Sadie Maggio Dark

Born November 22, 1921 Sadie Maggio Dark, daughter of Sam and Carmelite Maggio, was the 7th of eleven children in a closeknit Italian Catholic family. After 100 years of life, love and laughter, Sadie joined her beloved husband Don in heaven on September 2, 2022. Sadie was a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy, and of Northwestern Normal School. During World War II she met Staff Sergeant Don Fields Dark of Winnfield, LA and in 1942 they were married. Together they had four children. Sadie was a longtime employee of City Bank & Trust Co. of Natchitoches, a member of Lesche Club, the Natchitoches Garden Club, St. Mary’s School Board, Catholic Daughters Association and a season ticket holder at NSU Football for many decades. She was a member of the Natchitoches Historical Society, the Jefferson Highway Association, participated in a weekly Rosary group, exercised at the gym where she regularly outpaced people half her age, volunteered at the Natchitoches Genealogy Society, was an amateur local historian. Sadie was a faithful member of Immaculate Conception Church where she was a docent and sang in the choir for many years. She was also named a Natchitoches Treasure and was a longtime patron of the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony. She traveled across the United States and to many countries around the world keeping detailed scrapbooks and journals of the sights she saw and people she encountered. She loved good food (she was an excellent cook), music and dancing. She taught her great-grandchildren the Charleston only a few years ago. Sadie lived and loved life and was immensely proud of her hometown, Natchitoches. She was both a lifelong student, always learning, and a teacher to her family and friends. She made everyone around her feel comfortable and welcome. She never sought the limelight, but when she spoke everyone wanted to hear what she had to say. She was “Grandma” to so many more than just her grandchildren. Sadie was preceded in death by her parents Sam and Carmelite, her husband Don, her siblings Rosalie, Joe, Charlie, Ned, Jeanette, Mary, Grace (Sister Ann Carmel) and Theresa. She is survived by her brothers Henry (Buddy) Maggio (Nita) and John Maggio (Billie Marie), her children – Beverly Giering (Francis), Don Dark, Jr., John William Dark, and Mary Melissa Birch, grandchildren – Greg Giering (Molly), Gretchen Flores (Mark), Amanda Clark (Clay), Sarah Lizana (Kevin), Rachel Boggs (Lee), Melissa Scheffer (Kevin), Eric Dark, Hillary Dark, Heather McMichael (Josh), Jameson Weaver (Tanya) and numerous great and great-great grandchildren. Visitation will be from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches with a Rosary beginning at 6:30. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held September 9, 2022 at 10:00 AM at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Church and she will be laid to rest beside her husband at Memory Lawn Cemetery. Honored pall bearers are Kevin Lizana, Kevin Scheffer, Lee Boggs, Mark Flores, Clay Clark and Eric Dark. Honorary pall bearers are John LaBorde, John Dobernig, Kent Dark, Russell Dark and John Jabbia. A true Southern Lady, Sadie will be missed by all.