Mrs. Clark Allen received word from her brother, Carl, in Philadelphia last Thursday morning that her father, Dr. E. A. Palmer, passed into the great beyond on the evening before, having gradually weakened from the time of his last stroke, which was a little over a year ago. He had been bedfast since that time. The body was cremated, by request, on Friday. Dr. Palmer was born near Mill River, Mass., July 19th, 1843, and would therefore, have been 76 had he lived until July of this year. He was married there to Miss Ellen Calkins, who grew up in the same neighborhood, in 1866 and they came to Blair in 1881. Dr. Palmer was a dentist and practice his profession over the Castetter Bank building until the death of his wife. She died August 13th, 1902, and in November of that same year he went to Philadelphia to make his home with his son, Carl, who is also a dentist. He leaves the two children, Carl and Mrs. Clark (Edna Clare) Allen.

He was a member of the Masonic fraternity at one time. He will be gratefully remembered by many Blair friends and former patrons. He was a man of unusual intellectual force and vigor, independent in thought, a decided individualist, of commanding personality. He left a distinct stamp upon this community that will long remain. It doesn’t seem possible that he who lived and passed so many vigorous years among us is gone, never to return, as he had frequently done since leaving Blair, but such is death, the final master of us all. All who knew him mourn with the children his passing from among us, but knew his firm hope in the life beyond.

#2-Published in the Enterprise April 25, 1919

DR. E. A. PALMER

Another of Blair’s early residents, Dr. E. A. Palmer, better known as “Dentist Palmer,” has closed his earthly career, passing away at the home of his son, Carl, at Philadelphia where he had made his home for several years since leaving Blair. The cause of death was a paralytic stroke a year or so ago from which he never recovered.

Deceased was a native of Massachusetts, born July 19th. 1843 and was married to Miss Ellen Calkins in 1866, coming to Blair in 1881 where they resided until after Mrs. Palmer’s death in 1902. Two children, Carl, a dentist in Philadelphia, and Mrs. Clark Allen of this city are surviving family relatives.

“Dentist Palmer” and his wife were most excellent people and had hosts of admiring friends in Blair and vicinity.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file at the Blair Public Library.~~~