Joan C. "Jo" Smith

1955 - 2025

Joan C. "Jo" Smith

April 13, 1955 - September 21, 2025

Hastings resident Joan C. "Jo" Smith, 70, passed away Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Mary Lanning Healthcare, Hastings, Nebraska.

Memorial services will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday, September 30th, at Faith Lutheran Church in Hastings, with Pastor Paul Dunbar officiating. There will be no burial at this time. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. Memorials may be given to the family for a memorial to be established at a later date. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home's website. To view the service, go to Jo's obituary and click the play button shown toward the bottom of the page. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lbvfh.com. Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home and Cremation Center is serving the family.

Jo was born on April 13, 1955, in York, Nebraska, to Ernest and Alberta (Junge) Brackhan. She graduated from York High School in 1972 and later, went on to work as one of the first women in the Nebraska National Guard, where she was employed until her reaching of a rank of E8. After the Guard, she met Thomas Smith and they had their one and only child, a daughter, Chelsea Sturgeon (Smith). Jo cherished her deeply. Chelsea was her pride and joy. Jo loved to travel and road trips living in many states across the country. But Nebraska was always home.

A woman of quiet strength and dedication, with a great sense of humor and contagious laugh. Loved by friends and family and all that knew her. Jo will be remembered for her guiding love, her commitment to service, and her faith.

Jo was preceded in death by her parents, Ernest and Alberta (Junge) Brackhan; and ex-husband, Smitty Smith.

Survivors, daughter, Chelsea Sturgeon; bonus daughter, Crystal Aurini; sisters and brother, Donna (Bryan Anderson) Galusha, Minden, Lynetta (Jim) Luethje, York, Scott Brackhan, York, Lori (Tom) Hartwig, Hastings; many nieces and nephews to cherish her memory.