriage to Gary L. Smith of Neligh, Nebraska. To this union was born a son, Daniel Lee and daughters Sheila Rae and Marla Ann.

In 1959, she moved to Neligh, Nebraska with her husband Gary and son Daniel. She was a stay-at-home mother at this time. In 1964 they moved to Norfolk, Nebraska where she managed three Dairy Queen stores for the owner. They then moved to Fort Morgan, Colorado in April 1979 when she and husband Gary purchased the Dairy Queen store in Fort Morgan. In 1985 they bought two Dairy Queen stores in Greeley, Colorado and they operated all three stores with the help of their son Daniel until April 1998 when they retired to travel in their motorhome. Daniel still owns the Greeley Dairy Queens today.

DeAnna was a Nebraska State Vice President of the Mrs. Jaycees 1967-68, was involved in PTA and a member of Peace United Church of Christ of Hoskins, Nebraska, and loved to square dance and sew clothes for herself and her children. She was a faithful member of Christ Congregational Church of Fort Morgan since 1979.

Her love of traveling took them to many interesting places in the United States and Canada. The highlight was a trip to Alaska in 1998 with a caravan of 5 other motorhomes and traveled almost 10,000 miles for 3 months. She and her husband were associated with the Family Motor Coach Association for many years. She especially enjoyed spending time with her family, traveling, playing bridge, and crocheting.

DeAnna is survived by her beloved family, husband Gary of Fort Morgan, their son Daniel Smith of Greeley, Colorado, Stephanie Schoen Smith, of Greeley, Colorado, daughter Sheila (Tim) Kleensang of Fort Morgan, and daughter Marla (Tom) Ronk of Crete, Nebraska. She has six grandchildren Russell (Renee) Kleensang, Cassie (Tyler) Greene all of Fort Morgan, Amber (Matt) Frew and Rachael (Josh) Wohl of Crete, Nebraska, Steven Smith of North Adams, Massachusetts, and Emily (Bryan) Woods of Eaton, Colorado. She has seven precious great grandchildren that she adored, Parker and Paxton Kleensang and Dawsyn Greene all of Fort Morgan, Logan and Jake Frew, Kira and Remi Wohl all of Crete, Nebraska. She is also survived by her sister Donna Kielty of Norfolk, Nebraska, brother Donald (Karen) Dempster of Idaho, and her uncle Herb Bennett of Florida. She is survived by many friends, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Donald and Marie Dempster of Norfolk, Nebraska, sister Carolyn Mattson of Malin, Oregon, brother-in-law Jerry Kielty of Norfolk, Nebraska, brother William Dempster of Fort Morgan, and infant grandson Zachary Wohl.

Services will be held Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 10:00 AM at Christ Congregational Church of Fort Morgan with Pastor David Schlieter officiating. Her final resting place will be at the Serenity Falls Columbarium at Riverside Cemetery.