Danny D. Daniels

OBITUARY OF DANNY D. DANIELS
Danny Duane Daniels was born on July 24, 1958, to Duane Dale Daniels and Mary Elizabeth (Harris) Daniels in Ainsworth, NE. He passed away suddenly on April 21, 2023, at the CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, NE with Teri by his side, at the age of 64. Dan lived his entire life in Ainsworth. Dan attended Lila McAndrew Grade School and Ainsworth High School, graduating in 1977.
Dan married Kate Dodson on August 21, 1982, and was married to her for seven years. In 1975 he also started his bull fighting career alongside Orville Gallino, as his mentor, along with others. He fought bulls for Korkow Rodeos, McKay Rodeo and Hollenbeck Rodeo Co. and continued to do so until 1991. As a rodeo clown (bull fighter), he was responsible for keeping bull riders safe, in addition to making audiences laugh and enjoy the show. Anyone that fought bulls with him or watched him do so, saw that he was good at entertaining crowds and loved what he was doing.
He had a passion for music, loved playing the guitar and was very involved in the Country Music Festival for many years with his dad “Dude.” He also enjoyed going to the lake to water ski, including taking part in his famous barefoot water-skiing tradition. Snow skiing and playing in the snow with the grandkids was a love of his as well.
His favorite sport was wrestling. He started when he was young and won his first championship in junior high in 1974. In his wrestling career he won the Rangeland Conference Championship twice and was the District Champion in his sophomore, junior, and senior years. Dan went to State Wrestling his sophomore year, junior year (beating 4 State Champions and received 2nd place), and then he was the State Wrestling Champion in 1977 as a senior (with a 25-0 undefeated season). That year he won the KBRB Athlete of the Year Award and the Bret O’Mara Wrestler of the Year Award. He went on to wrestle at UNL for the 1977-1978 season.
Dan continued his wrestling career as a coach and mentor in Ainsworth, Valentine, and Chadron from 1977 to 2002 (while working for the Railroad). He loved the sport of wrestling and tried to contribute to helping kids in the program as much as possible. He coached for the young kids wrestling programs (BAM & AWC), along with being a referee for the little kids Elks Wresting Tournament. After which, he coached high school kids for 8 years in Free Style Wrestling. He then wrestled in the “Old Timers” meets with good friends and was the champion of the tournament sixteen times. (He was also a four-time medalist at Harrison’s Old Timers Tournament, which is the largest in the Midwest). He received a big honor in 2023, because he will be inducted into the NSWCA (Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association) Hall of Fame on June 9, 2023.
On April 19, 2002, he married Teri Frederickson in Ainsworth, NE. He gained two children that he loved dearly, and they gave him grandchildren he adored. In 2003, Dan and Teri started managing Daniels Manufacturing Co. after Dude passed away. On January 1, 2005, they became official owners of the company. Dan always had a talent for drawing up innovative ideas for company products. He enjoyed traveling around the world to gather information about the cattle industry. He took this information and created many world-class products that have changed the industry forever. His legacy will live on in all of the World’s Finest Livestock Handling Equipment at Daniels Manufacturing Co.
Dan was preceded in death by his father, Duane “Dude” Daniels, foster brother John Kaeding and his wife, Alice, brother-in-law, John LeMay, and parents-in-law, Harry & Verta Sawle. He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Teri Daniels of Ainsworth, NE; son Christopher Frederickson and wife Jessica of Ankeny, IA, and grandchildren Ben, Beth, and Keagan; daughter Jennifer Denny and husband Vance of Ankeny, IA, and Kole and Brody; sister Brenda LeMay of Ainsworth and his mother Mary Daniels of Bassett, NE.
Dan’s smile was contagious and would light up the whole room. He cared very deeply for the people around him and everyone always felt welcomed when they were in his presence. He was a jolly and generous cowboy and truly a one-of-a-kind person. He will be forever in our hearts but deeply missed. Until we meet again…

Funeral Services were held on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at the Brown County Fairgrounds Arena in Johnstown with Pastor Bruce Beebout and Donnie Painter officiating at the event. The CD musical selections “Bandy the Rodeo Clown” by Moe Bandy, “Mainstreet” by Bob Seger, “Live Until I Die” by Clay Walker, “Making Memories” by Keith Urban and “The Cowboy Rides Away” by George Strait were played. Casketbearers were: Tim Iverson, Mark Shaul, Jim Scholtes, Kade Blake, Dennis Pogue, J.D. Hoover, Kevin Shaul, Brad Gambill, Kraig Peterson, Allan Olson, Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz and Jerry Norton. Honorary Casketbearers were All of Danny’s Wrestling Buddies and All of Danny’s Rodeo Buddies. A Tribute was given by Brad Gambill along with the assistance of others in letting a bull out of a chute to the song “Cowboys Like Us” by George Strait. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family in Danny’s name for future designation. Interment followed at the Ainsworth Cemetery under the direction of Hoch Funeral Home of Ainsworth. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hochfuneralhome.com .