Richard J Palmer

Richard J. Palmer, 81, Bismarck, died November 21, 2010, at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center, Bismarck. Services will be held at 11:00 am Friday, November 26, 2010, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 310 E Avenue A, Bismarck, with Rev. Nate Keith officiating. Burial will be in the North Dakota Veteran's Cemetery, Mandan. Visitation will be held from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm Wednesday, November 24, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a prayer service will begin at 7:30 pm with Rev. Steve Sathre officiating. Richard was born June 23, 1929, in Minneapolis, MN, the son of Charles and Josephine Palmer. He grew up in Robbinsdale, MN, where he attended grade and high school. After serving in the army during the Korean conflict, he worked as a reporter for the Fairmont, MN, Daily Sentinel. While there he met Bernice Schumacher, a reporter for the Estherville, IA, Daily News. At the time, each was covering a triple murder in Sherburn, a small town in southern Minnesota. There followed a summer of long distance dating, leading to their wedding on September 18, 1954, at Ottertail, MN, the hometown of Bernice. The two moved to Minneapolis, MN, where Dick registered for journalism classes at the University of Minnesota. When he graduated, the journalism fraternity Sigma Delta Chi named him the "Outstanding Male Journalism Graduate of 1957." After graduation, he and his family returned to Fairmont, where he worked as a reporter-photographer until 1959. He then joined the Associated Press wire service in Fargo. Eight months later he was transferred to the AP office in Bismarck, where he served as capitol reporter and correspondent for eight years. Dick joined the North Dakota Education Association staff as communications director in 1967. He coordinated the annual state association's convention and the participation of state teachers in the national association convention. He also served as the liaison for its public relations association. Dick also was active in the National Education Association. He was a charter member of the National Public Relations Council and served as a leader in the NEA's State Education Editor's group. His peers in these national organizations recognized his work with numerous awards for best magazine, newspaper, photography, news and feature stories. In 1968, his peers in the PR Council chose him to receive the "Public Relations Council National Award" of the year. After he retired from NDEA in 1993, he worked as a consultant and freelance writer for the NEA, NDEA, NDEA-Retired and other organizations. On the local level, Dick was a long-time member of Trinity Lutheran Church, serving on the church council, writing articles, fund raising, and participating in small group activities. He was a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Bismarck Woodcarvers, the North Dakota Wildlife Federation, and the Bismarck Lions Club, which recognized his service with a Melvin Jones award. Dick and his wife received the 1971 Communicator of the Year award for their work in the Wildlife Federation. They received a second commendation for their work in the Federation's "Save the Deer" campaign during the severe winter of 1977-1978. They headed a campaign that raised over $31, 000 to buy food for deer and other wildlife that was distributed by the ND Game and Fish Department. Dick is survived by his wife of 56 years and five children. They and their spouses are Howard and Mary Beth Palmer, Minot, ND; Penny Rae and Scott Robinson, Houston, TX, Pamela Jo and Earl Torgerson, Bismarck, ND, Roger and Anita Palmer, Dallas, TX, and Randy and Mary Palmer, Bismarck, ND; his eleven grandchildren, Stephen, Leah, David and Anne Palmer, Jennifer and Rebekah Robinson, AJ, Luke and Hannah Torgerson, and Carly and Erin Palmer. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Lillian, White Bear Lake, MN and her four daughters. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, and a grandson, Thomas Palmer. Memorials may be given to the NDEA Education Association Foundation, PO Box 5005, Bismarck, ND, 58502, Trinity Lutheran Church parish nurse fund or the Banquet, a weekly feeding outreach ministry of Trinity.

Richard J Palmer

June 23, 1929 - November 21, 2010