Ernie Banks, the late, great Chicago Cubs baseball player, once wrote, “The measure of a man is in the lives he has touched.” That was so true of Dan Smith, the really good man whose life we celebrated on July 31. Dan’s wife Jody and sons Dan, Ryan, and Rob and their families asked that the celebration of the life of their beloved husband and father not be a sad occasion, but rather a time to share good memories of a man who touched many lives. Many of those attending had the privilege of having Dan restore their old barns.

Mary Pierce

Mary Pierce

Dan and Dan Jr. came to our Shady Nook Farm here in Glenwood several years ago to restore the roof on the old silo of our historic barn. From that moment, we felt like Dan and his family were old friends. His skills and barn restoration artistry are renowned and we were so fortunate to have Dan work on several stages of restoration of our old red barn over the years. He fully intended to be back for the final phase of restoration this summer, but that wasn’t meant to be. His grandson Michael, a senior in high school and a young man who learned great carpenter skills from working with his grandpa and dad from a young age, came to help finish the job.