Marjorie Clara PALMER

Marjorie Clara “Marge” PALMER, 104, of Warsaw, NY, formerly of Belfast, passed away peacefully in her sleep on November 29, 2021 at the Wyoming County Skilled Nursing Home. She was born in the hamlet of Fairview, Town of Centerville, on October 7, 1917. She attended a one-room school and graduated High School in Farmersville. She loved to learn, and she loved to read, being a frequent visitor at the Belfast Library. She continued to read the Buffalo News every day, even after turning 104.

Marjorie married Everett Lee Palmer on May 11, 1940, and they made Belfast their home, where son Ted was born in 1941. The family often traveled to Everett’s work sites in other parts of New York. They kept their home in Belfast, when they retired and planted a large vegetable garden. Marjorie loved her flowers and feeding the birds. She sewed and knitted beautifully, crafting countless pairs of mittens, doll clothing and innumerable hats. She and Everett were known for their generosity to the people of Belfast.

She and Everett traveled frequently, wintering in Gulfport, Mississippi, and traveling through the Southwest. They loved to travel on back roads. A copious collector, Marge loved going to garage sales and antique stores. She was always very proud of her bargains, especially when it came to glass pieces. It was always a family joke, “Look what I got for a quarter”.

Over the years, she wrote many letters to her son, grandchildren, and nieces, many of those on a manual typewriter. Her four grandchildren loved to visit, because Grandma was always willing to play pick-up-sticks and dominoes. Later, when her great-grandchildren began to visit, she would play the same games with them! She loved to bake cookies with the kids, providing so many wonderful memories of Grandma’s kitchen.  Marjorie was thrilled to find out she was having great-great-grandchildren, and one of her last questions was to ask about the ‘baby’; the youngest having been born just a few weeks prior to her passing. She was proud of her son's career as a New York State Trooper.

Marjorie had lived at the Wyoming County Skilled Nursing Home since 2018.  Her conversations were lively into her 100's. Confined to a wheelchair, she learned to be mobile. The pandemic confinement was especially hard. One day she had enough and took an unauthorized trip down the elevator to go outside in the sun. Her escape was thwarted in the lobby by a staff member. She promised not to do it again. Later the elevators were equipped with card key locks.

Her grandchildren have left a lasting legacy to the family name of Everett. One great-grandson bears the name Everett Reed, and another is Justin Everett. Justin’s son, her newest great-great-grandchild is Jonah Everett.

She lost her sisters when they were fairly young, but grew close to her nieces, and particularly enjoyed spending countless hours laughing with Cindy recounting tales of long-lost relatives and other stories of long ago. Marjorie’s memory was sharp throughout her life, and she astounded her family and friends with specific details about her early days. Having been raised in the Depression era, she always was careful of values.

In Belfast, she was a clerk at several retail stores through the years, was a member of the Belfast Historical Society, and was a frequent visitor to the Belfast Library. History and family genealogy was a passion of hers. A great, great grandfather, Jeremiah Frazier, was a Revolutionary War soldier documented by the DAR. Family lore is that he was captured by Indians but escaped to Canada. He eventually returned to New York.

Everett passed away in 2006, and Marge missed him for the next 15 years. She was predeceased by her parents, Alvenus and Clara Metcalf, as well as her sisters Loraine Hartman and Lavanche Parsons. She really leaves no one behind, because she lives on in all of our hearts. Surviving her are her son, Ted (Nancy) Palmer, grandchildren; Christine (Larry) Clagett, Scott Palmer (Chris Renner), Kerry Palmer (Kurt Sauer), and Ted (Martha) Palmer, great-grandchildren; Justin (Kayla) Klink, Talia Klink (Emily Vandercook), Rachell Dettra (Christian Dodd), Kellyn Norman, and Everett and Skye Palmer, great-great grandchildren; Emma and Jonah Klink. She also leaves her nieces and nephews, including Cynthia (Steve) Pearson, Linda (Bob) Adams, as well as several friends; Laura, Kathy, Sheree, Rick, and Jean, who continued to remember her through the difficult times in the past few years.

A memorial service will be held in the spring.

Burial will be in Freedom Cemetery, Freedom, NY.

Memorials may be made to the Belfast Public Library, 75 Main St, Belfast, NY 14711.

Arrangements are under the direction of Olney-Foust Funeral Homes & Cremation, Crowell Chapel, Wellsville, NY.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.wellsvillefuneralhome.com.