[78-L] Jack Palmer

[martha]

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Jack Lawrence Palmer,  Battle Creek

  Jack Lawrence Palmer, 86, longtime resident of Battle Creek, passed away 
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 following a short illness. He was born October 25, 
1924 in El Reno, Oklahoma the son of Dewey C. and Beatrice (Stockel) Palmer. 
A 1941 graduate of Kingfisher High School Jack was class Salutatorian and 
played the leading role in the senior play. In 1943, Jack joined the U.S. 
Army Air Corps at the age of 19 and served 20 years at various posts foreign 
and domestic, retiring at the rank of Master Sergeant. A few years after his 
retirement from the USAF, Jack moved to Battle Creek to serve with the 
Department of Defense. He worked almost 20 years at the Federal Building, 
serving for part of that time as a Computer Systems Analyst engaged in 
tracking the vast inventories of the DOD. He received several commendations 
before his subsequent retirement from the DOD.

  While in retirement Jack traveled, researched and collected materials and 
ultimately established himself as a recognized leading authority on the 
first recording star of country music, Vernon Dalhart. He published the 
first full-length biography of Dalhart in 2005 (Vernon Dalhart-First Star of 
Country Music) and was in the process of gathering photos and other 
documents for a revised 2nd edition at the time of his illness. Jack also 
remained actively involved in studying other topics of long-time interest, 
including old time radio performances, Route 66 history and lore, the Rock 
Island Railroad line, the music of Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert 
and Sullivan.

  Despite his many rarefied interests, in recent years his chief delight was 
the companionship of his loving grandchildren. Survivors include his 
siblings: Dewey H. Palmer of Macclesfield, England, Paul (Nancy) Palmer of 
Spring Branch, TX and Beatrice (Charles) James of Vernon, TX; his children: 
Ginger Hall of Wichita Falls, TX and Patricia Ellen (Chris) Alexander of 
Battle Creek; grandchildren: Jeramy Marines of Wichita Falls, TX, Scott 
(Carmen) Hall of Sherman, TX, Melissa Fisher, Jaden Alexander and Dru 
Alexander all of Battle Creek; several great-grandchildren; six nieces; 
seven nephews; several great-nieces and nephews, and many cousins as well as 
several stepchildren, step grandchildren and step great-grandchildren. 
Visitation will be 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday at the Richard A. Henry Funeral 
Home. Graveside services will be held 12:00 p.m. Monday at Fort Custer 
National Cemetery. Those wishing to attend, please meet in the cortege 
assembly area prior to the service.