Jean Palmer

Jean L. Palmer of Forest died peacefully on December 23rd with both children at her bedside. Memorial services will be held on Monday, December 27th at Forest Baptist Church at 11 a.m. with visitation beginning at 9:30 at Trinity Hall of the Church.

Jean Luedke Palmer was born to Ruth Frances Crook Luedke and William Theodore Luedke, Jr. on January 8, 1930 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin and was reared in the nearby city of Clintonville. She was graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1951 where she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Always with a love for travel and adventure, she spent college summers working at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Upon graduation she joined the American Red Cross where her first assignment was Osaka, Japan. When the Korean War ended she assisted with the prisoner exchange “Operation Big Switch” in South Korea. While serving in the Red Cross she met her future husband, Charles W. Palmer, at Camp Chaffee in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The two were married in her hometown of Clintonville in 1955.

Mrs. Palmer quickly became immersed in the activities of Forest. She taught speech at Forest Elementary School for several years before devoting her full attention to homemaking and the upbringing of her children. Having been brought up Methodist, she joined her husband at Forest Baptist Church where she taught the five-year-old Sunday School class for 27 years before becoming an active member of the Jo Lackey class. She served as president of the Forest Baptist Church WMU and was an originator of the church senior exercise program, Body Recall - later Fabulous Fitness, having been its first certified instructor. In recent years, it gave her much joy to be an associate member of Oxford-University Methodist Church.

Mrs. Palmer was a long- time member of the Forest Garden Club, serving as its president and was a Life Member of The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc. She was actively involved in scouting and had served on the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi. One of her favorite activities was Sewing Club, a monthly luncheon group of ten ladies who met for over 30 years, of which she was the last surviving member. In recent years she enjoyed weekly bridge games. Always the consummate hostess, her home in Forest was the setting for countless events over the past 60 years. She particularly enjoyed entertaining brides and hosting wedding functions. She and her husband were selected as Citizens of the Year for Forest in 2004.

To say Mrs. Palmer was a sports enthusiast would be an understatement. Her father was an original season-ticket holder of the Green Bay Packers – Green Bay is near her hometown of Clintonville. She was a big fan of the Chicago Cubs and enjoyed trips to Wrigley Field. She also adopted Ole Miss, her husband’s alma mater, and became an avid Rebel. In their latter years, she and her husband spent a considerable amount of time at their Oxford home and attended many sporting and cultural events at the University. In her younger years she was a competitive tennis player and especially enjoyed mixed-doubles with partner, Judge Tom Lee. She and her husband combined their passion of tennis and travel attending the U.S. Open in New York for 20 years with “Slew’s Crew,” a group from River Hills Tennis Club in Jackson. They also went to the French Open, Wimbledon and several Davis Cup events.

Mrs. Palmer will always be remembered for her love of God, her generosity of spirit and her love of family and friends. She would want everyone to know that she felt fortunate and blessed to have lived such a long and wonderful life as her profound faith in God sustained and guided her daily.

Survivors include her son Eric Scott Palmer of Forest, her daughter and son-in-law Carol Palmer and William James Threadgill, Jr. of Tupelo, her grandson William James Threadgill, III and his wife and Amy and their children William James Threadgill, IV and Catherine Brady Threadgill of Memphis and her grandson Charles Webber Palmer Threadgill of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is also survived by her devoted friend and caregiver Ann Lyle as well as her beloved cat, Emma.

Memorials may be made to Forest Baptist Church, P. O. Box 338, Forest, MS 39074.

Services by OTT & LEE Funeral Home of Forest.

Telephone: (601) 469-3412