Recipes for Living Daisy McQuern

The story of Daisy McQuern, one of the great ladies of Osceola, has been pieced together from the collection of clippings saved by Gladys Crew, contributed by her daughter, Rosalee (Crew) Horton, the writing by Daisy's granddaughter-in-law, Mary (Dodson) which follows, and by the gracious permission to use pictures and articles from the Record Herald and Indianola Tribune.

Daisy was born to Thomas Howland Swain and Jane Hallowell on April 26, 1894, near Leslie in Clarke County. Poor little Daisy went without a name for several days before her mother decided to name her after a favorite horse. Brother Tommy liked the name Ellen, so the name Daisy Ellen was recorded. Daisy received her education in the Clarke County Schools and was an excellent student favoring history, math and literature. After graduating from high school in 1913, she attended Grinnell College. Daisy then taught country school for five years and was a bank teller for two years. If not "officially" a suffragette, Daisy believed strongly in women's rights and their right to vote. She was always proud to state that she voted in the very first election women were given the right and that she voted in every one thereafter. Of course, if you knew her, you knew how she voted.

On September 25, 1920, Daisy married Floyd McQuern in Des Moines. They were the parents of three daughters, Mary Ellen, Carolyn Madge, and Amanda Jane. Daisy was kept busy raising her children and enjoying her memberships in the American Legion Auxiliary, the DAR, the Osceola Women's Club, Research Club, Two in One bridge club, the PTA and the Methodist Chancel Choir. Daily had a beautiful singing voice and often sang at funerals. During the six years that her husband was County Sheriff, she often traveled with him to transport prisoners. And when Floyd was employed by Kale Funeral Home, she assisted him in the transport of the deceased. During WWII, Daisy was an inspector at the Iowa Ordinance Plant near Ottumwa. For thirty-five years, Daisy ran a hotel at their home located on Highway 34. She operated a mangle to iron the crisp white sheets. It was known as the Highway Hotel and later became more of a boarding house for construction workers.

In her spare time, Daisy enjoyed playing the piano. Her wildly divergent interests were in hymns and especially the ragtime music of Scott Joplin ("play slowly until you catch the swing"), the King of Ragtime. She often played many ragtime songs to the delight of her family and friends. The Maple Leaf rag was frequently requested. It was almost as if she couldn't pass a piano without playing something. Her parents, brothers and sisters were very musical and all played the organ, piano and fiddle. Daisy also enjoyed china painting (writing a poem on the bottom or back of nearly every piece), writing poetry, crocheting and reading. She was an avid reader, reading everything from history, poetry, biographies, novels, plays, etc. And she loved to entertain her family and friends with recitations and music.

Daisy became somewhat of a celebrity in her later years, performing for many clubs and church groups throughout southern Iowa. She was even invited to be on the Johnny Carson show on TV but declined the invitation because she thought "Mr. Carson was too lewd" and might embarrass her. One of the most famous of her routines was "Old Bill" about a man who could only play one song on the piano, BUT, he played it many different ways. When Daisy had her 100th birthday, the Des Moines Register sent a reporter and photographer to record the event. Daisy, always ready to please, played "Old Bill" with her foot and recited stories and poems to many encores.

Daisy was was devoted to her family near and far, keeping up correspondences with all, including nieces, nephews, second and third cousins. She was proud of being descended from some of the country's earliest settlers. The earliest Swain came in 1630 and was one of the original settlers/owners of Nantucket Island. Daisy was amazed that she lived in three centuries. She said that many people believed the world would come to an end when it turned 1900, just as people feared it would when the calendar turned to 2000.

Daisy lived to be 107 and one-half and was admired by all who knew her. In her later years she lived at The Village in Indianola.

(This story appeared recently in the Indianola Record-Herald and is reprinted with permission of same. Author is Deb Belt, photographer is Thad White.)

Daisy McQuem, 98, is definitely the oldest resident at The Village retirement community in Indianola. She may also be the most active.

McQuern entertains various civic and church groups with a program of jokes, stories and piano pieces, At the December Indianola Rotary Club meeting, she received a standing ovation from her audience.

"They were the most responsive of any audience I ever had," she said. "I never had that many men in a group before."

While McQuem has lived most of her life in Osceola, and only moved to The Village in April of 1992, her fame is spreading. She will perform for a local Baptist church women's group Jan. 24, then

for the women of the Nazarene Church Feb. 26. In March she brings her program to the Indianola Area Senior Citizens Center and is supposed to play for the Indianola Women's Club in May.

"One (performance) a month is enough for me," she said.

Even though she has played the pieces many times, McQuem always practices before a public performance. She also comes up with new jokes to tell, to keep the material fresh.

"I'm on the lookout (for new jokes) all the time. My sister in South Dakota does a lot of programs and we trade back and forth. I always tell a few jokes before I start out."

McQuern's tongue-in-cheek view of public appearances: "The way to tell a good speech is to have a good beginning and a good ending and keep the two as close together as possible."

The program that won her rave reviews from the Rotary Club is about a character named Bill, who volunteers to play piano at various
community functions, including a wedding ceremony; wedding dance and funeral. But the only musical piece Bill knows by heart is "Home Sweet Home."

So McQuern, as Bill, plays the song in various styles and keys so that it takes on the flavor of a funeral procession or boogie woogie dance. The highlight may be when Bill plays a duet at a recital by himself. Using her left to play the bass keys, McQuern plays both parts of the song.

This was something she first saw around 1915 at a Chautauqua program, when a man played a piano with his heel. McQuern, her brother and her sister all worked out piano selections using their feet for the bass section. That was in the days before radio or even record players, when people thought up their own entertainment.

