Obituary of Florence K. Palmer

Florence Palmer of Bowman’s Creek passed away peacefully May 2, 2010. For the past 3 years she had been living in New Jersey to be near her daughters as she battled Alzheimer’s disease. Her family was at her bedside when at St. Joseph’s hospice in Wayne where she died from complications of the disease last Sunday morning. Florence Elizabeth Kinsman Palmer was born October 15, 1927 in Towanda, Pennsylvania to the late Harry and Jessie Kinsman. She was the youngest of 5 children, and the only girl. She received her education in the Towanda public school system and graduated from St. Agnes High School in 1946. After graduating, Florence had several jobs including office clerk and circulation manager at Towanda’s “Daily Review”. In 1959, Florence Kinsman married Burton William Palmer of Ulster. The couple made their home in Towanda and had two daughters, Susan Marie and Loretta Ann. After moving to West Wyoming in 1966, Florence and Bill started a very successful business in oil analysis and programming called Palmer Laboratory. They moved their residence and business to Bowman’s Creek where they ran the business until Bill’s death in 1972. Although now a widow, Florence continued to run Palmer Laboratory. Florence was also busy in her community especially with “Living A New Life”, a widows and widowers support group, and helped to open a group in Tunkhannock. She also served at the Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Bureau of the Aging, Senior Center, and volunteered for tax preparations assistance to the seniors through its center in Tunkhannock. Florence was also an ecumenical minister for the Nativity Catholic church where she was a faithful member for over 30 years, and a member of Catholic daughters. She also ran a Girl Scout Troupe and Brownie Troupe and volunteered in other local organizations. Throughout her life, Florence always had a heart to serve others, and was never too busy to help others in need. She served as a surrogate mother to many of her nieces, nephews and friends. Her home was always open to anyone! And if you did stop by you were going to eat because Florence was going to cook. Florence spent much of her time each day with long time and faithful friend Willard Reese. They met through “Living a New Life” and for the past 31 years they always had dinner together…they were inseparable. As God would have it, Willard went home to be with the Lord the Sunday before Florence. Florence was the devoted mother of two daughters Dr. Susan Bargmann and Loretta Busch. She is also survived by two son-in-laws, Keith Bargmann and Thomas Busch; two granddaughters, Tabitha Maggie and Michaela Elizabeth Busch; and a host of other loving relatives and friends. Her funeral will be Saturday May 8th at Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home, 73 West Tioga St. Tunkhannock, PA at 1 p.m. Viewing will begin at 11 am. Interment will be held on Monday, May 10th at the Sheshequin Valley Cemetery in Ulster, Pa at 10:30am