Obituaries

Helen H. Palmer, age 88, was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. She left this world for her heavenly home on Tuesday, May 30, 2023.

Helen is survived by her beloved husband of 69 years, George Palmer, her loving son, Mark (Pamela) Palmer; grandsons David (Katelyn) Palmer and James (Gaëlle) Palmer; great-grandchildren Moïse, Brooke, and Jane; brother, Allan (Diana) Stout; and nieces and nephews. Helen was preceded in death by her son Larry, her parents, her sister Ruth Gardner, and her infant siblings Ellen, Bobby, and Mack.

She was born on September 13, 1934, the oldest child of Bedford and Laura (Mills) Stout in Baxter, Tennessee. She loved walking outdoors, plants and flowers, helping others, and talking about her family – a favorite pastime was to go hunting with her dad. Her Christian faith was central to her life growing up where she attended services at the Baxter Church of God. It was there that she became friends with the Palmer family and met her future husband, George.

After Helen graduated from Baxter Seminary (high school) in 1952, her family moved to Detroit, Michigan where she married George on Christmas day in 1953. The couple settled in Detroit where they began their family and later moved to Dearborn, Michigan where they stayed until retirement. Helen’s love of plants and flowers was expressed through many years of gardening and working in area floral shops, where she particularly enjoyed arranging flowers and making holiday decorations. She loved to read and write and would often send heartfelt cards and share books from her personal library. The home she and George shared is full of pictures of landscapes and light houses – a reflection of family trips around the Great Lakes and to the Great Smoky Mountains. She deeply loved her family and was so proud of all their accomplishments.

Helen and George finished out their years together in St. Charles, Illinois among friends at the Carriage Oaks Senior Living Community and the Sanctuary Assembly of God.

The family will greet friends from 2-4 PM at Yurs Funeral Home, 1771 W. State St, Geneva, Illinois on Sunday, June 4, followed by a memorial service at 4 PM with the Rev. Kurt Hermes officiating.

Helen will be buried in Cookeville, Tennessee at the Crest Lawn Memorial Cemetery. The family will gather again and greet friends prior to the burial at Crest Lawn Funeral Home, 800 W. Jackson Street,
Cookeville, Tennessee. Visiting hours will be held on June 9, 6-8 PM and June 10, 10-11 AM followed by a memorial service at 11 AM with the Rev. Daryl Kerce officiating.

The Palmer family would like to express their deep gratitude to the staff at Homecare Advantage for their attentiveness and loving care in Helen’s final years. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Helen’s name to The Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson’s Research – https://www.michaeljfox.org/, Sonset Solutions – https://sonsetsolutions.org/give/, or a charity of choice.

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