20 Thursday, August 29, 2024 BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com
Herbert
John Palmer
Jr., 83, passed
away peace-
fully, with fam-
ily by his side
and his 6-year-
old great-
granddaughter
singing softly
to him, on
August 21, 2024, at Corewell Health
Butterworth Hospital in Grand
Rapids, Michigan. He was born April
24, 1941, to Herbert John Sr. and
Ruth (Nelson) Palmer in Jackson,
Michigan, where he was raised.
Herbert preferred to be called
John. He attended Jackson High
School and graduated in 1960. In
February 1962, John married Janet
Galicki, whom he met in middle
school. Together they moved their
family to Dayton, Ohio, where
John worked three jobs to support
his young family. During the early
1970s, the Palmer family moved
to Battle Creek, Michigan, where
John worked his way up the lad-
der at Sears to become a division
manager. He made many lifelong
friendships while he was there.
After retiring from Sears, John
stepped over to a different ladder in
life and opened his own business,
Palmer Window and Door, where
he kindly provided a partnership
in the business to his children and
his daughter-in-law. After Palmer
Window and Door dissolved, John
continued to remodel homes. He
built Janet a beautiful home on 40
acres in Bellevue, Michigan, where
they resided until recently moving to
Hastings, Michigan.
In his early years he served as
an acolyte in the Episcopal church,
enjoyed family vacations at Higgins
Lake and spending time with his
cousins. While raising his family he
enjoyed camping and teaching his
children and their friends how to
water ski. Everyone got ice cream ifhe could get a new skier to stay up
on both skis. He had a great love
for music and even built his own
Heathkit stereo system while listen-
ing to his favorite musician, Waylon
Jennings. He was an excellent cook
and was known for his beef stro-
ganoff. Although he loved candy,
he was extremely fond of his wife’s
banana cream pie. He spent his
twilight years reading, visiting with
neighbors and taking a good nap.
He was a wonderful mentor and
had a huge heart; John would go
out of his way to be kind or helpful
even at his own expense. His con-
stant laughter brought joy to any-
one who heard it. He loved being
a Papa to his five granddaughters
and a great-grandpa to three great-
granddaughters.
John is survived by his wife of 62
years, Janet; children Jeffrey Palmer
of Battle Creek, Michigan, and Julie
Gray of Freeport, Michigan; grand-
daughters Jennifer Palmer, Erin
Gray, Noella van Dillen, and Lily van
Dillen; great-granddaughters Zoey
Palmer, Maize Conley, and Ophelia
Southerland; and his sister, Mary
Walsteadt.
He was preceded in death by his
son Herbert John Palmer, III; his
infant granddaughter, Jacqueline
Palmer; daughter-in-law Judi
Palmer; and his parents.
A memorial service will be held
Thursday, August 29, 2024, begin-
ning at 11 a.m., with Deacon Trish
Harris officiating, at St. Thomas
Episcopal Church, 16 E. Van Buren
St., Battle Creek, MI.
For memorial donations in
Herbert’s honor, please consider
the Alzheimer’s Association.
Cremation arrangements were
entrusted to Kempf Funeral Home
and Cremation Services of Battle
Creek,
Michigan.Marie E.
(Hunt) Secor,
104, of Battle
Creek, died
peacefully
on Sunday,
August 25,
2024, at
Brookdale
Battle Creek
Assisted
Living.
She was born April 16, 1920, in
Detroit, Michigan, to Alfred and
Nellie (Elsey) DeSchryver. Marie
grew up in Detroit and was a 1938
graduate of Domican Catholic all-
girl High School. She moved to
Lansing after her marriage and
came to Battle Creek in the mid-
1960s, when her husband was
transferred here with TransAmerica.
During WWII she was employed by
the U.S. government in the Office
of Price Administration. She was
also employed locally as a clerk
and credit manager for several area
retail businesses, including Muirs,
K-Mart, W.T. Grant and Masteller
Music.
Marie was united in marriage
to James V. Hunt on February
11, 1950, at St. John Berchman
Catholic Church in Detroit and then
to E. Stephen Secor on May 12,
1978, in Battle Creek.
She was preceded in death by
both of her husbands, James Hunt
on November 8, 1972, and Steve
Secor on February 24, 1992; a son,
James A. Hunt; and two sisters,
Ruth Schroeder and Helen Beckett.
Surviving are three daughters,
Joan M. (Willard) Smith of Allegan;
Kathleen Hunt of Battle Creek;
Mary (John) Rabbitt of Bellevue;
one son, Thomas (Karyn) Hunt of
East Lansing; a daughter-in-law,
Mary McIntyre of Okemos; eight
grandchildren, Theresa Secor,
James (Heather) Rabbitt, Chris
(Kyra) Rabbitt, Meagan (Ryan)
Spina, Shelby (John) Rizquallah,
Courtney Hunt, Caleigh Hunt, T.J.
Hunt; and 10 great-grandchildren,
Cooper, Lyla, Carter, Henry, Willy,
Olivia, Dominic, Nathan, Lauren
and Logan.
Marie was a member of St. Philip
Catholic Church, C.C.W. Council of
Catholic Women, a member and
past president of A.B.W.A. American
Business Women Association, and
a member emeritus of the Battle
Creek Health System Auxiliary after
volunteering at Leila and B.C.H.S.
for 25 years with over 10,000 volun-
teer hours.
Marie enjoyed reading and attend-
ing her children’s and grandchil-
dren’s school and sporting activi-
ties. She was an avid football and
hockey fan.
The Rosary will be recited 10
a.m. Thursday, August 29, at Farley
Estes Dowdle Funeral Cremation
Preneed Care, where friends will be
received 10:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday.
A Mass of Christian Burial will
be celebrated by Rev. James
Richardson at St. Philip Catholic
Church at noon Thursday, August
29, 2024. Interment will follow at
Memorial Park Cemetery, where
Marie will be laid to rest next to her
husband, James V. Hunt.
Memorial contributions in memory
of Marie may be made to the St.
Philip Catholic Church Restoration
Fund, 112 Capital Ave., N.E., Battle
Creek, MI 49017.
Personal messages for the family
may be placed at http://www.farleyestes-
dowdle.com.Wills • Trusts
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