Daisy M. Saffell, 1875-1918

DAISY M. SAFFELL (1875-1918) - An intrepid educator & businesswoman, Saffell devoted her life to serving African Americans during an era of segregation. She became the second Black woman in Ky. to obtain embalmer’s & undertaker’s licenses, operating Saffell Funeral Home in Shelbyville with husband George. As tribute to her civic activism, colleagues named a local hospital after her in 1918.

DAISY SAFFELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL - Opened in 1916 by Saffell and five other African American women in the Martinsville neighborhood, the hospital greatly expanded access to quality healthcare for Black residents of Shelby Co. At this time, few such opportunities existed anywhere in Ky. due to the racial segregation of medical services. DSMH closed in 1954 when an integrated hospital opened.