Ida Menard dies at 109; life spanned 20 presidents
It was a very long and wonderful life for Ida Menard. During her 109 years, 20 presidents were inaugurated; the United States was involved in more than five wars. Modes of travel evolved from the horse and buggy to the automobile and airplanes. Her life spanned the development of electricity to manned space travel.
Ida Menard died Friday, November 3, 1995 at the Good Samaritan Village in Sioux Falls South Dakota.
Ida Theresa LaCroix was born August 24, 1886, in Salix, Iowa to Pierre and Josephine (Endfield) LaCroix. When she was eight years old, her mother died from diphtheria, a disease that also took the lives of two sisters and one brother. Ida and a younger sister spent school years in the Salix Convent and summers with an older married sister or at home with their father.
She married Alfred Menard in 1912, and were blessed with five children in the following six years. They farmed in the Salix area until 1919. The family moved to Vivian, South Dakota and began ranching in late 1919. In 1933 she moved to Sioux Falls, during the Depression when jobs were scarce. Though she had no transportation, she worked cleaning houses, washing dishes in restaurants, taking care of the sick and working on a WPA playground, walking miles across the city to complete her jobs. She was a good worker with a pleasant disposition and was never without work. She held her family together, and with the help of older children, managed to keep a comfortable home.
In 1939 after her last fledgling had married, Ida decided to try her luck in California. She had relatives and schoolmates there. Jobs were not hard to find at the time, and soon she found work in a raincoat factory. With her knowledge of sewing, she was soon in full charge of all sewing machines. She worked there for two years, but through her trips back to South Dakota, she decided that was where her heart was. AS she now had several grandchildren, she moved back to Sioux Falls. She then started work at a local casket company, where she worked until retiring at age 72. In addition, she did alternations for several stores and sewed for her own customers until her late eighties.
Ida lived by herself in an apartment until she was 97 years old. At that time, she fell on an icy street while running to catch a bus, breaking her arm. After that, she entered the Good Samaritan Village, her home for nearly 12 years. She enjoyed the activities there and spent many hours a day moving about in her wheelchair. She knew every nook and cranny in the building and was often seen off in a corner saying her rosary. She usually had an answer to any question put to her.
Ida received her Century Citizen plaque at the Good Samaritan Center from Governor George Miklson on April 18, 1988.
She is survived by her three daughters; Lucille Mundt, Sioux Falls, S.D., Mary Louis Johnson and her husband Astor, Canton, SD, Edna Buller, St. Paul, MN., son Mark Menard and his wife Verna, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 25 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and several great- great-grandchildren.
Burial was held in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Salix, Iowa.
The Argus Leader, 1995
It was a very long and wonderful life for Ida Menard. During her 109 years, 20 presidents were inaugurated; the United States was involved in more than five wars. Modes of travel evolved from the horse and buggy to the automobile and airplanes. Her life spanned the development of electricity to manned space travel.
Ida Menard died Friday, November 3, 1995 at the Good Samaritan Village in Sioux Falls South Dakota.
Ida Theresa LaCroix was born August 24, 1886, in Salix, Iowa to Pierre and Josephine (Endfield) LaCroix. When she was eight years old, her mother died from diphtheria, a disease that also took the lives of two sisters and one brother. Ida and a younger sister spent school years in the Salix Convent and summers with an older married sister or at home with their father.
She married Alfred Menard in 1912, and were blessed with five children in the following six years. They farmed in the Salix area until 1919. The family moved to Vivian, South Dakota and began ranching in late 1919. In 1933 she moved to Sioux Falls, during the Depression when jobs were scarce. Though she had no transportation, she worked cleaning houses, washing dishes in restaurants, taking care of the sick and working on a WPA playground, walking miles across the city to complete her jobs. She was a good worker with a pleasant disposition and was never without work. She held her family together, and with the help of older children, managed to keep a comfortable home.
In 1939 after her last fledgling had married, Ida decided to try her luck in California. She had relatives and schoolmates there. Jobs were not hard to find at the time, and soon she found work in a raincoat factory. With her knowledge of sewing, she was soon in full charge of all sewing machines. She worked there for two years, but through her trips back to South Dakota, she decided that was where her heart was. AS she now had several grandchildren, she moved back to Sioux Falls. She then started work at a local casket company, where she worked until retiring at age 72. In addition, she did alternations for several stores and sewed for her own customers until her late eighties.
Ida lived by herself in an apartment until she was 97 years old. At that time, she fell on an icy street while running to catch a bus, breaking her arm. After that, she entered the Good Samaritan Village, her home for nearly 12 years. She enjoyed the activities there and spent many hours a day moving about in her wheelchair. She knew every nook and cranny in the building and was often seen off in a corner saying her rosary. She usually had an answer to any question put to her.
Ida received her Century Citizen plaque at the Good Samaritan Center from Governor George Miklson on April 18, 1988.
She is survived by her three daughters; Lucille Mundt, Sioux Falls, S.D., Mary Louis Johnson and her husband Astor, Canton, SD, Edna Buller, St. Paul, MN., son Mark Menard and his wife Verna, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 25 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and several great- great-grandchildren.
Burial was held in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Salix, Iowa.
