Palmer Lia, of Montevideo and formerly of Milan, died on Thursday, July 31, 2014 at the Luther Haven Nursing Home at the age of 92. Funeral services will be conducted on Monday, August 4, 2014 at 1:00 P.M. at Kviteseid Lutheran Church in Milan with Rev. Kristine Isder officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday afternoon from 4 - 6 P.M. at the Anderson-TeBeest Funeral Home in Montevideo and for one hour prior to the services at the church on Monday.
G. Palmer Lia was born on April 25, 1922 in near Milan, MN to Ole and Marie (Ulstad) Lia. He was baptized and confirmed at Kviteseid Lutheran Church. He attended school in District 50 and later completed his high school education. In 1938 he started farming with his father, and took over running the family farm and caring for his younger siblings when his Dad died in 1944 and his mother in 1945. On September 21, 1946 he was united in marriage to Dolores Haff at the Methodist Church in Montevideo, and to this union a son, Mark was born in 1951. He started farming with Mark in 1972 and they became partners in 1974. He retired from farming in 1988, but continued to enjoy being on and visiting the farm. He was a school board member for six years, served on the Madison Lutheran Home Board for six years and was a county ditch viewer for ten years. He worked as a custodian at the Montevideo and Milan Schools for three years and drove school bus and vans for five years. He enjoyed driving around, visiting the farm, visiting with people, telling jokes and laughing, traveling, playing pool and cards, and especially all of his grandchildren and keeping up with their activities.
He is survived by a daughter-in-law, Kim Molden of Milan; three grandchildren: Chris (and Jessie) Lia of Alberta, MN; Cheryl (and Ryan) Erp of Milan; and Crystal (and Craig) Steffen of Raymond, MN; seven great grandchildren: Kaylee, Brianna and Braden Lia, Mason and Thatcher Erp and Paige and Jax Steffen; a brother, Milo (and Lois) Lia of Victoria, MN; and a number of nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Dolores in 2009; his son, Mark in 2001; two sister: Clarice Bates and Arlys (DeVries) Olson; and a brother, Ole Ronald in infancy.