Obituary for Mercedes Fox
The Funeral Mass for Mercedes Fox will be at 11:00 a.m., Monday, December 7, 2020 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Watertown with Father Richard Fox officiating. Deb Schroeder will be the cantor accompanied by Mary Fox.
Mercedes' funeral service will be recorded and will be posted to Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel website when available.
Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m., with a wake service at 6:00 p.m. and a CDA Rosary to follow on Sunday, December 6, 2020 at the church.
Interment will be at St. Mary's Cemetery in Watertown.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Jeremy Mounsdon, Eric Nydegger, Will Reinbold and Luke Schoenbeck.
Pallbearers will be Chris Batchelor, Nicholas Batchelor, Wade Byre, Erik Hanson, Jim McCormick and Jake Schoenbeck.
Mercedes Barbara Fox, the daughter of Henry and Anna (Schmit) Leemhuis was born on December 22, 1924 at Castlewood, South Dakota. She grew up on the family farm northeast of Castlewood. Mercedes attended a rural country school through the eighth grade. She graduated from Castlewood High School in 1942. Mercedes then went on to graduate from the Watertown School of Business. After graduating, she was employed by Midland National Life Insurance Company of Watertown, South Dakota. She was then employed by Montgomery Ward of Watertown where she became head accountant. After taking a break to raise their children, Mercedes became bookkeeper for Fox Tree Spraying Service for 25 years.
Mercedes married Donald N. Fox and they began their married life in Watertown. Don was hired by the Soil Conservation Service and his assignments took them to Ord, Nebraska; Hayti, South Dakota; and in 1964 back to Watertown, South Dakota.
Mercedes was an active community member. She was a Cub Scout leader, a room mother numerous times, and delivered Meals on Wheels. She was active in the parishes of St. John’s in Castlewood and Immaculate Conception in Watertown. Her church service included being a member and officer in the Altar Society, family groups, building committee, the 100th year parish anniversary, Serra Club, vocations committee, Catholic Daughters, KC socials, CCD teacher, and a Eucharistic minister. As much as she enjoyed the many activities and organizations she was involved in, Mercedes’s true joy came from the years she spent raising her children. God blessed their marriage with four children: Gary, Jean, Richard, and Donna.
Mercedes passed away on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at the Dow Rummel Village in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the age of 95, just short of her 96th birthday.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Don; her parents; two brothers, Vincent and Ralph Leemhuis; and one sister, Dolores (Leemhuis) Wensing.
She is survived by two sons, Gary Fox and his wife Mary of Watertown, and Father Richard Fox of Watertown; two daughters, Jean Grode and her husband Bill of Rapid City, and Donna Schoenbeck and her husband Lee of Watertown, eleven grandchildren, and fourteen great grandchildren.
Arrangements by Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel, www.wightandcomes.com.
Mercedes' funeral service will be recorded and will be posted to Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel website when available.
Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m., with a wake service at 6:00 p.m. and a CDA Rosary to follow on Sunday, December 6, 2020 at the church.
Interment will be at St. Mary's Cemetery in Watertown.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Jeremy Mounsdon, Eric Nydegger, Will Reinbold and Luke Schoenbeck.
Pallbearers will be Chris Batchelor, Nicholas Batchelor, Wade Byre, Erik Hanson, Jim McCormick and Jake Schoenbeck.
Mercedes Barbara Fox, the daughter of Henry and Anna (Schmit) Leemhuis was born on December 22, 1924 at Castlewood, South Dakota. She grew up on the family farm northeast of Castlewood. Mercedes attended a rural country school through the eighth grade. She graduated from Castlewood High School in 1942. Mercedes then went on to graduate from the Watertown School of Business. After graduating, she was employed by Midland National Life Insurance Company of Watertown, South Dakota. She was then employed by Montgomery Ward of Watertown where she became head accountant. After taking a break to raise their children, Mercedes became bookkeeper for Fox Tree Spraying Service for 25 years.
Mercedes married Donald N. Fox and they began their married life in Watertown. Don was hired by the Soil Conservation Service and his assignments took them to Ord, Nebraska; Hayti, South Dakota; and in 1964 back to Watertown, South Dakota.
Mercedes was an active community member. She was a Cub Scout leader, a room mother numerous times, and delivered Meals on Wheels. She was active in the parishes of St. John’s in Castlewood and Immaculate Conception in Watertown. Her church service included being a member and officer in the Altar Society, family groups, building committee, the 100th year parish anniversary, Serra Club, vocations committee, Catholic Daughters, KC socials, CCD teacher, and a Eucharistic minister. As much as she enjoyed the many activities and organizations she was involved in, Mercedes’s true joy came from the years she spent raising her children. God blessed their marriage with four children: Gary, Jean, Richard, and Donna.
Mercedes passed away on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at the Dow Rummel Village in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the age of 95, just short of her 96th birthday.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Don; her parents; two brothers, Vincent and Ralph Leemhuis; and one sister, Dolores (Leemhuis) Wensing.
She is survived by two sons, Gary Fox and his wife Mary of Watertown, and Father Richard Fox of Watertown; two daughters, Jean Grode and her husband Bill of Rapid City, and Donna Schoenbeck and her husband Lee of Watertown, eleven grandchildren, and fourteen great grandchildren.
Arrangements by Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel, www.wightandcomes.com.