Leonard Palmer

Leonard L. Palmer, age 67, Clark, died peacefully in his home at Clark on Sunday morning, February 4, 2018 after a long illness due to heart complications due to COPD.

A memorial visitation will be held beginning at 4PM on Friday, February 9, 2018 with a brief Celebration of Life service at 7PM all in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark.  Hospice Chaplain John Miles will officiate.  A fellowship time will follow in the funeral home reception room.  Burial will be private in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark.

He was born Leonard Lee Palmer on June 3, 1950 in Clark, the son of Willis and Vida (Cypher) Palmer.  Leonard attended school in Groton before moving to Nebraska, living with his sister, working in the landscape business laying sod.  He returned to South Dakota and worked for Gray Construction.

Leonard met Donna Coan and later married on August 19, 1967 at Watertown.  He worked for Owens Painting in Watertown doing professional house painting.  Later he moved to Clark and worked for Boss Construction and then later opened and operated Palmer's Home Building & Remodeling.  He operated that for several years until he went to work for RMR Industry in Watertown.

In 1994 he donated one of his kidney's to his son, Jerry.  Leonard worked part time for Boss Construction, retiring later due to health issues.  Leonard was known in the area for being a great finishing carpenter and also at finishing concrete.  He enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing pinochle, and camping for the past couple of years.  Leonard had a big woodworking shop that he enjoyed spending time in.  Another favorite pastime of his was having coffee downtown and spending time with family, especially his children and grandchildren.

Preceding him in death were his parents, a sister, Beatrice (Duane) Bigley, and a brother-in-law, George Kuwamoto, and a sister-in-law, Janice Palmer.

Survivors include his wife Donna of Clark, sons, Jerry L. (Anne) Palmer and his children, Chantel (Steven) McCoy and son, Castiel McCoy and Brandon L. Palmer; and Dean J. (Bobbie) Palmer of Clark and children, Samuel J. Palmer, Traci (Jim Stocker) and daughter Cloe, Sara (Gene) Beynon and children, Malia and Colton; siblings, Willis "Bill" Palmer, Sr. of Ortley, Roy G. (Susan) Palmer of Brookings, SD and Hattie Kuwamoto of Lincoln, NE.

The Furness Funeral Home at Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com