Bonnie S. Palmer

Published 9:43 pm Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Bonnie S. Palmer, 81, passed away peacefully on October 8, 2021.  She was born July 5, 1940, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to the late Walter A. and Sarah B. Smith.

Bonnie graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in teaching, which was the start of something she loved doing all of her life.  Long after she retired she always mentioned having dreams of being in the classroom teaching and how much she missed it.

In 1964 she married Bob Palmer and they spent over 30 years raising their daughters in Troy, Alabama.  In 2003, they built their dream home in the mountains of Brevard, North Carolina where they lived out the remainder of their lives.

Aside from her love of teaching, Bonnie loved people.  She always wanted to make people happy.  In Brevard she made and enjoyed many wonderful friends at the American Legion.  She also loved volunteering at the Shop of St. Philip’s in Brevard.  Folks might know her well because around Thanksgiving she made many, many loaves of pumpkin bread and handed them out to friends and strangers she encountered whether at the post office, doctor offices, the bank, the grocery store, restaurants, where she got her nails done, etc.  Bonnie will be missed immensely by her family, friends, and all who knew her, and she will forever be in their hearts.

She is survived by her daughters Sara P. (Tony) Grafals and Herta P. (Todd) Lohman, and grandchildren Christopher, Jacob, Sydney, Rachel and Christian, of Mooresville, NC.  She is also survived by her sister Rebecca S. Stewart of Venice, Florida, and cousins, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and a host of long-time friends.

A celebration of life will be held at her home on November 6, 2021 at 3 pm.  Those who wish to remember Bonnie in a special way may make gifts in her memory to the Holston United Methodist Home for Children, 404 Holston Drive, Greeneville, TN, 37743, or www.holstonhome.org.  Her grandfather, the late Rev. Walter A. Smith, was the Superintendent at the home for many years.

God bless you Bonnie.  We love you!