Jill Palmquist

Class of 1977

After 22 years of working in Fife, Washington as a teacher and middle school assistant principal, Jill Palmquist returned to finish out her career back where it all began in her hometown of Ephrata. She retired at the end of the 2012-13 school year as Ephrata Middle School principal.

Jill attended school in Ephrata for 12 years where “watching the teachers at Ephrata inspired her to work for a career in education”. She “couldn’t imagine any scenario where she would come back home to teach or finish her career”. After applying for and being hired as the Ephrata Middle School principal her former teachers joked that “it was appropriate for her to end up in the principal’s office because she spent so much time there while she was in school”. Jill’s decision to apply for the principal’s position was due in part to an agreement that she jokingly made with her late-father Ken Palmquist. The two made a hand-shaking deal that she would wrap up her education career by her mid-50s; she later made a decision to retire in Eastern Washington.

Principal Palmquist was very impressed while working with the staff at the middle school, referring to them as “fabulous, world-class teachers who make decisions with the best interest of the student in mind”. Further, “the teachers and aides are open to change, willing to try new ideas and hold kids to high standards”. The staff and students would agree that, Miss “P”, as she became affectionately known by some of her students, was indeed herself a world-class person and leader.

While a student at Ephrata High School Jill was active in the sports of basketball and track. During the 1976-77 basketball season she was the only senior on the team, leading the way in rebounding and was second in scoring. The girls basketball team, in its fourth year of league competition, finished with a 15-win, 5-loss season. The team qualified for state competition for the first time in the history of EHS.

1976-77 Varsity Basketball Team. Back row: Margo Myers, Nina Kuhlman, Marti Norfleet, Sharon Wiersma, Michele Ratigan, Laurie Carnevali, Sue Lund, and Sheila Palmer. Front row: Ann Kidston, Linda Bye, Jill Palmquist, and Teresa Smick.

During State Track and Field Competition in 1976 Jill was 6th in the discus throw at 106’ 11”. She improved in 1977 for a throw of 124’ 5”; winning the state championship award. In 1977 she also placed 4th in the shot put with a distance of 39’ 4”. In George Smether’s book on Ephrata High School track and field school records she ranks third all-time in both the shot put and discus events.

Note: Principal Palmquist’s replacement is Ken Murray, EHS Class of 1995. Another EHS graduate, Scott Monson, Class of 1980, is principal at Ephrata’s Columbia Ridge Elementary School.


© 2014 - Ephrata Alumni Association
Ephrata High School, 333 4th Avenue NW, Ephrata, Washington 98823