Lydia Jennie Palmer
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. -- Lydia J. Palmer,
94, formerly of Newton, died Tuesday (Jan. 21, 2003) at Paoli
Hospital in Paoli, Pa. She was born Jan. 20, 1909, to Abraham S. and
Elizabeth (Riffel) Bergen in Buhler. They preceded her in death. She
married Henry Alonzo "Steve" Palmer Nov. 5, 1945, in
Hutchinson. He preceded her in death Feb. 19, 1989. Her childhood was
spent in Buhler, Lyons and Newton until 1937 when she moved to
Wichita. During World War II, she worked as a welder at Cessna
Aircraft. She then became a Prudential Insurance Agent. In the early
1950s, she moved to Mountain Grove, MO., where she owned and operated
a bowling alley and cafe. Moving to Norman, Okla., in the early
1970s, she managed a Dairy Queen. In the late 1970s she moved to
Newton and managed the Quick Fill. In 2002, she moved to Newtown
Square, Pa., to live with a granddaughter. She enjoyed gospel singing
and playing the piano with the Four Generations Family music group,
which traveled to area churches and nursing homes to perform. She was
a member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Newton.
Survivors include: a son, Gene Palmer
of Valley Center; a daughter, Doris Williams of Chickasha, Okla.;
three step-sons, Lonnie Palmer of Salinas, Calif., Sterling Palmer of
Newton and Gary Palmer of Kingman; two stepdaughters, Carol Jewell
Palmer of Newton and Jacquelin Russell of Kingman, Ariz.; two
brothers, Harold Bergen of Henderson, Colo., and Ernest Bergen of
Illinois; three sisters, Pauline Woolery of Tennessee, Edith Brown of
Kansas City, Kan., and Verna Frey of Mesa, Ariz.; 11 grandchildren;
26 great-grandchildren; 18 great-great-grandchildren; 16
step-grandchildren; 12 step-great-grandchildren; and four
step-great-great-grandchildren.
She also was preceded in death by: a
stepson, Orville Palmer; a daughter, Barbara Watson; a brother, Eldo
Bergen; and two grandsons, Robert L Palmer and David Watson.
Visitation will be from 9 a. m. to 9 p.
m. Friday with family greeting friends from 7 to 8:30 p. m. at
Broadway Colonial Funeral Home. Funeral service will be 11 a. m.
Saturday at First Church of the Nazarene with Pastor Bernie Dickson
officiating.
Burial will be in Restlawn Gardens of
Memory in Newton.
Memorials have been established with
the Music Department of the First Church of the Nazarene in care of
the funeral home.