McQuern has performed at functions all around the Osceola and Des Moines areas. Any pre-performance jitters she may have had are long gone. "I expect I got nervous when I first started, I don't remember."

Performing for a group is something McQuern has not lost her zest for. "It's fun. I do it for pleasure. I enjoy my audience."

If her friends had their way a couple of years ago, McQuern would have been even more famous. After receiving several letters, staff members with "The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson" asked her to perform her routine on the late night show.

But McQuern declined to make the trip. "I didn't want to get up and put my foot on the piano for the whole United States to see, so I didn't go."

She is content to perform locally and entertain friends at her new apartment at The Village.

"Everybody seems to be nice to everybody else" she said. "They sem to go out of their way to be nice."

Supplement to The Record-Herald and Indianola Tribune May 21, 1997

McQuern going
strong at 103

The Village resident loves to make
fnends laugh with comedy routines

By Matt McKeehan
Record-Herald Contributor

Some things never change — Daisy McQuern of Indianola is an entertainer.

On April 26 this year, McQuern turned 103, and she's looking forward to enjoying many more years.

She came to The Village retirement community in 1992 from Osceola and picked up right where she left off — making friends and getting them to laugh.

"I always like to give people something to laugh about," said McQuern.

She is known all over southern Iowa for her comedy routines. She has played many places in Osceola as well as the surrounding communities. She has also performed for numerous ladies groups and church groups.

Performer

"My show lasted about 30 minutes. When I had my 100th birthday I had three birthday parties, one for.my friends here at The Village, one for my relatives and friends from Osceola and one for everybody. I performed at all three, and the lobby

_________________

Quotable

"I always like to .
give people something to laugh about."
— Daisy McQuern, Indianola

_________________

was full every time," she said.

At her performances McQuern played the piano while reciting poems that brought humor to normal situations in life. Sometimes she even played the piano with the heel of her foot.

"I think some of the people just came to see someone my age play the piano with their feet," she said.

Many of her poems deal with situations that many people come across. She wrote a poem about her gallbladder when she was having some trouble with it. When a doctor

McQuern
keeps busy
with reading,
baking, visits

told her he wouldn't operate because of her age, she asked him whether she was too old or too young.

Since retiring from performances a few years ago, she fills her time with reading, baking angel food cakes and cookies and activities at The Village such as playing bridge.

"I used to do crocheting and knitting and china painting, but now I don't have time. There's so much going on here," said McQuern. "I just read 'The Cat Who Tailed a Thief,' by Lillian Jackson Braun. I like to trade books with my friends. There is a nice library here."

McQuern also likes to spend time with her family. She has two daughters, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

For her 102nd birthday, McQuern made a trip to Seattle, Wash., to check up on her little sister, who is a spritely 95.

"I like living here. The staff at The Village are the nicest people, and it is a pleasant life."

By AMIE VAN OVERMEER
REGISTER STAFF WRITER

Indianola resident Daisy McQuern, a 107-year-old woman known for pounding out a tune on the piano with her heels, died Wednesday of a heart ailment.

McQuern lived to entertain others, friends and family said. She like to visit nursing homes, clubs and Churches, where she told jokes, sang and played piano. Her signature move was kicking up her leg and playing piano with her feet.

McQuern lived most of her life in Clarke County until she moved to The Village retirement community in 1994.

Mary Jane Cassady, a social worker at The Village, said McQuern always had an audience.

McQuern

McQuern ran a hotel in Osceola for 35 years. She also spent five years as a teacher and two years as a bank teller.

Besides entertaining, McQuern was involved in the Osceola Women Club, the Research Club, American Legion Auxiliary, Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter, Two in One Bridge Club, the PTA and the Methodist Chancel Choir.

McQuern is survived by her daughters, Mary Ellen Larson of Des Moines and Jane Friedmann of Louisville, Ky., five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Kale Funeral Home in Osceola. The family is receiving friends an hour before the service at the funeral home.

FUNERAL SERVICES HELD AT
Kale Furieral Home — Osceola, Iowa
11:00 A.M. — Saturday — November 17, 2001
OFFICIATING
Pastor John Long
Indianola, Iowa
ORGANIST
Pennie Gonseth
SOLOIST
Emil Rinderspacher
MUSICAL SELECTIONS
"Blessed Assurance"
TAPED SELECTION
Daisy McQuern
CASKET BEARERS

INTERMENT
Maple Hill Cemetery
Osceola, Iowa
ARRANGEMENTS
Kale Funeral Homes
Osceola — Truro

Daisy Ellen Swain McQuern, daughter of T.H. and Jane Hallowell Swain, the eighth of twelve children was born April 26, 1894 in Clarke County, Iowa and passed away November 14, 2001 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. She was 107 years old.

Daisy received her education in the Clarke County Schools and graduated from Osceola High School in 1913. She attended Grinnell College. Her working career included teaching school, bank employment, inspector at the Iowa Ordinance Plant during World War II and later operating a hotel in Osceola.

She was united in marriage to Floyd McQuern September 25, 1920 and to this union was blessed with three daughters, Mary Ellen, Madge and Jane.

She lived in Osceola most of her life and moved to the Village Retirement Center in 1992. Daisy was a longtime member of Research Club, The Osceola Woman's Club, DAR, Two in One Bridge Club, PTA and sang in her church choir.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Floyd after 63 years of marriage, her daughter Madge Dodson, three brothers and eight sisters.

Survivors include her daughters; Mary Ellen Larson and husband Lee of Des Moines, Iowa, Jane Friedmann and husband Fred of Louisville, Kentucky; grandchildren, Sarah Bredle and husband Dan, Joe Kline, Kerry Kline and husband William Lutin, Michael Dodson and wife Mary, Dan Dodson and wife Marilyn and ten great grandchildren as well as other relatives and a host of friends.