Bessie Alice 'Betty' Palmer, 87 of Grinnell died Saturday, June 18, 2005, at Friendship Manor in Grinnell. Funeral services for Mrs. Palmer will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 23, at the First Friends Church in Grinnell with Pastor Todd Follette officiating. Pianist will be Kathleen McCune, vocalist will be Michael Pohlenz, and Jill Harris will play the flute. Pallbearers will be Del Coppinger, Jon Hill, Randall Nichols, and Randy, Rick, and Michael Pohlenz. Honorary bearers will be Bob Burnham, Mark Dimit, Duke McCurry, Harvey Mikel, and Bob Renaud. Burial will be in Westfield Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to Grinnell First Friends Church or Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends Capital Campaign ' Leadership Fund. Betty was born May 2, 1918, in Grinnell, the daughter of Bert and Susan Lincoln Whitaker. She was educated in the Grinnell School District, graduating from high school in 1936. She attended nursing school in Marshalltown. She was married to William Kenneth Palmer December 25, 1938, in Grinnell. The couple farmed north of Grinnell until 1950 when they moved to their present farm south of Grinnell. They were a genuine farm-family team branching out into many areas of farming with livestock and crops. She also operated the Sale Barn Restaurant in Grinnell for several years. She was actively involved in Grinnell First Friends Church. She and her husband donated the land on which the church is now located. She served as a well respected, knowledgeable Sunday School teacher, treasurer of the church and chairperson for the church social committee for many years. She also was actively involved in Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers), serving on several yearly meeting boards. She was a member of the William Penn University Board of Trustees for several years. Ministry through the church was the center of her life. Betty is survived by her four children, Mary Ann (Del) Coppinger of Oskaloosa, David Palmer of Grinnell, Dennis (Vicki) Palmer of Aledo, IL., and Tom (Jan) Palmer of Salem, IA; seven grandchildren, Doug (Romy) Coppinger of Bothell, WA, Denise (Randall) Nichols of Clarksville, IA, Sidney (Jon) Hill of Peoria, IL, Lindsey Palmer of Aledo, IL, Whitney Palmer of Orlando, FL, Katy Palmer of Boston, MA and Erica Palmer of Salem, IA; and four great grandchildren, Jared, Hannah and Emma Nichols and Reece D. Coppinger. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Kenneth Palmer; and two sisters, Ona W. Jones and Mary Whitaker.