Gladys "Tootie" Palmer

Gladys Marie Palmer, affectionately known as “Tootie” came into this world on September 22, 1928, in Centertown, Missouri, the second youngest of thirteen children born to Ferdinand and Emma Rosa Haldiman Walter.

As a young girl, Tootie lived in several communities in central Missouri because her dad sharecropped at various farms in the area.  After graduating high school, Tootie enrolled in nursing school. A young man named E.A. Palmer had already caught her eye. In those days nursing students could not be married. As the story goes on, Tootie chose E.A. over a nursing career to become his beautiful bride.

On October 5, 1947, Tootie and E.A. were married at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Cole Camp.  On December 14, 1947, Tootie, with E.A.'s encouragement, was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran, which established a lifelong commitment to her church and church family.

The young couple moved to Kansas City where they started their new life. Soon they welcomed into their family their first baby, Pam, followed by their son, Dwight. While living in Kansas City, Tootie went to work for Swift, a bacon processing plant. At Swift during one evening shift she lost her wedding ring; the story does have a happy ending as E.A. came to help her & they miraculously found it packaged neatly, in perfect condition, in one of Tootie’s many packed packages.

Tootie and E.A. returned to central Missouri and settled in Stover, where they later welcomed Debbie, their third child.  While raising her family she also worked for Merle Strowmatt in Versailles, processing microfilm. As a seamstress she worked for the Levi Factory sewing perfect 1/4 in. jean seams and later at the Kipp’s Variety Store in Stover.

The Palmers joined St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Stover on April 13, 1958, and Tootie remained an active and faithful member until her health failed a few years ago.  She was a dedicated member of the LWML, participating in everything from mission work to running the LWML booth at the Missouri State Fair.  She also enjoyed  faithfully collecting, clipping and counting coupons to help raise funds to benefit her Lutheran school. Her faith was very important to her and was reflected in everything that she did.

Tootie loved life and was always ready to spend time with her family.  She was the first in the winter to take advantage of sledding down the hill on her makeshift “cookie sheet” sled with her grand-kids and great grand-kids to hanging out in the basement, where she was known to build ramps for them to enjoy.  She was always ready for the next adventure.  She loved the opportunity to travel, whether it was a short trip or a chance to go to drive herself to Texas to see her grand babies & greats that live there.

If you knew Tootie, you knew her home was a place where everyone felt welcome.  Whether it was enjoying a piece of her famous pie or just stopping in to visit, she was the perfect hostess and her generosity was evident in everything she did.

On Thursday afternoon, October 1, 2020, Tootie Palmer received the promise given to her at her baptism on that December day in 1947, when at St. Mary’s Health Center in Jefferson City, she was called home.

Those left to carry on her memory include her children and their spouses, Pam Taylor of Jefferson City; Dwight and Jeanette Palmer of Stover and Debbie and Mark Powell of Longview, Texas; her grandchildren and their spouses, Nikki and Ryan Atwood, Jessie and Travis Tindall, Nick and Katie Palmer, Julie and Josh Marriott, Lance and Starlia Skinner, Lindsey and Chris Miller, Logan and Kaylee Skinner, Erik and Natalie Powell and Scott and Shelby Powell, fifteen great grandchildren; a sister, Minnie Beemer of St. Joseph, along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Tootie was preceded in death by her husband E.A. on March 31, 2005, her parents, Ferdinand and Emma Walter, nine brothers, Norman, Emmett, Paul, Loyd, Lawrence, Roy, Raymond, Oscar and Alford Walter and two sisters, Lorene Henley, and baby Irene Walter.

The family will receive friends from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Sunday, October 4, at the Scrivner-Morrow Funeral Home in Stover with a prayer service beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, October 5, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stover with Pastor Gerald Kurka officiating.  Interment will be in the St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery in Stover.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Stover.

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Prayer Service Scrivner-Morrow Funeral Home-Stover Sunday, October 04, 2020 4:00 PM 204 W. 3rd St.
Stover, Missouri 65078

Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Paul's Lutheran School

Directions Visitation Scrivner-Morrow Funeral Home-Stover Sunday, October 04, 2020 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM 204 W. 3rd St.
Stover, Missouri 65078 Directions Funeral Service St. Paul's Lutheran Church- Stover Monday, October 05, 2020 10:30 AM 407 E Third St
Stover, mo 65078 Directions