A tribute to Crownpoint's Palmer family

Crownpoint has always been a remote town nestled between mesas with local Navajo families living in the community and scattered throughout the area. Gallup was a 50-minute drive for food and goods but the little store of "Palmers" made life more convenient for many Navajo families in the area.

Palmers store was centrally located and was always bustling with business with local people driving to and from the store. A quick trip to the store to buy needed items was handy but it was also a meeting place for the locals and this made life interesting.

Many locals became friends with Bill and Lavone Palmer, who became pillars in the community.

The couple began their life together on June 15, 1945, when they were married in Seattle. Bill was still in the service at the time of their marriage and served in the Pacific aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6) during World War II. During that period Lavone remained on the reservation operating a trading post for her father.

Kirtland beginnings

Bill was born in Kirtland, N.M., on Nov. 9, 1924, and was the son of Asael (Ace) and Lois (Foutz) Palmer. He grew up in Kirtland on a dairy farm run by his family and he spent a great deal of his time in Sweetwater, Ariz., where his dad owned a trading post.

Lavone was born in Kirtland on May 23, 1924, to Karl and Ruth (Biggs) Ashcroft. She grew up in Kirtland and at various trading posts throughout the reservation including Greasewood Springs, Ariz., Rock Point, Ariz., Round Rock, Ariz., Hunters Point, Ariz., Sheep Springs, N.M., Bisti, N.M., Kirtland, White Rock, N.M., and Tsaya, N.M.

Bill and Lavone began their life in Kirtland while Bill worked with his father and was a partner for a short time in a flour mill in Kirtland.

They took up joint careers in trading at the Bisti Trading Post around 1948. From that time forward they were lifetime business partners as well as husband and wife.

Bill and Lavone left Bisti and bought the trading post at White Horse Lake, N.M., in 1953. During this period they also purchased the trading post at Chopo, N.M., but sold it after a short time.

They sold White Horse Lake Trading Post in 1953, and bought a trading post in Crownpoint, renaming it "Palmer Mercantile."

During this period they began quite a business expansion and just after buying the Crownpoint store, they also bought Dunn Mercantile in Fort Defiance and Sawmill Trading.

Making friends

Running the trading posts was a busy life for the partners but nonetheless it was a welcome life with new and old friendships developed over the years.

Bill and Lavone bought a new house in Gallup but discovered they were too spread out and they didn't care for living in the busy town. They sold the house after a year and moved back to Crownpoint.

They sold Sawmill Trading and hired Al and Ivy Ashcroft to run Dunn Mercantile. Their fifth child, Jacqueline, was born Sept. 2, 1957, in Gallup. Lavone was very ill during this pregnancy and was bedridden nearly the entire term but fortunately she recovered and regained her health.

In about 1958, they bought Dalton Pass Trading Post west of Crownpoint and Al and Ivy moved to run it and the Palmers moved to Fort Defiance. Tom and Joyce Hoyt were hired to run the Crownpoint Trading Post.

While at Fort Defiance, their sixth child, Patricia, was born on Jan. 5, 1960, in Gallup.

Sadly, Lavone contracted tuberculosis while at Fort Defiance and nearly died which was a very unsettling experience for all of her friends and family, especially the children.

The children were not allowed to visit their mother in the hospital, but they stood across the lawn on the other side of the fence and talked through the window of her hospital room.

In 1964 the Palmers moved back to Crownpoint. Lavone ran the Crownpoint Trading Post and Bill ran the Dunn Mercantile for a short time until Dunn Mercantile was sold.

Dalton Pass Trading Post eventually went out of business and Al and Ivy came to work in Crownpoint. They built a Chevron gas station, a car wash and a trailer park in addition to the store in Crownpoint.

While at Crownpoint the Palmer's financed the establishment of a restaurant, which was successful, but they never recouped their investment. It was known as the café where locals went for hamburgers, ice cream cones or fountain drinks.

Fluent in Navajo

Bill and Lavone both spoke the Navajo language, but Lavone was especially fluent. They both possessed a deep respect and love for the Navajos and a sense of personal and business integrity learned from their fathers who they emulated greatly.

Lavone established the Crownpoint Rug Weavers Association and rug auction as a method for the Navajo weavers to obtain better prices for their rugs. The rug auction continues to this day and has become internationally known with visitors from all over the Untied States and Internationally.

It was a sad day for the community when Palmer Mercantile burned down in 1971. It was a loss for the community as people sadly watched their local store burn down to rubble with its rich memories.

After this unfortunate turn of events, Crownpoint Trading was refurbished and renamed Palmer Mercantile.

Unfortunately, Lavone passed away in July of 1978 in Crownpoint.

A pillar in the community of Crownpoint passed away and the loss was felt throughout the area with people recalling all the wonderful things Lavone accomplished in her life among the Navajo people.

Her funeral was attended by hundreds of Navajos, in addition to many of her beloved friends and family.

Later years

In later years, Bill married Beverly Maldando of Gallup. He and Beverly ran Palmer Mercantile until 1986, when the store was sold to Phil Foutz.

Bill and Beverly moved to Kirtland to live in a new house built on a piece of land on the old Palmer home site.

Bill passed away in January 1997 at the age of 72 after successful years of running his trading posts on the Navajo Reservation.

Bill and Lavone have made numerous contributions to the community of Crownpoint and they are well known in the area. He and Lavone are buried in the family plot in Kirtland.

The children of Bill and Lavone have moved on and have graced the Palmer name with new grandchildren who will carry on the well-known name.

In later years, Palmer Mercantile burned down under suspicious circumstances after Bill sold it in 1986. Dalton Pass Trading and Dunn Mercantile in Fort Defiance were destroyed by fire set by vandals, and Bisti Trading burned in the late 60s or early 70s.

The trading post era seems to have come and gone with all of the good people who worked tirelessly to run the store to provide services to many Navajo families.

The Palmers became family to the community of Crownpoint as their name continues to live on. The Crownpoint community is fortunate to have known the Palmer family and appreciates the kindness they exhibited to the community members.

 

Stuart Palmer is the one of Willard "Bill" A. and Lavone Palmer's sons. Perry is a Crownpoint resident and historian.

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