Frances M. Palm, age 92, of Litchfield, died on Sunday, January 2, 2011, in Litchfield, MN at Ecumen of Litchfield, Emmanuel Home. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, January 5, 2011, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City, MN. Visitation will be held from 12:00 Noon until the 2:00 PM service at the church on Wednesday. Interment will be in the First Lutheran Cemetery. Frances Melida Palm was born to Peter and Emma (Fraedrich) Buttke on November 8, 1918, in Ransom County, near Sheldon, North Dakota. November 8 was the day that Germany signed an armistice to end World War I. Frances was the youngest child in the family, having two brothers and three sisters. She graduated from high school in Sheldon in 1936, and shortly after that moved with her family to a farm north of Grove City, Minnesota near Wilcox Lake. She and Wallace Palm were married June 1st, 1940, and lived on the Palm farm north of Grove City for the next sixty years. Son Bruce was born in 1942 and daughter Sharon was born in 1945. Fran and Wally operated a true family farm, with a boy, a girl, a dog, a couple dozen cats, 400 laying hens, 80 to 100 hogs, and up to 40 milking Holsteins along with young stock cattle. They made two major remodels of their old farm house, making it a comfortable, accommodating modern home with central air and heat. Fran was a super mom in an era of super moms. She baked bread every week, was an excellent cook, raised a big garden to freeze and can vegetables for winter, and sewed everything from the living room drapes to most of her clothes and all of Sharon's. She raised a big flock of chickens each year, and helped with the dairy chores. She was a faithful member of Trinity Lutheran Church; as a Sunday School teacher, a choir member, a WELCA member, a circle member and a quilter who made many quilts to help warm people she never knew. She worked with 4H kids, joined the PT A, attended home extension lessons, learned how to do ceramics and how to create hardanger pieces. She was a member of the Swede Grove Sunshine Club for over 65 years. When the children went off to college, Fran got a job in Litchfield at the Litchfield Garment Company and worked there about ten years. She and Wally were a wonderful host and hostess, and for every meal they served their guests, she made all the food. In June, 2010, Fran and Wally celebrated their 7Oth wedding anniversary. Fran is survived by husband Wallace Palm, daughter Sharon Smith (and Brad Bird) of Grove City; daughter-in- law Lynne (and Ardell) Thompson of Grove City; granddaughter Heidi (and Grant) Palms of Richfield, MN; grandson David (and Marcy) and great-grandson Jacob Palm of Ft. Collins, CO. Honorary family members are David; Dean (and Laura) and Matthew; Brian (and Audra), Paul and Alisha; Jeff, Chris and Mike Bird; Craig (and Heather), Jenna and Andrew Bird; all of the Twin Cities. She is survived by many nieces and nephews; and by many friends; some friends of a lifetime, and new friends who were tender and thoughtful caregivers to her at Emmanuel Home. She was preceded in death by her parents, her son Bruce, and her siblings and their spouses. Previous Events
Visitation
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Trinity Lutheran Church
54384 Highway 12 East
Grove City, MN 56243
Visitation
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
2:00 PM
Trinity Lutheran Church
54384 Highway 12 East
Grove City, MN 56243
Visitation
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
2:45 PM
First Lutheran Cemetery of Grove City
Grove City, MN 56243