Eileen (Nordahl) Palmore

Eileen Palmore passed away peacefully on the morning of May 3, 2022 at the youthful age of 97 at Ave Maria SMP in Jamestown, ND of natural causes.

Eileen Ardyce was born November 19, 1925 to Stanley and Lucy (Kreis) Nordahl. She had four siblings: older sister Delores Barton, younger brothers LeRoy and John Nordahl, and younger sister Dorene Brandenburger.

She attended and graduated from Monango High School. She then moved to Bismarck where she attended and graduated from business college. After graduation she moved to Hollywood, CA.

Shortly after moving to California, she met and married Carl Palmore on November 11, 1945. They had many years of a wonderful married life together. After a few years there they moved to Plano, TX before eventually settling in Houston for most of their life. Carl passed in 1993 after 48 years together.

She started her long and glass ceiling-breaking career at a Signal Oil subsidiary in 1945 before transitioning to Signal Oil as the Secretary to the Accounting Manager. She was with Signal Oil for twenty years, working her way into the financial staff before assisting in the transition to Humble Oil in 1967 and later Exxon Oil in 1973.

At Exxon she proved herself tenacious, determined and incredibly qualified. She built her career from Financial Analyst to Senior Financial Analyst in Exxon’s Pacific and Western Regions before retiring as Senior Marketing Analyst for Fuels Pricing. She retired on August 1, 1992, at the age of 68, incredibly proud of what she achieved for herself and other women in the oil industry. A key point of pride for Eileen was never taking a sick day in her 45-year career!

She was later remarried to Bert Lee at Cypress Creek Christian Church in Spring, Texas on April 2, 2005 by their close friend Pastor Bud Habel. They lived a fun and fulfilled year together before Bert was called Home on April 22, 2006.

As an active member Cyprus Creek Christian Church, she rarely missed a service and starred in more than twenty, three-act plays put on by the church. She often joked of the (mostly) friendly competition that ensued among the congregation when a new play was announced.

Always ensuring she was active in the community, Eileen served as President on her local water board for 13 years, assuming Carl’s position after his passing.

In 2017 she moved back to North Dakota at Eventide Assisted Living to be closer to family. There she made many friends, attended chapel regularly and tried to keep warm from the, newly rediscovered, cold.

She was an avid animal lover with numerous dogs, cats, and birds throughout her life.

Her outgoing personality, love of animals and travel, and determination to make the most of every aspect of her life will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

She is survived by her sister-in-law Karen (LeRoy) Nordahl, Silver Springs, MD; brother-in-law Robert (Dorene) Brandenburger, Merricourt, ND; stepdaughter Leora (John) Bean and her loving family, Cypress, TX; nieces and nephew, Janice Kern, Glendale, CA; Nancy Allen, Jamestown, ND; Connie (Denny) Ova, Cleveland, ND; Bryan (Iva) Brandenburger, Merricourt, ND; Kristi Brandenburger, Ellendale, ND; and several great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Carl and Bert, her parents, Stanley and Lucy, two brothers, LeRoy and John and two sisters, Delores and Dorene.

Funeral Service: 10:30 AM, Saturday, May 7, 2022 at Eddy Funeral Home with Pastor Bob Hoekstra to officiate.

Burial: Ellendale Cemetery, Ellendale, North Dakota.

Arrangements are in the care of Eddy Funeral Home.

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