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.^[1]

Polk was a prominent woman from San Francisco (she was the sister of architect Willis Polk and related to President Polk^[2]). Active in the American relief effort during World War I, she was assigned the reconstruction of the French village of Vitrimont,^[3] with monies supplied by Mrs. Crocker of San Francisco; Vitrimont was the first of a number of villages restored with American aid.^[4] 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,^[5] in September.^[6] 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).^[5][7] He retired in 1917.^[8] The wedding was attended by such notables as General Pétain.

In 1920, Polk was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.^[9][10]

In the 1930s, Comtesse de Buyer-Mimeure, a well-known public figure,^[11] was active with the Catholic Sewing Circle in Passy.^[12]