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Our funeral home is a family owned and operated business. We are large enough to give our families the same service as the largest funeral homes around, yet we are small enough that each family gets the level of attention and care they deserve.
TERRY L. SMITH -Owner/President Terry Smith is a native of Chariton, Iowa. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Iowa and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science in 1967. He served with the U.S. Army Mortuary in Tachikawa City, Japan, and funeral homes in Grinnell, Des Moines and Ankeny before moving to Sioux City in 1983 and purchasing the W. Harry Christy Funeral Homes. He and his wife Carolyn have three children. WILLIAM Q. KAVANAUGH Funeral Director Will Kavanaugh is a native of Sioux City and graduate of East High School. He attended the University of South Dakota and graduated with a Mortuary Science Degree from Kansas City, Kansas Community College. Will worked in Omaha, Nebraska for a year and a half before returning to Sioux City to join our firm in May 1996. He and his wife Lynn have one child. DANIEL L. ECKHOFF Funeral Director Dan Eckhoff is a native of Minnesota and a graduate of Windom Area High School. He completed his undergraduate work at Gustavus Adolphus College. While attending Worsham College of Mortuary Science he was employed with Robert J. Smith Funeral Homes in Chicago. After graduation from Worsham College, he became employed at Behrens Mortuary in Rapid City, South Dakota. Dan joined the Christy-Smith family for a year in 1997 and then returned to Rapid City to pursue a management position with Behrens Mortuary. After spending two years in the Black Hills, Dan returned to our firm in August of 2000. JOHN B. ERDMANN Funeral Director John Erdmann is a native of Le Mars, Iowa, and graduate of Le Mars Gehlan High School. After graduation, John worked for several years before completing his undergraduate work at WITCC and obtaining his Mortuary Science Degree from Kansas City, Kansas Community College. He started funeral service in southern Minnesota prior to his return to Iowa. John and his wife, Lisa, have three children and are the resident managers of the Moville, Iowa, facility. KEVIN P. LARKIN Funeral Director Kevin is a native of Sioux City and a graduate of Heelan High School. He attended Briar Cliff College. He earned his mortuary science degree from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in 1973. He operated the Larkin Funeral Home since 1973 and obtained ownership in 1988. He joined the Christy-Smith Funeral Homes in February 2006 when the Larkin Funeral Home became part of the Christy-Smith Funeral Homes. R. DENNIS LARKIN, Funeral Director Dennis is a native of Sioux City and graduated from Heelan High School. He attended Briar Cliff College and earned his mortuary science degree from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in 1975. He operated the Larkin Funeral Home with his brother since 1975 and obtained ownership in 1988. He joined the Christy-Smith funeral Homes in February 2006 when the Larkin Funeral Home became part of the Christy-Smith Funeral Homes. Dennis has four children and two grandchildren JOHN R. JR HOUSTON, - Funeral Director JR is a native of the Lansing, Michigan area. He graduated from Eaton Rapids High School and attended Lansing Community College. He worked part time at Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte, Michigan and graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in 2004. He worked in Corning and Hampton, Iowa prior to joining Christy-Smith Funeral Homes. JR and his wife, Lana, have five adult children and ten grandchildren. BRENDA ZAHNLEY Director of Bereavement Services Brenda Zahnley is a native of Sheldon, Iowa. She graduated from Sheldon High School and from Northwestern College with a degree in sociology. Brenda also holds a masters degree in counseling from Wayne State College. She started her career as a social worker for Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Correctionville, Iowa. Brenda then became Director of Bereavement at Hospice of Siouxland, focusing on grief work with the families they served. In 1996 she was hired by Christy-Smith as the Director of Bereavement Services, the first position of its kind by any funeral home in the Siouxland area. Her expertise in grief, loss and transition gives valuable emotional support to the families served by Christy-Smith Funeral Homes. Brenda and her husband Jim live in Correctionville, Iowa. JEAN MEYER Family Resource Center Jean Meyer is a native of Correctionville, Iowa, where she graduated from high school. Jean has a college background in business and psychology. She has lived in Sioux City most of her life, working in the banking and insurance industry. She also owned a small retail business for several years. JAN JOHNSON Secretary Jan Johnson is a native of Sioux City and a graduate of East High School. Her background is in office work. She has worked for many years as a church secretary and she is responsible for the office duties at Christy. Jan and her husband Chuck have 3 children and 8 grandchildren. JANICE RAILSBACK - Pre-Planning Counselor Janice Railsback is a native of Galva, Iowa, and graduated from Galva Community High School. She graduated from the American Institute of Business in Des Moines and attended Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Janice has been involved in the cemetery/funeral business during the past 22 years. She and her husband Bob have 6 grown children and 11 grandchildren. They reside on a farm near Odebolt, Iowa. SANDY ROGGATZ - Pre-Planning Counselor Sandy Roggatz resides in Correctionville, Iowa with her husband, Alvin, where they own and operate a construction company. She graduated from Kingsley-Pierson High School and has completed courses in business management, customer service, human relations and religion through Western Iowa Tech and Lightway Biblical Counseling. She is active in assorted community and church organizations and served as the Iowa Council of Activity Professionals State President. She is the mother of three grown children and the grandmother of seven grandchildren. |
