Marguerite S. Pugsley, age 97, of Huron, died Thursday, November 24, 2016, at the SunQuest Healthcare Center. Her funeral service was held at 1:00 PM, Tuesday, November 29th at the Grace Episcopal Church. Burial was in the Riverside Cemetery.
Marguerite Elizabeth (Shoemaker) Pugsley was born at Huron, South Dakota, July 27, 1919, to Gailard George and Emily Augusta (Schulze) Shoemaker. She attended elementary school in Vernon Township, and graduated from Wolsey High School in 1936. She graduated from Northwest College of Commerce in 1937, and later continued further studies in business at Huron College evening classes.
She was employed at the South Dakota Securities Company, Mr. R.E. Cone, Secretary-Manager, while attending Northwest College. She was employed at the firm of Churchill and Benson, Attorneys at Law from 1937 to 1941 when she was employed by the Farmers and Merchants Bank, of Huron, as assistant cashier and secretary to the officers until October 1942.
On February 1, 1942, she was married to Edward William Pugsley. They made their home in Huron these many years.
She joined her husband at the Huron Mills, Inc., as office manager and secretary in 1942 until December 1965 when the business was sold to the Zip Feed Mills. She then became secretary to the Directors of the Huron United Fund of Huron from May 1966 through February 1967, when she became secretary to the President of Huron College, Dr. Daniel E. Kerr, until his retirement. She served as administrative assistant to the President of Huron College, Dr. Richard Timmins from 1968 through June 1974, when she retired.
She joined the Huron Realty and Development Co. as a real estate broker in 1974 and continued in that capacity with the Pugsley/Ward Real Estate firm until she and her husband sold their interest in the company in 1981 and retired.
She and her husband spent their winters in Mesa, Arizona until 1993, when they continued to live in Huron all year.
She was a life-long member of Grace Episcopal Church, and had worked with several organizations of that church.
Mrs. Pugsley was interested in community affairs, and worked on the Board of Directors of the Huron Young Women's Christian Association for 19 years, serving as President for several terms and as Treasurer for six years. She received the Christian Leadership Award from that organization in 1981.
She was a member of the Huron Board of Realtors, serving in all offices of that group, and a Director from Huron on the State Board of Realtors.
She was a charter member of Chapter BE, P.E.O., Huron, SD, and while in Arizona in the winter she was a member and officer of the Apache Wells P.E.O. group for those away from home and family.
Her father died in 1958, and her mother in 1954. Her brother, George died in the Navy at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941. Her husband, Edward, died July 13, 2003.
She is survived by many nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews.