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Gerald Don "Beef" Palmer
Martin, SD
Gerald Don "Beef" Palmer was born September 27, 1934 in Martin, SD to Vernald and Charlotte Palmer. Over the years he gained the nickname of "Beef" and basically all his friends and colleagues would address him by this name rather than his given name.
During his school years he enjoyed playing football and his hobbies included hunting and fishing and helping his dad on the farm. After graduation he attended and completed Auctioneer School in Mason City, Iowa. He then went on to auction at various sale barns within his home and surrounding areas.
On August 24, 1957 he married Carol Bettcher and they made their home on a farm East of Martin, SD where they ranched and raised 6 children (Tim, Patty, Susan, Sharla, Penny and Tracee). Of course over his life his family grew and he gained grandkids and great grandkids; all of whom he doted on and spoiled. He would ask them "want to go to the sale barn?" this is how he instilled all of the knowledge of cattle and livestock to his grandkids, by letting them tag along.
Over the years he ran Palmer Trucking where hauling cattle was the main endeavor, but his main occupation and joy was being a cattle order buyer, Buyer #5. From the minute he got up to when he went to bed he was on the phone talking to individuals about their wants and needs. In his early years he went to sales 6 days a week but as he got older he cut back to 5 days. He traveled to the South Dakota and Nebraska auction barns. From the Northern Hills area (St Onge, Belle Fourche, Sturgis) to the Nebraska area (Crawford, Rushville, Gordon) and local surrounding area (Burke and Martin Livestock). No matter the weather he was definitely committed to doing what he loved and traveled each day and stayed until the last cow sold.
The "first" time Beef set foot in a sale barn was the original Martin Livestock Auction in Martin, SD in 1953 at the age of 19. Although his order buyer occupation didn't start until 1958. The last time was in 2018 at the age of 84 which makes his career of being an order buyer an impressive, 60 years.
As far as a cattle order buyer, you can ask anyone at the sale barn, he was a legacy. #5 was his buyer number and the amount of livestock bought under that number throughout his career was way too many to count. He could figure in his head quicker than you could run a calculator.
One testimonial from a client "Beef bought several thousand cows for me over about 18 years, I never could decide if he was a walking computer or a mathematical genius, I could ask him how many cows he had bought for me that day and he could tell me how many and what they weighed and what the average cost was. And he did it all from his mind. In all the years I knew him he never wrote anything down, although he would buy for several customers at a time, he knew exactly the figures for each of his purchasers." Another testimonial "There should be a cattle buyers hall of fame and the entrance should be based on his dedication, Beef was 100% dedicated."
Gerald "Beef" Palmer passed away January 17, 2019 at the age of 84. The day he was admitted into the hospital for his illness he was at the Martin Livestock weekly sale doing what he loved to do, buying cattle for his customers. His funeral service was held at the Martin Livestock Sale Ring, which seemed fitting as the Sale Ring and friends were as much a part of his life and family as his own was. The #5 buyer's number has since been retired at his circuit of sale barns in honor of his legacy of a cattle buyer.