Material Type

Mixed Media

Date Range

[19--]

Physical Description

10 items

Physical Condition

Excellent

History Biographical

Asael Exile Palmer was born on 26 November, 1888 in Salt Lake City, Utah to William Moroni Palmer and his second wife, Christena Helen Larson Palmer. The Palmer family had been members of the Latter Day Saints since William's parents Abraham and Patience Delila Pierce Palmer joined the Church in 1837. Christena had eleven children of her own, but also raised four of William's children after the death of his first wife, Mary Ann Mellor. The family lived in Aurora, Utah for eight years prior to moving to Canada. The Palmer family arrived on 25 March, 1903 and had 480 acres northwest of Raymond, Alberta. Asael had his own homestead near Little Bow, Alberta from 1909-1912. Asael was married on 5 October, 1916 to Maydell Cazier in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had four children: Asael Delbert (Mable Johansen), Maydell Camille (William Byron Hawkins), Eileen (Elon Vernielle Smith) and Byron Cazier (Irene Biernier Harris). The Palmers had sixteen grandchildren and, at the time of his death, thirty-nine great-grandchildren. Asael Palmer died on 19 June, 1984. Asael attended public school to the eight grade in Aurora, Utah. At the age of twenty-two, Asael began high school at the Knight Academy in Raymond, Alberta. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the Utah Agricultural College in 1917. He received his Master of Science degree in June, 1927 from the University of Alberta. Asael was employed by the State of Wyoming to start a small experimental station. He worked as a soil chemist and irrigation investigator for the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Brooks, Alberta area from 1917-1920. Beginning in 1918, both Asael and Maydell taught at the Knight Academy in Raymond, Alberta. Asael became principal in 1919 and remained in that position until the school closed in 1921. After a brief position as a science instructor at the Provincial School of Agriculture in Raymond, he became the assistant superintendent of the Dominion Experimental Station in Lethbridge, Alberta on 10 November, 1921. Here, he directed both irrigation and dry land investigations. From 1945 - November, 1953 when he retired, he was the Superintendent of the Lethbridge Experimental Station. He continued as an agricultural consultant. In November 1953, he accepted a position with Canada Department of Trade and Commerce under the Colombo Plan. He served as the Director of Agricultural Research of the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. He stayed in Peshawar, Pakistan until 3 May, 1955. In 1957, he joined his son Delbert's company, A.D. Palmer Products Ltd. He worked here intermittently until 1964. Asael was very active in the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. As young man he was a deacon and president of his quorum. He was also 1st President of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association in the Raymond Second Ward. He was secretary, then counselor to the president in the Stake M.I.A. When the Latter Day Saints Stake was organized on 10 November, 1921, he was made 2nd counselor to President Hugh B. Brown and was ordained a high priest. On 31 October, 1926, he became President of the Lethbridge Stake and remained in this position until 4 May, 1947. In high school, Asael was on the student executive, was athletic manager and was student body president. In college, he was on the student council, wrote the history of the college on its twenty-fifth anniversary, was the assistant manager of Dramatics, chairman of the Junior Prom Committee and was president of his senior class. In 1930-1931, he was a member of the Canada Soil Erosion Committee. He was chairman, and later honorary president, of the Experimental Farms Soil Drifting Control Committee. He was also one of the original directors of the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers Association. En route to Pakistan, in 1953, Asael and Maydell Palmer visited Ottawa, London, Paris and Rome. On their return trip, in 1955, they visited Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Pakistan and Rome. They also toured Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Scotland and England. They sailed from England to Quebec and drove back to Lethbridge, Alberta from Toronto, Ontario. The Palmer's spent the winters on the late fifties and early sixties in Sherman Oaks, California. Asael Palmer travelled to both Central and South Americas in December, 1962. He was honoured by many institutions. He was made Fellow of both the Agriculture Institute of Canada and the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce. On 30 May, 1970, Asael received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Lethbridge. In 1972, he received the Award of Merit from the Canadian Horticultural Council. On 11 October, 1973, he was inducted into Alberta's Agriculture Hall of Fame. He was the Liberal Party candidate for the Federal Parliament for the 1957 election. He wrote a booklet, "When the Wind Came," that was published in 1968. Asael Palmer is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Language

English

Acquisition Source

Palmer, Byron and Del c/o Mr. Del Palmer 304 Coachwood Point West Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 5Z8

Custodial History

Other significant portions of this fonds are located in the Glenbow Museum and Archives in Calgary.

Scope and Content

Certificates, photographs, biographies, newspaper clippings, books, and letters relating to the life, career and travels of Asael E. Palmer.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

20001063000

Collection

Archive

Less detail