Isabella “Daisy” Mernaugh, 100, of Pierre, SD died Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019 at Avera Mary House with her husband LeRoy at her side.
Isabella Fox was born on Jan. 24, 1919 on the Fox Angus Farm in Watertown, SD to Nick and Isabel Fox. Her sunny disposition earned her the nickname “Daisy” at a very young age.
Daisy grew up on the farm and left for Hastings, MN to help relatives there take care of their family. She also worked at the Smead Manufacturing Company in Hastings making envelopes. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Daisy gave up her caretaking duties and her job at Smead to join the Women’s Air Corps.
During World War II, Daisy worked in a photography lab at MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL, processing photos taken overseas by reconnaissance airplanes. After the war, she moved back to Watertown and worked at Gray’s Photo studio.
It was during this time in Watertown that she met LeRoy Mernaugh. They married in 1949 and together had five sons. The family relocated to Winner, SD in 1966 and then again to Pierre, SD in 1971, where they settled for good.
Daisy was very active in the Catholic Church and local community. She was a volunteer for most of her life on various committees, most notably the funeral committee where she was known to commandeer the volunteers in serving meals for funerals.
Daisy was a lifelong pinochle player and virtually every meal was followed by a couple of hands. She won quite a few more games than she lost. She also had a lifelong passion for flowers and gardening. She won many “Pierre’s Yard of the Week” awards.
Daisy was a longtime member of the East Pierre Women’s Club and as one of her duties, she and LeRoy managed the first schoolhouse building in Pierre, which is now located at Steamboat Park. She also spent many years caring for the small flower garden which surrounds the original steeple from Oahe Chapel, which is located at the corner of South Pierre Street and West Pleasant Drive in Pierre.
Daisy is survived by her husband of 70 years, LeRoy Mernaugh of Pierre; her five children, Ray (Glenda) of Hoover, AL, Kenny of Spearfish, SD, Kelly of Omaha, NE, Kevin (Debbie) of Corpus Christi, TX, and Paul (Lisa) of Ocala, FL; one sister, Sister Rogene (Betty) Fox of Rochester, MN; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her brothers and sisters: Nicholas, Alfred, Mildred, Howard, and Anna Marie.
Per Daisy’s request, she will be cremated with services to be held at a later date.
Online condolences may be made at www.isburgfuneralchapels.com
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