Daniel Eugene Schmitz

Daniel Eugene “Dan” Schmitz, 81, of La Porte City, left the land of the dying and went into the land of the living and joined all his family in Heaven at his home on Saturday, October 11, 2025. He was born on June 30, 1944, in La Porte City, the son of John Schmitz and Nelle Yarrow Schmitz. Dan graduated from La Porte City High School in 1962 and served in the US Navy from 1963 until 1966. He married Pamela Rops on December 19, 1967, and the couple was blessed with four children. Dan worked as a machinist at John Deere until his retirement in 1999. He was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in La Porte City.

To say Dan was a fisherman would be an understatement. Dan loved to fish! Whether in the back yard at the creek where he grew up, in Minnesota, Canada, or Florida, he fished every day. Dan didn’t slay any dragons, but he was the strongest, steadiest, most gentle man you would ever know. He was the backbone of his family that held them straight, was a kind, humble man and he will be greatly missed. He had just the right mixture of good stuff. For Dan, he loved his children and grandchildren because family was everything.

Dan is survived by his wife of 57 years, Pam, of La Porte City; children Gene Schmitz, of Hartford, and his children Kirstie (Anthony) Paquin and Logan Schmitz, Angie (Robert) Purdy of Waterloo, and their children Allen (Morgan) Purdy, Rachel (Holden) Purdy, Robin (Chase) Slocum, and Reagan Purdy, Mark Schmitz of La Porte City, and his children Silver, Stone, Sanibel, and Steele Schmitz, and Christine Roth of Gays Mills, WI and her children Emellia Sims, Kai (McKenzie) Sims, Cameren Sims, Elyse Sims, Ellasyn Sims and Howard Roth III; 10 great-grandchildren; siblings Larry (Kris) Schmitz of Kansas City, Marilyn (Dan) Dunkelberger of Littleton, IA, and Joe Schmitz of La Porte City; sisters-in-law Melva Schmitz and Linda Schmitz, both of Missouri; and their loving dog, Minnie Pearl. He was preceded by his brothers Richard, Ronnie and Delbert Schmitz, and his sister Rozella (Mike) Close.

Funeral services for Dan will be 11:00 AM, Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 501 Sycamore St., La Porte City, with burial and military honors to follow at West View Cemetery. A visitation will be held Tuesday, October 28, 2025, from 4-6 PM at Locke in La Porte City, 606 E Main St, La Porte City. Memorials should be directed to the family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.lockefuneralservices.com.