Palmer, Hannah Jane 1836-1928

PALMER, PARVIN, SHEELER

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 10/17/2016 at 13:05:21

The Grinnell (IA) Herald
Feb. 3, 1928

MRS. EPHR'M PALMER
DIES IN MARSHALLT'N

Mrs. Ephraim Palmer, a former resident of Grinnell, died at 9:25 Wednesday night at the home of her daughter, Mrs. C.J. Sheeler, in Marshalltown. She had been in failing health for more than a year and death was caused by old age infirmities.

Mrs. Palmer was born Hannah Jane Parvin, near Mooresville, Ind., Sept. 28, 1836, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Parvin. Three yars later the family moved to Muscatine then called Bloomington, where on Oct. 1, 1854, she was married to Ephraim T. Palmer, who died in this city in 1902. To this union six children were born, three of whom died in childhood. Ethelbert Palmer, a son, died at the age of 42 in Hollywood, Calif., while the address of Charles W. Palmer, another son, is unknown, and Mrs. Sheeler, the only daughter, lives in this city.

After the civil war, during which the late Mr. Palmer served as master blacksmith of Company E, Fourth Iowa cavalry, the family moved to Grinnell, which was its home for many years. They later moved to Marshalltown.

Mrs. Palmer was the last surviving member of her father's family of eight children, many of whom were long-lived. Many of the family won state and county honors. Her father served Muscatine county for several years as coroner, and among other offices he held the positions of collector, treasurer and marshal of the city of Muscatine. An uncle, the late Hon. John A. Parvin, was a signer of the present constitution of Iowa, being a member of the Iowa constitutional convention which met in 1857. A cousin, Theodore S. Parvin, was the founder and organizer of the Masonic library at Cedar Rapids and was active librarian until his death.

In her immediate family she is survived by Mrs. C.J. Sheeler, of this city, two granddaughters, Mrs. R.C. Griffith, of Omaha, and Miss Irene Palmer, of Hollywood, Calif., a teacher at Whittier College, who has been granted a year's leave of absence for study at Columbia University, New York City; two great-grandchildren, Paul and Jane Louise Griffith, of Omaha, Neb., and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at four o'clock Friday from Wilbur's mortuary in charge of Rev. Sylvester E. Ellis. The body will be taken to Grinnell Saturday morning for burial in the family lot in Hazelwood cemetery.--Times Republican.