Tracy Lynn Notz

Tracy Lynn Notz, 57, of Miles, Iowa, passed away on March 10, 2026, at Alverno Nursing Home in Clinton. Born on October 10, 1968, in Dubuque, Iowa, she was the daughter of Dale and Gayle (Putman) Daniels. Tracy grew up in Green Island and graduated with the East Central High School Class of 1987.

After high school, she worked at PFC in Clinton before beginning a long tenure at Custom-Pak, where she met the love of her life, Kenneth Notz. They married on October 28, 2000, and from that day forward were inseparable. Tracy adored her husband, and their deep devotion to one another was evident to everyone who knew them.

Tracy took great pride in her home and land, tending her vegetable gardens and fruit trees with care, canning the harvests, and sharing them generously with others. She had begun creating a family cookbook, an effort now lovingly continued by her nieces, preserving the recipes and traditions that made her kitchen the heart of so many gatherings. Though she faced significant health challenges throughout her life, she never allowed them to diminish her spirit or her commitment to family. She was the steady presence who kept everyone connected, a natural matriarch who nurtured every generation with boundless love despite having no children of her own.

Tracy had an extraordinary gift for relationships. She maintained close, personal connections with every member of her family, always finding time for each person and carrying their burdens without hesitation. Her quiet resilience and sense of humor brought laughter even on difficult days. Holidays were her stage for joy, from crafting trivia games that included every age at Thanksgiving to orchestrating lively Easter egg hunts. She offered honest guidance and unwavering loyalty, leaving a legacy of laughter, steadiness, kindness, and belonging that will be profoundly missed.

She is survived by her loving husband, Ken; her mother, Gayle; siblings Carrie (Wes Cheshier) Lathrop, Marty (Kristie Speer) Daniels, Shaun (Amanda) Daniels, and Mitch (Tara) Daniels; many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly; sister-in-law LaVonne (Orlynn) Hurt; and mother-in-law Janice Kerkove. Tracy was preceded in death by her father, Dale Daniels, and her father-in-law, Clarence Notz.