Daisy Polk

Daisy Polk (April 23, 1874 in St. Louis, Missouri – January 22, 1963 in Paris, France) was an American woman who became Comtesse de Buyer-Mimeure after marrying French Army General Marie Joseph Louis Robert de Buyer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.estrepublicain.fr/edition-de-luneville/2016/01/10/vitrimont-un-mariage-peu-banal|title=Vitrimont : un mariage peu banal|work=L'Est Républicain|language=fr|date=10 January 2016|access-date=3 September 2024}}

Polk was a prominent woman from San Francisco (she was the sister of architect Willis Polk and related to President Polk{{cite book|last=French|first=Janie Preston Collup|title=Notable Southern Families, Vol. 1|year=1918|publisher=Lookout|page=[https://archive.org/details/notablesouthernf01arms/page/179 179]|url=https://archive.org/details/notablesouthernf01arms}}). Active in the American relief effort during World War I, she was assigned the reconstruction of the French village of Vitrimont,{{cite news|title=Frenchman Weds American: Miss Daisy Polk Was in Charge of Reconstructing Vitrimont|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uqhVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ruADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4491,1851616&dq=de-buyer+daisy-polk&hl=en|accessdate=20 March 2011|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=20 September 1917}} with monies supplied by Mrs. Crocker of San Francisco; Vitrimont was the first of a number of villages restored with American aid.{{cite book|last=McDonald|first=William|title=Reconstruction in France|year=1922|publisher=Macmillan|page=283|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_f4YAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA283}} She and de Buyer met by chance in Vitrimont in 1916: when her car broke down, de Buyer offered his assistance; a year later they were married, in September.{{cite book|last=O'Shaughnessy|first=Edith|title=My Lorraine Journal|year=1918|publisher=Harper & Brothers|page=[https://archive.org/details/mylorrainejourn01oshgoog/page/n14 162]|url=https://archive.org/details/mylorrainejourn01oshgoog}} Her husband had been in command of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. In 1915 he became commander of the Third Cavalry Corps (France), and a year later of the Second Army Corps (France).{{cite news|title=Miss Polk now a Countess: Her French Soldier Husband is Count de Buyer Mimeuse|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1917/09/21/102365674.pdf|accessdate=20 March 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=21 September 1917}}{{cite news|title=Double Program at Insull Farm War Benefit Tomorrow|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=21 September 1917}} He retired in 1917.{{cite news|title=General, Wedded, is Now Retired|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/339397212.html?dids=339397212:339397212&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+23%2C+1917&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=GENERAL%2C+WEDDED%2C+IS+NOW+RETIRED.&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106033136/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/339397212.html?dids=339397212:339397212&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+23,+1917&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=GENERAL,+WEDDED,+IS+NOW+RETIRED.&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 6, 2012|accessdate=20 March 2011|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=23 September 1917}} The wedding was attended by such notables as General Pétain.

In 1920, Polk was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.{{cite news|title=California Girl, Wife of French General, is Legion Chevalier|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/369511582.html?dids=369511582:369511582&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+22%2C+1920&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=CALIFORNIA+GIRL%2C+WIFE+OF+FRENCH+GENERAL%2C+IS+LEGION+CHEVALIER&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106033122/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/369511582.html?dids=369511582:369511582&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+22,+1920&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=CALIFORNIA+GIRL,+WIFE+OF+FRENCH+GENERAL,+IS+LEGION+CHEVALIER&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 6, 2012|accessdate=20 March 2011|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=22 September 1920}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/leonore_fr?ACTION=CHERCHER&FIELD_98=REF&VALUE_98=c-221288|title = Recherche - Base de données Léonore}}

In the 1930s, Comtesse de Buyer-Mimeure, a well-known public figure,{{cite news |last=Birkhead |first=May |author-link=May Birkhead |date=4 December 1932 |title=Americans Attend a Service in Paris; Annual Thanksgiving Ceremony at Church of Madeleine an Impressive Event. Exhibitions are Feature; Aeronautic and Marine Salons Lend Added Interest to the Capital -- Society Sees La Argentina |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0B1EF63A5513738DDDAD0894DA415B828FF1D3 |accessdate=20 March 2011 |newspaper=The New York Times}} was active with the Catholic Sewing Circle in Passy.{{cite news |last=Birkhead |first=May |author-link=May Birkhead |date=17 December 1933 |title=Americans Attend Paris Sewing Circle; Comtesse de Bayer-Mimeare Entertains Society Women at Passy Chateau |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA091FFE3E5516738DDDAE0994DA415B838FF1D3 |accessdate=20 March 2011 |newspaper=The New York Times}}