Our Team

I am proud to be the General Manager of the firm, and licensed Funeral Director, along with my wife Kelly, the Public Relations Director. I am a native of Minnesota and a graduate of Windom Area High School. I completed my undergraduate work at Gustavus Adolphus College. While attending Worsham College of Mortuary Science I was employed with Robert J. Smith Funeral Homes in Chicago. After graduation from Worsham College, I became employed at Behrens Mortuary in Rapid City, South Dakota. I joined the Christy-Smith family for a year in 1997 and then returned to Rapid City to pursue a management position with Behrens Mortuary. After spending two years in the Black Hills, I returned to our firm in August of 2000 and purchased the business in 2012. I have one son and two daughters.

After marrying, Dan Eckhoff, the General Manager of Christy Smith, I am now working along side him and the staff at the funeral homes. Together we  manage Christy-Smith Morningside, Berkmeier and Larkin Funeral Homes to keep it a local  business here in the Siouxland area.

I am a licensed pre-planning counselor who is ready and able to handle any questions you may have about pre-planning your own services, a loved one's, or about a pre-plan you may already have.

Prior to joining Christy-Smith Funeral Homes, I worked for MCI Communications for over 20 years doing various sales, marketing and training for the corporation all over the country.  I went back to school to get a degree in surgical technology, after the closure of MCI.  I had the privilege of working intra-operatively for 6 years before going to UnityPoint Health and working in the marketing and contracts area for Siouxland PACE. I graduated from Sioux City's Bishop Heelan Catholic High School and have attended Mt. Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, IA, Briar Cliff University right here in Sioux City, and most recently Western Iowa Tech Community College for the AA in Surgical Technology.

I am happy to join my husband in the company and look forward to keeping it a solid cornerstone in the community for funeral service along with aftercare.

Brian D. Fritz grew up south of Humboldt, SD and graduated from West Central High School in Hartford, SD. He went on to graduate from South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD and then from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mortuary Science. During his time in the Twin Cities, Brian was employed at a Mortuary in St. Paul, MN.

Brian has been a licensed Funeral Director for 20 years, primarily in the Sioux Falls area. He was a partner within an employee owned funeral corporation and was the manager of a funeral home in Wyoming before returning to Sioux Falls.

Brian is a licensed Funeral Director in multiple states, and was also past District President of the South Dakota Funeral Directors Association.

Jessica Swedlund is from Sioux City and graduated from East High School. She attended Morningside College where she received a bachelor’s degree in Biology. She then attained her Mortuary Science Degree from DMACC, during that time she began working at Christy-Smith Funeral Home.

Dana Goodell joined Christy-Smith Funeral Homes on a semi-regular basis in the summer of 2016. He is a 1988 graduate of Dallas Institute of Funeral Service and has served families in the Sioux City area since that time. In addition to being a great asset to our company, he is employed as the Sales and Education Director for a family owned funeral supply company. He has been married to his wife Lorna since 1979 and they have one son.

Dana has recently attended and presented at the Fountain National Academy International Embalming and Reconstructive Surgery Conference for Professional Embalmers and Funeral Directors held at the Fountain National Academy in Springfield, Missouri. The conference included many experts in the field of embalming and reconstructive surgery in the funeral industry from around the world. Attendees received more than 18 hours of specialized training in areas of embalming and reconstructive surgery.

Angie Higgins is a resident in Sioux City with her husband, Tim and 3 children. Before starting at Christy-Smith Family Resource Center, Angie owned a daycare for 21 years in her home. Angie enjoys being part of the Christy-Smith family

Kerry Gill resides in Sergeant Bluff with her husband, Jerry. They have 2 grown sons. Kerry is a retired military veteran with over 34 years of service with the 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard. Kerry is a key fixture with Christy-Smith Funeral Homes, working directly with families on services and many other components for the families.

Connie J. Doscher is a native of Lake Mills, Iowa, graduating from Lake Mills Community School. Connie also graduated from La' James School of Cosmotology in Mason City, Iowa in 1972. She owned a beauty salon in the Morningside area for 20 years before joining the Christy-Smith Funeral Homes in August of 2007. Connie has two children and three grandchildren.

Connie is the office assistant at the Christy-Smith Larkin Chapel.

I’m an Iowa native, having grown up in Shenandoah, Iowa, before moving to Sioux City to due my father’s work as a United Methodist minister. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Classical Studies from Cornell College and earned my Master of Arts in Art History from the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. I joined Christy-Smith Funeral Homes in 2023. I have two cats.