Joseph “Henry” Palmer

Our Dad passed away peacefully at his Bountiful, Utah home December 26, 2018 just a couple of months short of 102 years old. He was preceded in death by our loving Mom Rachel Harris Palmer in 2012. Henry was born in Muldrow, Oklahoma the sixth child of Isaac Palmer and Bertha Jane Blaylock. His parents died early in his life and the children split up leaving him to live with his grandparents and later his Aunt. Dad was always working to earn his way and not be a burden. Henry and Rachel Harris were married Dec. 23, 1939 and sealed in May 1955 in the Logan Temple. They are survived by their five children; Duane (Mary), Harold “Harry”, Edwin “Ed” (Debbie), James “Jim” (Diana), and Connie; twelve grandchildren and forty-one great grandchildren. 

Henry served in the Navy from 1943 to 1946. He was assigned to the Brooklyn, New York Navy Yard re-designing the laundry for 5 hospital ships and then serving on the USS Benevolence an 800-bed hospital ship which joined the fleet off the coast of Japan and later went into Tokyo Bay and was there on Sep 2, 1945 when the Peace Treaty was signed. The Benevolence received, treated and transported many of our prisoners of war following the signing of the peace treaty. 

Dad and his brother Fred owned a laundry, dry cleaning and linen supply business in Grand Junction, Colo. He was a great businessman and civic leader serving as vice president and later president of the Kiwanis Club. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints six months after Mom beginning a lifetime of service to the church and to everyone they met. Dad was asked to serve as a second counselor in the bishopric and was ordained a High Priest by Harold B. Lee. 

July of 1958, he purchased the Glenwood Springs Plant from Fred and moved the family to Glenwood Springs Colo. He remained very active in the Kiwanis Club and community groups and served on the Stake High Council. He was the Bishop of the Glenwood Springs ward with a new building to build that was dedicated by Thomas Monson in Aug. 1962. April 1963 he was called to first counselor in the Stake presidency and was set apart by apostle Spencer W. Kimball. 

A fire destroyed our home and the business in October of 1964. Dad took a job with the University of Utah Hospital and we moved to Bountiful, Utah in June 1965. Dad loved his work at the University Hospital and was back working with the young men in his ward callings which he really enjoyed. He continued to satisfy the debt that still lingered from the fire until all were paid off. He was a man of honesty and great honor. LDS Hospital recruited him to remodel and expand the laundry facilities eventually to be replaced with a central laundry in Woods Cross. The “National Association of Institutional Laundry Managers” recognized him as the Laundry Manager of the year for 1971. He worked for Intermountain Health Care up to his retirement in 1983. 

Mom and Dad served a mission in the Birmingham, Alabama mission. They truly enjoyed mission work and had made such an impact that they were asked to extend their time for an additional six months which they gladly accepted. After they had returned home for a few months, they returned to Alabama and spent the winter with many of their mission contacts and friends. After returning home, genealogy research, temple work, serving in church callings and enjoying their kids and grandkids filled the days. Dad played tennis several times a week even through a knee replacement in his nineties. He was a master gardener, a mentor to many young men, an example to all who he met, a friend to all and the Best Dad.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, Wednesday, January 9, 2019 at the Bountiful 58th ward chapel at 200 N. 200 W. Bountiful, UT. Friends and family may visit Tuesday, January 8, 2019 between 6 and 8 pm at Russon Mortuary 295 N. Main Bountiful, UT, and Wednesday 9:45 to 10:45 at the church. Interment will be at Memorial Estates in Bountiful, UT with Mom.