Virginia Palm

virginia palm
Virginia (“Ginny”) Rose Huisman Presuhn Palm, age 94, a resident of Touchmark at Harwood Groves in Fargo, North Dakota, died on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021 at Touchmark at Harwood Groves in Fargo, North Dakota. Virginia was born on December 4th, 1926 to Margaret (Hoefs) and Meint Huisman near Bridgewater, South Dakota, the third of five children. After starting out at a one-room country school, she attended eighth grade at St. Stephen’s School in Bridgewater. She fondly recalled how a nun there taught her how to tap dance. She then attended public high school, graduating with honors in 1944. The friendships from these years lasted her entire life. During World War II, she was a pen pal with Clifford Presuhn, who was serving in the Pacific in the US Army. On May 1, 1946 they were married at Zion Lutheran Church in Bridgewater. They had three children: Robert Eugene, Randall Meint, and Victoria Rose. Divorced in 1976, she married Robert (“Bud”) Eric Palm on September 1, 1980 in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She spent many years in South Dakota, moving to Marion in 1950, and Lake Preston in 1955. In 1961 the family moved to Minnesota, living in Clarkfield until 1971, Fergus Falls until 1985, and Ashby until 1990. Returning to South Dakota, she lived in Rimrock Canyon (near Johnson Siding) in the Black Hills. After the death of her husband, in 1993 she moved to Sun City, Arizona, joining her friends from Bridgewater already living there. She moved to Fargo in 2010 to be near her daughter and her family. She had been employed as a secretary, bookkeeper, office manager, and as a drapery seamstress. Everywhere she lived, Virginia was active in the Lutheran Church, whether serving as organist, librarian, choir member or in Bible study groups. President of the American Lutheran Church Friends in Sun City, she also served as a leader in many other organizations, including PTA’s, Federated Women’s Clubs, the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts. Recognized as a Life member of both the American Legion Auxiliary of Ashby and of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary of Fergus Falls, she organized and participated in the American Heritage marching group there. She received numerous awards for her poetry and short stories and was a member of the Black Hills Writers Group, the Arizona State Poetry Association, and the Sun City Arizona Poetry Society. Her friends and relatives treasured the poems she wrote for birthdays and other special occasions. An outstanding cook, prodigious reader and accomplished pianist, she also enjoyed gardening, quilting, sewing, crocheting, leather tooling and other crafts. The scrap books she made for her children were a special treasure, as were those recounting her travels around the world. She inherited her father’s love of nature and had been an avid camper. Like her mother, she was always ready for a game of Scrabble. Virginia is survived by her son Robert and wife Deatra of Ridgefield, Washington, son Randall and husband Timothy Nguyen of San Jose, California, daughter Victoria and husband Paul Boese of Frontier, North Dakota, granddaughter , Corin Boese of Hanover, Minnesota, grandson Justin Boese and partner Briana White of Chicago, Illinois, great-grandson Rylin Rehm-Boese of Hanover, Minnesota, sister Margaret Joanne Edstrom and husband Dwight Edstrom of Rapid City, South Dakota, numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. She was preceded om death by her husbands, her parents, and her brothers Virgil, LaVerne, and Arlen. A memorial service will be held at Zion Lutheran Church in Bridgewater, South Dakota on a later date, followed by interment in the Bridgewater Cemetery and a reception at the church. Donations in her memory may be made to the South Dakota Parks & Wildlife Foundation.

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  1. She was a lovely, gracious woman who was easy to talk to and full of life. It was my pleaure to have met her.

  2. Virginia was a great woman, a true Christian and Lutheran, faithful, loyal, fun, and smart. A beautiful gift of God.


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