Joseph Parmer

Joseph T. Parmer, 82, of Fargo, ND, died Tuesday, May 1, 2007, at Rosewood on Broadway. Joseph Theodore Parmer was born September 2, 1924, to Joseph and Thea (Bakke) Parmer in Pekin, ND. After graduating from high school in Pekin, he bought the local gas station, which he owned for a short time until he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp. He served during World War II and after his discharge, he moved to Fargo to attend Interstate Business College. In 1946, he married the love of his life, Carol Fauteck. After graduating from college, he started his career at Hector Airport with the position of Assistant Airport Manager. He became the manager and, ultimately, the Fargo Airport Authority Executive Director. His career spanned nearly 50 years, where he saw the airport grow from a small building in the southeast corner to its present facility. He worked with other city leaders in getting grants and funding to expand the airport and runway system. He was an honorary life member of the American Association of Airport Executives. He was a life member of American Legion Post #2 and Commander in 1959. He was also a member of VFW, Lions Club and First Lutheran Church in Fargo. He was the business manager of Post 2 baseball for 55 years, where he saw thousands of young men play baseball under his guidance. He was a force in getting Jack Williams Stadium built with the first games being played in 1966. He was instrumental in getting the Regional Baseball Tournament to Fargo, twice, and the World Series, three times. He and other volunteers put Fargo on the baseball map for all to see. In 1983, he was inducted into the North Dakota American Legion Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the inaugural class of the Fargo American Legion Hall of Fame, inducted in 2006. Joe touched many lives in the airport business, city business and baseball circles. If you met Joe, you could not forget him. He is survived by three sons, Robert (Beverly) Grand Forks, ND; Stephen (Barbara); Bruce, both Fargo; a daughter, Cynthia, Fargo; two brothers, Levi (Ruth), Fargo; Dwayne (Lou), Beaverton, OR; a sister, Viola McDonald, Seattle, WA; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Carol, of 61 years; two brothers, Warren and Russ; a sister, Thelma Guerke; and a daughter-in-law, Paula Parmer. In lieu of flowers, all memorials will be directed to American Legion Post 2 Baseball or First Lutheran Church. Funeral Services: Saturday, May 5, 2007, at 10 AM, at First Lutheran Church, Fargo, ND. Visitation: Friday, May 4, 2007, from 5-7 PM, at Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home, Fargo, ND, with a Prayer Service at 7 PM. Burial: Riverside Cemetery, Fargo, ND.