Jo Ann (McDaniel) Danks

      Jo Ann Danks, 79, of Newton died on Monday, March 9, 2026, at her home in Newton Village. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, March 19, 2026, at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory.  The family will greet friends after the service with a lunch at the funeral home.  Memorials to the Newton Arboretum may be left at the funeral home during the service.

     Jo Ann, the daughter of Charles and Minnie (Combes) McDaniel, was born on December 23, 1946, in Miami, Florida. When she was a baby, her family moved to Grinnell, Iowa, where Jo Ann would later attend school.  On June 13, 1964, Jo Ann was united in marriage with Donald J. Danks in Marshalltown.  They lived in Newton for a short time before building a home in Kellogg.  Jo Ann loved being a homemaker, but also held jobs at several local companies including, Midwest Manufacturing, DeLongs, the Grinnell Hospital, Pella Windows, Maytag, and Park Centre.  When her children were younger, she also ran an in-home daycare.

     Jo Ann attended the First Christian Church in Kellogg and was a member of the Kellogg Garden Club and Kellogg Historical Society.  She enjoyed volunteering at Emerson Hough Schools and at the Grinnell Hospital.  Jo Ann had many hobbies and interests and enjoyed living life to the fullest.  She was a Master Gardener and a talented seamstress.  She also liked quilting, knitting, and dressing up as a clown.  Jo Ann and Don loved to travel and camp; even taking a motorcycle trip, with Jo Ann driving her own bike, all the way to Nova Scotia and back.  They also enjoyed wintering for many years, first in Arizona and later in Texas. 

     Jo Ann loved music and dancing.  She didn’t care if she was the only one out on the dance floor.  She was also an avid bird watcher.  Three years ago, Jo Ann moved into Newton Village. She loved all the people and activities and being part of the community there.

     Jo Ann is survived by her sons, Scott (Nancy) Danks of Newton and Steve Danks of Richland; grandchildren, Kayla Hammons, Jordan Danks, Zoie Danks (Chase Maddison), and Lybie Danks (Michael Torres); her great-grandchildren, Camren, Vada, and Rose; sisters, Margaret (Sam) Rebik of Gilman, Helen Panknen of Grinnell, and Pauline (Jim) Nelson of Searsboro; and several nieces and nephews,  She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Don Danks; her grandson, Jayden Danks; sister, Sharon Miller; and two nieces, Lydia Wisner and Heather Wisner.

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