Norbert Palmer

Norbert James Palmer, 90, of Waukon died Saturday, February 12, 2022 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. A Celebration of Life was held Saturday, February 19 at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon with Pastor Grant VanderVelden officiating. Military honors were held outside the church following the service.

Norbert James Palmer was born July 18, 1931 on Big Foot Road, Linton Township, Allamakee County, the first-born son of Emmett Earl Palmer and Florence Evelyn Klees Palmer. He was baptized and confirmed at Rossville Presbyterian Church, Rossville.

Norb grew up in the Waterville area attending the Waterville Consolidated School, graduating in 1950. After graduating from high school, he worked with his parents on the family farm and then enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1953 during the Korean Conflict. While in the service, he was stationed at various locations including Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX for basic training; Camp Parks in the San Francisco Bay area in California and Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, TX, both for aircraft mechanics training; and eventually at Williams Air Force Base, Chandler, AZ as Senior Airman working on various aircraft, but in particular T-33 Trainers.  His time at Williams AFB was the beginning of a lifelong love of the Southwestern desert.

Norb returned home from the service in 1957 and picked up life where he left off, working with his parents managing the family dairy and hog operation. He was an avid hunter, fisher, trapper and roller skater - all skills that he put to good use in catching what was the cutest nurse in town. He met Nola Elaine Enyart on a Tuesday night and 59 days later they said their I do’s. They were married December 29, 1962 at Postville Presbyterian Church. It was beautifully sunny but cold at 20 below! They honeymooned in Norb’s favorite place, Arizona.

After tying the knot, Norb and Nola continued farming with his parents, Emmett and Eve, on the family’s Big Foot Road farm, which they had moved to when he was 14. Over their 59 years together they had many adventures. Roller skating in the early ‘60s gave way to raising calves, to raising children. Jane Elaine was born in 1964 and Robert Lee (Bob) in 1965.

The family was busy with 4-H, involved in church activities, entertaining guests, and taking annual summer vacations, most often to the mountains in the West. They enjoyed many years of square dancing, and Norb always made time for an annual hunting trip to Montana, Wyoming or Colorado hunting elk, antelope and deer.

By the late 1980s Norb and Nola were able to semi-retire and become snowbirds. For the next 31 years they maintained a winter home in Gold Canyon, AZ from where he greatly enjoyed hiking in the desert mountains. It was also during these years (the early 1990s) that Norb was able to fulfill a lifelong goal of working in the conservation field; working several summers for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service. He worked at Yellow River State Forest in Allamakee County, Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa and the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Never one to turn down an adventure, Norb loved to travel, and travel they did!  Trips to Alaska and Hawaii, and every year around the country, were memorable, especially when they took with them their oldest grandsons, Ben and Mike, often to parks their Uncle Bob was working at. These were entertaining and treasured trips.

They also traveled overseas to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, China, the Panama Canal, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Iceland. Many lifelong friendships were made with people around the world, especially in New Zealand.

Of course, anyone who knew Norb would have experienced his caring nature, dry wit and the regular twinkle in his eye. His willingness to help any and all, and his sly sense of humor were legendary. He brought joy and laughter at the most unexpected places and times. His strong faith and sense of humor, no matter the circumstance, were inspiring. He taught his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to love unconditionally, to see the beauty in nature, and to be stewards of the earth. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Norb adored his wife, Nola, and family. Nola recently said, “No man ever told his wife ‘I love you’ more than Norb told me.” Norb and Nola built a beautiful life together. Spanning 21 years from the birth of their oldest to the youngest grandson, they were blessed to see, inspire and love the boys on a nearly daily basis. A proud Waterville family: four generations of the Palmer family attended the Waterville School.

Norb is survived by his wife of 59 years, Nola; his daughter, Jane (James) Johnson; his son, Robert (Sharon) Palmer, of Waterville; five grandsons: Benjamin (Kris) Rausch of Waukon, Michael (Amber) Rausch of Palo, and Cody, Riley and Hayden Palmer of Waterville; five great-grandchildren: Lena, Theo, Jeremiah and Rosella Rausch, and Delaney Rausch; a brother, Bob (Pat) Palmer, of Berrien Springs, MI; a brother-in-law, Allan (Judy) Enyart of West Union; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Emmett and Evelyn; his grandparents, Roy and Ethel (Stafford) Palmer, and Henry and Bertha (Neucomb) Klees; his parents-in-law, Russell and Lucy Adeline (Smith) Enyart; and his brothers-in-law, Russell “Lee” Enyart, and Bruce and Gary Enyart.