Lucille Palmer


Lucille Iva Palmer, the daughter of Harmon and Verda (Carmack) Lewis, was born on February 25, 1926 and died December 21, 2012 at the Oakland Manor Nursing Home in Oakland, at the age of 86 years, 9 months, and 26 days.


Lucille attended school at Oakland and upon graduating from the eighth grade, she went to work as a hired girl for several families. At the age of 17, she went to work for the Martin Bomber Plant in Omaha. She married Melvin Palmer on January 15, 1946 and together they raised six children. She farmed with her husband and in 1966 when went to work for Oakland manor as a CNA, where she continued for 26 years, until her retirement in 1992. During this time she proudly earned her GED.
She loved reading, gardening, playing cards, and was an active member of the Oakland Senior Center. Lucille and Melvin celebrated 56 years of marriage before his death in 2001.


Preceding her in death were her husband, Melvin; her sons Phillip in 1991 and Terry in 2007; her grandson T.J. Palmer, Jr.; her granddaughter Sheila Palmer; her brother Jack Lewis; and her sister Anna Mae Bennett.


Survivors include her sons: Lorin Palmer of Oakland, IA and Randy Palmer and wife Nancy of Council Bluffs, IA; her daughters Connie Beckman and husband Dennis of Crescent, IA, and Beverly Kemmerling and husband Robert of Thousand Oaks, CA; her daughters-in-law Glenda Palmer of Oakland, IA and Chris Palmer of Omaha, NE; 10 grandchildren; 17 great grandchildren; 3 great great grandchildren; her brother Joe Lewis and wife Wilma of Carson; and many nieces and nephews.


Graveside services will be held on Monday, December 24, 2012 at 10:00 AM at the Oaklawn Cemetery at Oakland. Visitation with the family will be on Sunday from 2-4 PM at the Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland. Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland is in charge of arrangements.