Donald Sr. Palmer

PALMER — Donald "Don" Sr., 86; born Dec. 17, 1933, Brainard, Minnesota; died Aug. 30 2020, Salem, Oregon. Surviving: wife of 67 years, Helen (Thrush); sons, Don Palmer Jr., Salem; daughters and sons-in-law, Connie and Jim Heinrich, Tolstoy, South Dakota; Karen and Jan Eric Kiele, Chugiak, Alaska; sister-in-law, Lou Palmer of Washington; stepbrothers and stepsisters-in-law, John and Irene Perrine of Texas; Wayne Perrine of Oregon; stepsisters, Mary Coleman of Texas; Ellen Perrine of Washington; 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren; and lots of nieces and nephews.

Don, his parents and brother, Glen, moved to Idaho for the brothers could attend Gem State Academy and work at school. Don graduated in 1951 where he met Helen Thrush. He moved to Pendleton, Oregon, to work at Harris Pine Mills. He married Helen on June 25, 1953. Was a charter member of East Salem Seventh-day Adventist Church when it started in 1961. Don held a lot of positions in the church including Pathfinder Club director and later Oregon Conference Pathfinder District 3 director.

Preceded in death by his father, Lawrence Palmer; mother, Grace (Inward) Palmer Perrine; brother, Glen Palmer on Jan. 25, 2020; stepbrother, David Perrine; and stepsister, Dorothy Bryant.