Daryl Clyde Long was born on August 19, 1939, the eldest of four children born to Clyde and Dorothy Long. He was raised on a farm north of Nora Springs, Iowa - less than a mile from where his future wife, Peggy Pribbenow, grew up. After graduating from Mason City High School in 1957, he attended North Iowa Area Community College while working at Birdsall’s, a Mason City ice cream shop. After Daryl and Peggy married in 1960, they enrolled at Iowa State University. Daryl and Peg worked their way through school, with Daryl earning a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy, as well as secondary teaching endorsements in both Math and Science. The Long Family then moved to Lincoln where Daryl earned a PhD in Soil Science from the University of Nebraska in 1967.

Upon graduating, Daryl became a professor in the Science Department at Peru State College. “Doc” taught energy, mathematics, and chemistry classes at Peru State for 50 years, retiring in 2017. His students will likely remember his haphazard filing system; one could always find the next “quote of the day” card just waiting to be written on the chalkboard. Years after he stopped smoking a pipe, that tobacco fragrance still lingered in his office. Challenging each student to excel - both in the classroom and in life - was his passion. He was keenly interested in the adventures and accomplishments of his former students and thoroughly enjoyed their visits, emails, and phone calls.

Daryl was a life-long learner with varied interests. He had his private pilot’s license and owned a 2-passenger Cessna. He delighted in giving family members and friends their very first flight. Likewise, he attended the annual Oshkosh EAA Airshow for many years, often taking other experimental aircraft enthusiasts with him. Daryl and Peggy always wanted to be landowners, and he worked hard to balance his two professions - farming and teaching. He was constantly researching how to improve crop yields. Daryl served his community as a board member at the Nemaha County Hospital for several years. He and Peggy were members of the Auburn United Methodist Church and later the Brock United Methodist Church. They enjoyed summer vacations to Rocky Mountain National Park and winter getaways to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Because of its strong commitment to community education, he and Peggy actively supported the Lewis & Clark Visitor Center in Nebraska City.

Daryl Clyde Long passed away on January 22, 2025, after Parkinson’s Disease took its toll on his health. Daryl was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy (Shreckengost) Long and Clyde Long; his wife of 62 years, Peggy; and daughter Christy Jo (Long) Rikli. Those who will continue to cherish his memory include his sister, Jonette Peterson; son Keith Long and wife Jennifer (Spear), and their daughters Mykayla, McKenzy, and Maleigha; son Eric and wife Beth (Graves), and their children Truman, Cassidy, and Camdyn; son-in-law Tom Rikli and his and Christy’s children, Josh and Alexa.

Visitation will be held at Hemmingsen Funeral Home on Friday, April 11, from 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting Daryl’s friends from 6:00 to 8:00. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 12, 10:30 a.m., at The Performing Arts Center at Peru State College.

Memorials are suggested to either the Lewis & Clark Visitor Center (https://lewisandclarkvisitorcenter. org) in Nebraska City or to the Good Samaritan Society of Auburn, Nebraska.

Services are entrusted to Hemmingsen Funeral Home.