David Gale Daniels

David Gale Daniels was born on June 28, 1955 at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Centerville, Iowa.
His parents were Robert Warren and Marvel Vera (Brockus) Daniels. David was welcomed to the rural family home by brothers Warren, Wayne, and sister Marian.
Growing up on the farm was always adventuresome, enjoying the nearby woods, creek and especially the animals. He always enjoyed helping watch and tend to cattle, chickens, goats and many assorted pets. Grandpa's, Grandma's, aunts and uncles and other Daniels and Brockus families lived nearby so there were always lots of extended family activities (and lots of farming) that David enjoyed participating in. There was forever a large garden to care for and David continued his love of gardening throughout his life. He would always be anxious to scour the rural roads and woods for wild asparagus, strawberries and especially mushrooms. Always on Christmas the biggest excitement was searching for the exact, perfect Christmas tree. David became an avid hunter of deer, turkey, rabbit and squirrel. David attended and graduated from Moulton-Udell High School class of 1973. Many of his class and schoolmates remained his life cut short, dear friends. After graduation David began working at Clow in Oskaloosa. He married Tina Daniels in 1977. They resided in Centerville and to this union they had two daughters. Tanya Renea and April Renea. David and Tina divorced in 1981. David moved to Ottumwa and married Shelly Pearson. David was working at Hormel Meat Processing. In 1982 when sister Marian moved from the family farm home David and wife Shelley moved back into the rural family home. David and Shelley had two children David Robert and Melissa Lynn who joined sisters Tanya and April. Life at the Daniels farm home was once again vibrant and ever so lively with young children, pets, a vast and plentiful garden and raising chickens, ducks and turkeys. During this time David moved and restored to working order Grandpa Ward's sawmill. The mill had been up on the hill at Gpa's house. He and his brother Warren and some friends sawed quite a lot of lumber. Following in his father, Robert, footsteps David became interested in flying. He enrolled in flight school. After completing class work and flight training he did his solo and received his pilots license in 1994. Unfortunately, David and Shelley divorced in 1997. David moved to Excelsior Springs, Missouri where he had purchased a home on Spring Street. David worked for Sprint Communications as a planning, design and layout engineer for many years. In 2002 David married Sandra Laster. David and Sandra purchased a large and historic 3 story building in old downtown Excelsior. The building's upper floors had been converted to apartments with the first floor remaining a closed business. After some remodeling and restoration they continued to rent, manage and keep up the building until they sold it several years ago. In 2010 David and Sandra purchased a home and acreage near Lawson. The place was ideal for them. It was rural with plenty of room for a large garden, and sheds. David constructed another large shed for his mechanical and woodworking activities. David purchased a motorcycle and trailer and he, Sandra and son David enjoyed traveling extensively throughout the US. He and Sandra also enjoyed traveling to Arizona and Mexico to visit his cousin Ilene Smith. David and Sandra worked tirelessly in their garden planting, harvesting and canning hundreds of pints and quarts of all types of vegetables. They had lots of room for their families and host of friends and acquaintances. When David retired in 2018, he worked for Sandra's sister doing custodial work for apartments and businesses. Over the past couple of years his never ending activities branched out to include antique car restoration and wine making (it musta' been in the genes). David recently became an amateur vintner and converted a basement room to a climate controlled processing, fermentation and aging wine cellar. He bottled grape, berry and many other fruits, absolutely delicious. He was just beginning to grow and harvest his own grape vines and berry bushes. Over the past couple of years David began restoration of his 1969 AMX. David had purchased the car from a friend in Moulton. David drove the car for several years then parked it in a field at the Moulton farm. The now classic remained resting there for 20 years until David loaded and towed it to Lawson and began work on it. It has been a labor of love, undergoing a body-off restoration from bumper to bumper, floorplan to roof. Brother Warren even got involved by doing a complete motor rebuild and paint back to factory specs. Many grease covered days, months and years later the now beautiful vehicle has entered and won many antique and classic automobile shows throughout the midwest. David would be dancing with delight to know that his daughter Tanya will be showing her beloved father's endless endeavors, in his honor, at another car show/race in Knoxville, TN, June 21-25, 2023.
David's life was tragically and unexpectedly taken away at 10:37 a.m. on May 27, 2023. David had taken his bike to the store to purchase parts and was returning, almost home, when..
David was proceeded in death by a baby sister Linda (1942), an infant brother (1964), a daughter April (1983), his mother Marvel (1997), a half sister DeAnn (2003), his son David Robert (2022), and his father Robert Warren (2023), his father and mother in law John and Mary Laster.
David is survived by his wife, Sandra Laster Daniels;his four legged sidekick Chester; two daughters Tanya (Allen) Boecker and Melissa Daniels. Grandchildren Alienna, Ashlyn, Aidan, Aivyn Boecker, Brenna Daniels, and David Quinten Daniels; Daniels and Keaton Slack; Brothers Warren, Wayne (Alice), and sister Marian (John) Julius; many nieces and nephews.
Celebration of Life will be July 29, 2023 in Moulton, Iowa. Time will be determined at a later date.