The Argus Leader, 1995
Ida Menard dies at 109; life spanned 20 presidents
It was a very long and wonderful life for Ida Menard. During her 109 years, 20 presidents were inaugurated; the United States was involved in more than five wars. Modes of travel evolved from the horse and buggy to the automobile and airplanes. Her life spanned the development of electricity to manned space travel.
Ida Menard died Friday, November 3, 1995 at the Good Samaritan Village in Sioux Falls South Dakota.
Ida Theresa LaCroix was born August 24, 1886, in Salix, Iowa to Pierre and Josephine (Endfield) LaCroix. When she was eight years old, her mother died from diphtheria, a disease that also took the lives of two sisters and one brother. Ida and a younger sister spent school years in the Salix Convent and summers with an older married sister or at home with their father.
She married Alfred Menard in 1912, and were blessed with five children in the following six years. They farmed in the Salix area until 1919. The family moved to Vivian, South Dakota and began ranching in late 1919. In 1933 she moved to Sioux Falls, during the Depression when jobs were scarce. Though she had no transportation, she worked cleaning houses, washing dishes in restaurants, taking care of the sick and working on a WPA playground, walking miles across the city to complete her jobs. She was a good worker with a pleasant disposition and was never without work. She held her family together, and with the help of older children, managed to keep a comfortable home.
In 1939 after her last fledgling had married, Ida decided to try her luck in California. She had relatives and schoolmates there. Jobs were not hard to find at the time, and soon she found work in a raincoat factory. With her knowledge of sewing, she was soon in full charge of all sewing machines. She worked there for two years, but through her trips back to South Dakota, she decided that was where her heart was. AS she now had several grandchildren, she moved back to Sioux Falls. She then started work at a local casket company, where she worked until retiring at age 72. In addition, she did alternations for several stores and sewed for her own customers until her late eighties.
Ida lived by herself in an apartment until she was 97 years old. At that time, she fell on an icy street while running to catch a bus, breaking her arm. After that, she entered the Good Samaritan Village, her home for nearly 12 years. She enjoyed the activities there and spent many hours a day moving about in her wheelchair. She knew every nook and cranny in the building and was often seen off in a corner saying her rosary. She usually had an answer to any question put to her.
Ida received her Century Citizen plaque at the Good Samaritan Center from Governor George Miklson on April 18, 1988.
She is survived by her three daughters; Lucille Mundt, Sioux Falls, S.D., Mary Louis Johnson and her husband Astor, Canton, SD, Edna Buller, St. Paul, MN., son Mark Menard and his wife Verna, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 25 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and several great- great-grandchildren.
Burial was held in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Salix, Iowa.
The Argus Leader, 1995
It was a very long and wonderful life for Ida Menard. During her 109 years, 20 presidents were inaugurated; the United States was involved in more than five wars. Modes of travel evolved from the horse and buggy to the automobile and airplanes. Her life spanned the development of electricity to manned space travel.
Ida Menard died Friday, November 3, 1995 at the Good Samaritan Village in Sioux Falls South Dakota.
Ida Theresa LaCroix was born August 24, 1886, in Salix, Iowa to Pierre and Josephine (Endfield) LaCroix. When she was eight years old, her mother died from diphtheria, a disease that also took the lives of two sisters and one brother. Ida and a younger sister spent school years in the Salix Convent and summers with an older married sister or at home with their father.
She married Alfred Menard in 1912, and were blessed with five children in the following six years. They farmed in the Salix area until 1919. The family moved to Vivian, South Dakota and began ranching in late 1919. In 1933 she moved to Sioux Falls, during the Depression when jobs were scarce. Though she had no transportation, she worked cleaning houses, washing dishes in restaurants, taking care of the sick and working on a WPA playground, walking miles across the city to complete her jobs. She was a good worker with a pleasant disposition and was never without work. She held her family together, and with the help of older children, managed to keep a comfortable home.
In 1939 after her last fledgling had married, Ida decided to try her luck in California. She had relatives and schoolmates there. Jobs were not hard to find at the time, and soon she found work in a raincoat factory. With her knowledge of sewing, she was soon in full charge of all sewing machines. She worked there for two years, but through her trips back to South Dakota, she decided that was where her heart was. AS she now had several grandchildren, she moved back to Sioux Falls. She then started work at a local casket company, where she worked until retiring at age 72. In addition, she did alternations for several stores and sewed for her own customers until her late eighties.
Ida lived by herself in an apartment until she was 97 years old. At that time, she fell on an icy street while running to catch a bus, breaking her arm. After that, she entered the Good Samaritan Village, her home for nearly 12 years. She enjoyed the activities there and spent many hours a day moving about in her wheelchair. She knew every nook and cranny in the building and was often seen off in a corner saying her rosary. She usually had an answer to any question put to her.
Ida received her Century Citizen plaque at the Good Samaritan Center from Governor George Miklson on April 18, 1988.
She is survived by her three daughters; Lucille Mundt, Sioux Falls, S.D., Mary Louis Johnson and her husband Astor, Canton, SD, Edna Buller, St. Paul, MN., son Mark Menard and his wife Verna, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 25 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and several great- great-grandchildren.
Burial was held in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Salix, Iowa.
The Argus Leader, 1995
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