Palmer Ingvald Haugland, 90

Palmer Ingvald Haugland, 90, was born June 26, 1918, in Hamar, N.D., the youngest of eight children, to Knut and Laura Haugland.

He passed away of natural causes Feb. 23, 2009, at his home in Kalispell. Prior to his death he lived in Kalispell for 30 years with his wife, Ethelyn, and daughter, Solveig.

Funeral services for Palmer were held Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Northridge Lutheran Church in Kalispell, with Pastor Dan Heskett officiating.

Palmer attended grades 1 through 8 in Hamar. He worked on the family farm, and when World War II began, he volunteered for the Navy, eventually achieving the rank of gunner's mate first class before being honorably discharged in December 1945. He was stationed in the Solomon Islands. After discharge, he attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., obtaining degrees in English and library science.

He worked for the Veteran's Administration in Minnesota and Oregon, and traveled abroad to Europe. At a dance in Minneapolis in 1962, he met Ethelyn Jacobson, the love of his life, whom he had met the first time five years previously. They were engaged six weeks later and were married Nov. 20 of that year.

The couple moved to Bakersfield, Calif., for work; soon after, they relocated to Boulder, Colo., where Palmer worked for NOAA and Ethelyn gave birth to a daughter, Solveig Laura. After a brief tenure in Washington, D.C., the family moved to Auke Bay, Alaska, where, from 1974 to 1979, Palmer worked for NOAA at the marine fisheries laboratory.

In 1979, Palmer retired and the family settled in Kalispell, where Palmer was able to enjoy his dream of living on a small ranch in the West and building his dream house with Ethelyn and Solveig. They joined Northridge Lutheran Church, and with dear friends from church and wonderful neighbors on their house near Ashley Lake, they enjoyed life in Kalispell to the fullest.

Palmer enjoyed woodworking and playing the mandolin. He made numerous beautiful pieces of furniture including a roll-top desk, four-poster beds, and Queen Anne style tables. He played mandolin in a music group from Northridge Lutheran, a group in which he had many dear friends.

Palmer related recently that when growing up, he saw other men being unkind to their loved ones or to neighbors, and he resolved to be the opposite of that. He succeeded more than he realized, to the benefit of everyone who knew him. Palmer was a kind friend, a loving father, and above all a devoted husband. He told his wife, Ethelyn, that he loved her, and that she was beautiful, nearly every day of their lives. Their days together started with sitting together in front of the window, watching the sunrise and reading and discussing Bible verses, and ended with a loving hug. His fondest wish was to be reunited with her.

Palmer is survived by his daughter, Solveig Haugland, of Lafayette, Colo.