The Gregory the Great Window was located in the Gospel side aisle at St. Mark’s. It is now located in the St. Mark’s Chapel.
The window was given in memory of Captain Edward Frederick “Ned” Palmer USCGS by Dee Palmer.
The Gregory the Great window designed by Cummings Glass Studio, San Francisco and cost $1,815. Thewind ow was originally 27″ x 92″, but was made smaller when moved to St. Mark’s Chapel. It was made in 1968, dedicated in 1969 and moved to the Chapel in 1994.
Captain Edward Frederick “Ned” Palmer was the second of seven children of Frank Willy and Mary Palmer. Ned’s father, Frank, worked mostly in the lumber mills, and then eventually ran the company store for the Ann Arbor railway (County Patriot). It was a comfortable living and the Palmer’s were a prosperous well-known family in Frankfort. In 1910 Ned was 19, still living with his family and working as a Marine Fireman (Frankfort is located on the shores of Lake Michigan) (US Census). Ned then left for New London, Connecticut to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and graduated in 1915 (Palo Alto Times).
Around 1919, Edward met the beautiful Daisy B. “Dee” Clark. Dee Clark grew up in Tehachapi, California and was the daughter of David and Annie Clark, best known in San Pedro and Tehachapi for their “meat markets located in various parts of the town” (News-Pilot). It’s not exactly clear how Dee and Ned met, but the San Pedro paper noted in July of 1919 that Miss Daisy Clark, accompanied by her mother, was traveling via the Southern Pacific train to Wilmington, North Carolina to “become the bride of Lieutenant Edward Palmer” (News Pilot). The article noted that Ned was stationed on one of the coast guard cutters on the Atlantic Coast. Probably the pair met when Ned’s ship visited San Pedro. This was a World War I wedding, and only the bride’s mother was able to attend, but 25 of her friends did throw her a party before she left where she received “many beautiful gifts” and “home-made cake and ice cream was served” (News-Pilot). On August 2,1919 Ned and Dee were married at St. Mary’s Cathedral in North Hanover, North Carolina.
In 1920, Ned and Dee lived in Pensacola, Florida where he worked as an engineer at the naval yard (1920 Census). Ned then continued his training at the US Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, graduating with the class of 1922 (Palo Alto Times). In 1925 they lived in Richmond, New York where Ned was a Lt. Commander in the Coast Guard (New York Census).
And this was the pattern of their life. In 1930 they were still in Richmond, New York (US Census). In 1934 they were in Oakland, California (US City Directories). In 1935, they were in Evanston, Illinois (US Census) where Ned was the chief engineer of the Chicago District for the Coast Guard (Palo Alto Times). During World War II, Ned was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida where he was a Commissions Officer for the US Coast Guard (US Census). In 1944, after the War, Ned retired and he and Dee moved to California where he was affiliated with the Twelfth Naval District Coast Guard office in San Francisco. Around 1954, they bought a brand new house on Creekside Drive in Palo Alto and became members of St. Mark’s.
By 1956 when he died, 65 year old Captain Edward Franklin Palmer was a retired Coast Guard officer with over 30 years service. He is buried at Golden Gate Cemetery in San Bruno, CA (Find A Grave).
Dee and Ned did not have any children. Dee lived until 1990 and 34 years after he died, was buried with Ned at Golden Gate Cemetery. She is remembered by many at St. Mark’s. Dee gave the Gregory the Great window in memory of Ned in 1968. This window was originally in the Gospel side Chapel at St. Mark’s. It was moved to St. Mark’s Chapel during the 1994 remodel.
