Lela Viola Palmer

Lela Viola Palmer, 90, of the Bowerston area, crossed the finish line and joined her Savior and her beloved husband in heaven on Thursday, December 6, 2012 at Bowerston Hills Healthcare Center near Bowerston. Born January 4, 1922 in Dennison, she was a daughter of the late Wilbur L. and Edna Magnolia (Morris) Casteel.

A resident of the Bowerston area throughout her life, she was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and homemaker who will be remembered for her devotion to her family who will miss her delicious cooking, especially the awesome homemade meatloaf and pumpkin pie that everyone loved. During World War II, she showed her devotion to her country by working on the homefront at Timken, as well as volunteering at the Dennison Depot Canteen. Lela will also be remembered for her deep and abiding faith. An accomplished musician, she shared her talents with her brothers and sisters in Christ as an active participant in the worship team at the Lighthouse Foursquare Gospel Church for several years, as well as in her current congregation, the Leesville Faith Community Chapel. Her beautiful guitar playing and singing won her awards at a variety of amateur shows in her youth and brought her much happiness throughout her life as she was featured in special programming which was recorded at Capitol Music Hall and aired on WWVA and WBTC radio stations.

On October 25, 1945, Lela married James Delbert Palmer who preceded her in death in January of 1988 after forty-two years of loving marriage. They were blessed with five children, Bruce (Marlene) Palmer of Leesville, Mark (Debbie) Palmer, Sheila (Bud) Burdette, and Elaine Palmer from near Bowerston, and Gary Palmer who preceded her in death; a daughter-in-law, Patty Palmer of North Carolina; grandchildren, Rachael, Jason, Sara, Wade, Jeff, James, Jonathan and Denise; and great-grandchildren, Carl, Asia, Jakob, Jaxon, Mikayla, John, Colton, Hannah, Carrie, Ruth, and Austin. Lela is also survived by her sister, Maxine Lukens of Canton; many nieces and nephews; and a host of dear friends and neighbors. In addition to her parents, husband and son, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Bernice Ferrell and Wilma Milligan, and her brother, Wilbur “Carl” Casteel.

Services for Lela, officiated by Pastor Doug McFadden, will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, December 10, in the R.K. Lindsey Funeral Home in Dennison. Interment will follow in Tunnel Hill Cemetery near Bowerston. Family and friends are invited to call at the funeral home from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday. Those wishing to honor Lela’s memory by a charitable contribution are encouraged to do so the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association.