Joseph William Palmer
              1944 - 2010

 Joseph Palmer born on Aug. 27, 1944, in Anaconda, Montana to Frank Palmer and Maxine Genevieve Holt Palmer, passed away on Friday, May 7, 2010, at Bass Creek Campground near Florence. At the time of his death, he was doing three of his favorite things; spending time with his wife, camping and visiting with friends and family.
    Joe moved to Missoula with his family in 1950. He attended Lowell Elementary and graduated from Missoula County High School in 1962. He attended Northwest Bible College in Kirkland, Wash., before enlisting in the Marines in 1965.
    In 1966, Joe married his high school sweetheart, Cecelia George. They met on a blind date when he was 17 and she was 15, and they were nearly inseparable. Joe always said they were married for 42 good years and one bad one: the year he spent in Vietnam. Theirs was a true love story that will never end. Joe and Cecelia raised two children, Lisa and Christopher. Joe was a wonderful dad and papa to his own kids and grandkids and any others who happened to be around.
    Joe spent many years selling cars in Great Falls and Missoula. For the last five years he was a salesman for Interstate Alarm Co. He loved sales for the opportunity to meet people. Over the years many of his customers became lifelong friends.
    Although Joe always loved to work, his true calling and greatest satisfaction was in helping others. If you locked your keys in the car, had a plumbing emergency, were stuck somewhere, any problem at all, Joe was the man to call. He would go anywhere at any time that he was needed, especially for his kids. He liked to call himself KISA - Knight in Shining Armor - and that's what he was to all of us. He also loved camping, golf, traveling with Cecelia, woodworking and all of his extended family.
    Joe was a true Christian who walked the talk. He prayed for his family daily and was always faithful to God. He was a member of First Lutheran Church in Missoula.
    Joe was preceded in death by his parents; infant brothers Frank and James; and Cecelia's parents, Sam and Martha George.
He is survived by his wife Cecelia; daughter Lisa and her husband Sam and grandson Ian; his son Chris and wife Belinda and granddaughters Alex and Madison. He is also survived by brothers Elmer (Judy) of Lolo and Merle (Eva) of Missoula; and sisters Donna (Burr) Betts of Cove, Ore., and Charlene (Dick) Dunn of Florence; and his 10 nieces and nephews and their families.


Services for Joe Palmer were held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 13, at First Lutheran Church of Missoula.  A family service was conducted at Western Montana Veterans Cemetery.

Link to: Missoulian Obituary with photo May 12, 2010