Charles Fredrick Palmgren, 72, of Geneseo, passed away on Sunday September 19, 2021, at Genesis Hospital – East Campus, Davenport, IA. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at Vandemore Funeral Homes & Crematory – Geneseo Chapel. Reverend Dwayne Brothers will officiate. A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, September 24, 2021, at the funeral home. Cremation rites will be accorded following the services. Memorials may be directed to the Charles F. Palmgren Memorial Fund.
Charles was born on April 25, 1949, the son of Wayne and Ruth (Meissner) Palmgren, in Moline, IL. He graduated from JD Darnall High School, class of 1967. He married Karen Farnum (Wendhausen) on October 22, 2005. She preceded him in death on September 6, 2013. He married Lori Claeys at a service held in Florida, March 21, 2014. He was employed as a union painter with James A. Smith Painting, retiring in 2016. He enjoyed spending time with family and his dog, Luci Lu, and cat, Charlie Ann. How do you say goodbye to someone you love and cherish? Charles was all heart, a hard worker and loved to joke. He was a blessing to the lives he touched. An avid outdoorsman, he loved fishing and the lake. A Scout in his youth, his love for the outdoors spanned a lifetime. It was demonstrated through his involvement with the Izaak Walton League, both locally as well as the state level serving as President of the Illinois Division. He also served as a trustee of Cole Cabin. He loved fishing and the spending time at the lake. He was a Marine, who served his country and a member of the Masonic order. He was very active with volunteer work, with Christmas in April, APRIS reading service for the visually impaired at WVIK. He contributed to Operation Christmas Child and Iowa Public Television. He was a Regional representative for the International Union of Painters & Allied Trades. Also serving as Treasurer for a time. He will be dearly missed.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Lori, Geneseo, IL; children, Lynn (Nick Arestopoulos) Palmgren, Oak Park, IL, Brad (Megan) Palmgren, Clive, IA, and Sarah Farnum, Davenport, IA; grandchildren, Audrey, Charlotte, Christian, and Alexander Palmgren, and Vasili Arestopoulos; and sister, Marcia (Bill) Fleming, Geneseo, IL.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Ruth; and his wife, Karen.