Palmer turns 110 today

Divine Providence resident among the state's oldest citizens

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- Divine Providence Community Home resident Elsie Palmer turns 110 years old today.

In some ways, life then was like it is now. In other ways, it is much different now.

The front page of the Jan. 24, 1894 New Ulm Review featured a story about a masquerade ball at Turner Hall that drew a large audience. Newspaper ads promoted Dr. E.C. West's Nerve and Brain Treatment. Another ad stated that women will vote in the next school election and that they'll give a unanimous vote any day of the week for Kirk's White Russian Soap.

Using a walker, Palmer uses her own power to get to 7:30 a.m. nursing home mass each day where she sings and says the rosary. Palmer still enjoys reading.

She didn't move into the nursing home until she was 99. Six years later, she fell and broke her hip.

The eighth of 14 children, she was born to Joseph and Hannah Biebl who homesteaded the family farm near St. George. The Henderson to Fort Ridgely Trail crosses through the farm. Elsie's nephew Davis Biebl still grows corn and beans on the original family farm.

Longevity is a family attribute. Two sisters reached 102. Others reached their 90s. A strong work ethic and religious sacrifices may have something to do with it.

As all her sisters did, Palmer studied and lived off the farm for a year at the New Ulm convent and Catholic school before she was confirmed at age 12.

Palmer was a live-in housemaid and seamstress for families prior to a wedding or other family event before she married World War I veteran Otto Palmer at age 32 in 1928.

The couple moved to Detroit where Otto worked for a truck hoist company until The Great Depression drew them back home to Fairfax. Otto worked as a janitor at St. Andrew's Catholic Church and at the church school.

Elsie was known for her great apple pies. She never smoked, drank or drove a motor vehicle.

Elsie and Otto's daughter Mary attended nursing school in St. Cloud. She worked as a nurse in St. Cloud and Denver before moving to California, which was where she wanted to end up.

Mary and her husband Jim Hoagland were among those that enjoyed Elsie's 110th birthday party Sunday at the nursing home. The Hoaglands now live in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Mary retired from nursing in 1995.

Mary said her mother got "pretty excited" at her birthday party Sunday, missing her nap that day. More than 40 people attended the party that is slowly growing each year.

Monday, Elsie seemed a bit tired as the Hoaglands dined with her at Divine Providence Home.

Elsie Palmer is believed to be among the oldest citizens in Minnesota.

"It seems nobody knows anybody older in the state right now," Mary said.

According to the 2000 census, there were 1,044 citizens that said they were 100 or older. Only 19 people said they were 110 or older. Just one percent of the U.S. population is age 95 or older. There were 20.6 million women age 65 or older and 14.4 million men age 65 or older.