Mount Mercy Family Ties Run Deep

Sharon Darcey RN ’63 and her husband, Joe

Sharon Darcey RN ’63 has deep ties to her alma mater. She is the great-niece of Sister Mary Ildephonse Holland, Mount Mercy’s first president, and 13 of her relatives also attended Mount Mercy, including two Sisters of Mercy. Sharon decided to follow in their footsteps and earned a nursing diploma from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in 1963. Her Mercy education laid a strong foundation for a lifelong career in nursing.

Sharon is proud of her Irish Catholic heritage; hospitality and generosity are in her DNA. This naturally led her to the nursing profession. At home, a lovely collection of teapots is displayed in her kitchen, where many conversations have been enjoyed over a cup of tea.

As Sharon continued her work as a nurse, she met Joe Darcey, an entrepreneur who spent most of his life working to better his community. Both shared a desire to help others in need, and they discovered that their values and passions were very similar. The couple married in 1993. Together they established the Joe and Sharon Darcey Foundation, which primarily focuses on philanthropic scholarship support to students in need.

Joe lived his entire life in Watertown, Wisconsin, with the exception of his time as a student at UW-Madison and his service in World War II.

He returned from active duty in 1945 and soon realized that many of the soldiers coming home were eager to get back into farming, but could not afford to buy quality dairy cattle. Joe’s father was in the cattle sales business and had a rather large inventory on hand. Together they established Darcey Rent-A-Cow, a very successful cattle rental business that was an affordable option for many of the men coming back home.

Joe was a consistent donor to his alma mater, and after seeing the tremendous impact Sharon’s Mercy education had on her, he suggested supporting Mount Mercy through the Darcey Foundation. Sharon was deeply touched. She worked with Sister Mary Cephas Wichman, Sharon’s cousin and Mount Mercy Vice President for Development at the time, to establish a scholarship at Mount Mercy. Sharon learned that creating an endowed scholarship would allow Mount Mercy to continue to award their scholarship annually while also making a permanent investment in the university. Sharon and Joe eagerly established the Sharon Flanagan Darcey Endowed Scholarship in 2006—a scholarship that benefits nursing students each and every year.

Whenever possible, Sharon accepts invitations to connect with Mount Mercy nursing students to share her experience and passion for the profession. Although Joe passed away in January of 2020 at the age of 96, the Darceys’ scholarship will continue to assist Mount Mercy nursing students and improve lives for generations to come.

Endowed scholarships are investments that are held in perpetuity. Mount Mercy’s endowment ensures the future of our mission and enhances the quality of the educational experience we are able to provide. To learn more or to establish an endowed scholarship at Mount Mercy, contact Lonna Drewelow at 319-286-4408 or ldrewelow@mtmercy.edu.