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

Custodial History

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

Scope and Content

20001063/001 Passports for Asael Exile Palmer and Maydell Palmer, 1953-1963 20001063/002 Documents related to A. E. Palmer’s stay in Pakistan, 1965 20001063/003 Pamphlet: 50 Years of Dry Land Research, 1954 20001063/004 Pamphlet: Soil Drifting Control in the Prairie Provinces, 1946 20001063/005 A.I.A. Newsletter, October, 1980 20001063/006 Capital stock certificate, Lethbridge & District Exhibition, 1947 20001063/007 Correspondence, 1973, 1980 20001063/008 Rotary Club of Lethbridge Rosters, 1945-1946 20001063/009 Invitations and programs 20001063/010 Reprints of articles by A. E. Palmer 20001063/011 Diary of A. E. Palmer, 1953 20001063/012 Diary of Pakistan Experiences, 1954 20001063/013 Diary of Pakistan Experiences, 1955 20001063/014 Book: Our Struggle 20001063/015 Cunard baggage tag and postcard of Dean’s Hotel, Pakistan. 20001063/016 Pamphlet: Instructions for treatment with faradic and galvanic current 20001063/017 Personal papers of A. E. and M. Palmer: land titles, essay “Broader Aspects of Patriotism,” oil and gas lease, qualifications of Byron C. Palmer, shares in Logan Garment Ltd., Sturgis Creek Mines Ltd., appointment letters and other correspondence, Canadian Pacific telegraph, biographical resume, records related to the Pakistan project; letter to the Prime Minister of Canada – ideas how to control inflation 20001063/018 Booklet: When the Winds Came by A. E. Palmer 20001063/019 Awards 20001063/020 Maydell Palmer notes on Palmero and Coziers family 20001063/021 Personal notes on travels and events, Maydell Palmer 20001063/022 Pakistan, 49 photographs 20001063/023 Book commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Hudson Bay Company 20001063/024 Clippings on Research Station Opening, 1977 20001063/025 Pamphlet on Pakistan 20001063/026 Interview of A. E. Palmer by W. L. Jacobson, Glenbow Museum 20001063/027 Personal papers; brief history of Pakistan in a letter 20001063/028 Clippings

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

20001063000

Collection

Archive

Less detail