Ruth Gwaltney Palmer

Ruth Gwaltney Palmer For god so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 Ruth Gwaltney Palmer, 88, originally a native of Madison County, North Carolina, and a resident of the Brooks Howell Home of Asheville, North Carolina, since February, 2009, entered into her eternal rest on December 24, 2011. For the prior 30 years Mrs. Palmer was a resident of Candler, North Carolina. Born on May 28, 1923 in Marshall, North Carolina she was the daughter of the late Robert Lee and Alveda Anderson Gwaltney. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her brothers Thomas Gwaltney and Roy Lee Gwaltney, her sister Anna Katherine (Kate) Gwaltney Brown, several nieces and nephews, and her loving husband of 51 years, Lucius James Palmer. After graduating from Marshall High School in 1942 Mrs. Palmer attended the Women's College, now UNC – Greensboro, but her college education was interrupted by WWII. She moved to Charleston, SC where she was employed by the US Postal Service. It was here that she met her future husband, Lucius James Palmer who was in the Army Air Group stationed at the Charleston Army Air Base. Mr. Palmer served in the China-Burma-India theatre and was stationed at Agra, India. Mr. Palmer was discharged from the US Army-Air Force in early 1946, and he and Mrs. Palmer were married at the French Broad Methodist Church in Asheville on July 2nd, 1946. They moved to western New York State and resided in Dunkirk, NY for 32 years. During this time Mrs. Palmer was a full time homemaker and a devoted wife and mother. She was also an adult volunteer for the Girl Scouts. After retiring from the US Postal Service and following the record-breaking winter of 1977-78, Mr. and Mrs. Palmer left Dunkirk and moved to North Carolina where they resided in Candler. Mrs. Palmer continued her independent life at the same address following the death of her husband in 1997 until she moved to the Brooks Howell Home nearly 3 years ago. Mrs. Palmer was a member of Liberty Baptist Church, Candler, NC. She is survived by her son, Dr. David C. Palmer and wife E. Vicki Berryman, of Doylestown, PA, her daughter, Dr. Lesley Palmer Czochor and husband, Dr. Ronald Czochor of Garnet Valley, PA, granddaughters Jennifer Ruth Czochor, a graduate student at Yale University in New Haven, CT and Rebecca Jane Czochor, a student at The American University in Washington, DC, and several nieces and nephews. Honorary Pallbearers for Mrs. Palmer include her nephew, Jack Shorter, and family friends and former neighbors, Fred Ivey, Freddie Ivey, Mark Ivey, Sam King, and Dan Holder. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer will be especially remembered by the children from their Candler neighborhood as "Nanny" and "Pa" who watched out for them after school and were surrogate grandparents to all. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, Tuesday, December 27, at Groce Funeral Home, 1401 Patton Avenue, Asheville, NC. Interment will take place at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, December 28, at Pisgah View Memorial Park, Candler, NC. A memorial service will be held at 3:30 PM that afternoon in the Chapel at Brooks-Howell Home, 266 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville, NC, The family would especially like to thank the staff at the Brooks Howell Home for the compassionate care and kindness shown to Mrs. Palmer during her stay and also thank the many resident friends for their fellowship and enrichment of her life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Brooks-Howell Home, 266 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801, in memory of Mrs. Palmer.