Harold B. Palmer

Harold B. Palmer, son of the late Barney Palmer & Naomi Horn Palmer was born September 16, 1920, in Spaulding, Ok.  The family moved to Holdenville soon after, where he attended Holdenville Public schools, graduating from Holdenville High School in 1938.  His favorite high school activity was playing cornet in the marching band.     Harold married his high school sweetheart, Kathleen Ruth Bartlett, in 1942.  Having been born with bi-lateral club feet, Harold had corrective surgery at the age of 4 at Shriner's Children's Hospital in Shreveport, LA. Due to that surgery, he was classified 4-F during the World War II Draft.  So he signed up for welding training and was sent to the shipyards in San Francisco, during which time his daughter, Pamela, was born.  Since Harold was always slender he was a valuable welder for the narrow smoke stacks on the Liberty Ships being built there.     After his younger brother, Howard, a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division, was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge, Harold soon brought his young family back to Holdenville where he returned to work at Hudson Funeral Home before leaving to attend & to receive his embalming certification at the St. Louis School of Mortuary Science.  He was subsequently employed at Smith & Kernke in OKC, during which time his son, Philip, was born.  The family moved to Shawnee in l947 where he worked for Gaskill Funeral Chapel & later as a partner in Roesch Brothers Funeral Chapel.  After 40 years of working in this profession he loved, he retired to spend more time with Kathleen at Lake Tenkiller, where he enjoyed fishing & entertaining his family.     Daddy was a member of the Exchange Club, Rotary Club, Elks Club & a supporter of all Shawnee civic activities.  He was an active member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, was a Vestry member and church treasurer for several years.     Harold was an avid hunter and fisherman.  His mother cooked everything he brought home.  He hunted pheasant with Philip and his grandson, Josh, in Kansas which provided very happy memories to all involved.  He enjoyed family vacations in the summers with his children & grandchildren, water skiing & lake trips with friends and family.  He was active in his children’s and Kathleen’s activities & was made an “honorary member’ of the Shawnee Legal Secretaries Association accompanying Kathleen to conventions around the country.     Harold peacefully departed this life at his daughter’s home in Edmond on Monday evening, October 3 at age 96.  He was fortunate to have celebrated his last birthday with many family members.  He had an outgoing personality, and  loved to visit with friends and clients & will be missed by all who knew him.      He is survived by his daughter, Pamela Palmer Roberson, & husband, Jere, of Edmond, OK, son, Philip Harold Palmer, & wife, Barbara, of Lake Mary Ronan, MT; 4 grandchildren, Rebekah Dekker, & husband, Tim, Tom Reyenga, Jr., Jennifer Whitmire, & husband, Kurt, Josh Palmer, & wife, Justine, & 12 great-grandchildren, Kathleen, Timothy & Connor Dekker; Thomas, Carter, Palmer,& Dixon Reyenga; Kyle, Jordan & Kadyn Whitmire; and Jesse Deslauriers & Sloane Palmer.     Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, October 8, 2016 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church with burial to follow at Holdenville Cemetery under the direction of Walker Funeral Service.      Visitation with the family will be Friday evening, October 7, from 6-7 p.m.  at Walker’s.     No flowers, please.  Memorials can be made online at:  www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/en/donate.  Please direct donations to the Shreveport hospital.