Catherine Jean (Smart) Estell (2025)

BLOOM, ESTELL, SMART, SMITH

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 9/25/2025 at 16:56:29

Overton Funeral Home
Indianola, Iowa

October 14, 1933 - September 21, 2025

Catherine Jean Estell, 91, of Norwalk, Iowa, passed away peacefully, Sunday, September 21, 2025, in Des Moines. She was born October 14, 1933, in southern Iowa to Arthur and Bernice Smart, where she grew up on various farms and embraced life as a true farm girl at heart.

Catherine was known to all as “Nana," and also for her strong will and spirited personality. She called everyone she came in contact with “Honey bunny” and rarely went without a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
She cherished her time working at Younkers in Downtown Des Moines, where she built lasting friendships and made many other fond memories.

The holiday season was her favorite time of year. Catherine poured her love into making her famous fudge and preparing Christmas meals for family and friends. Her home was always immaculate, a reflection of her pride in being the very definition of a homemaker.

She found joy in the simple things—old country music playing in the background, tending to her garden, and surrounding herself with flowers. Catherine adored her poodles, who were always at her side. Above all, she treasured dancing with her husband, Earl, with whom she shared a lifetime of love before his passing in 2015.

Catherine leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and strength. She will be remembered for her stubborn spirit, her generous heart, and the warmth she brought to everyone who knew her.

She is survived by her children, Rick (Holly) Estell, Dennis Estell, Diana (Dale) Smith, Peggy (Thad) Bloom; 10 grandchildren; and 32 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl; grandson, Eric Estell; and parents, Arthur and Bernice Smart.

A Celebration of Life will be held 1 to 4 p.m., Monday, September 29, 2025 at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola. Private family burial will be held in the St. Charles Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Catherine’s memory to Norwalk Fire and Rescue or Martensdale-St. Mary’s Athletic Boosters.

Gravesite
 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen