Mary K. Palmer

Palmer, Mary K.
As beautiful as an Arizona sunset, our treasured wildflower passed away peacefully at age 90 on March 18, 2011. Born in Florence on October 25, 1920, Mary was a perky redhead who came from pioneer stock. Her father, William G. "Will" Knight, came to Arizona from Cornwall, England at age seven to the Silver King mining community in the Pinal Mountains where his father was head timberman at the mine and later became Mayor of Tempe. Her mother, Eunice Riggs, came to Arizona by covered wagon from West Virginia and taught school at Tempe Normal, now Arizona State University. They married and lived in a primitive cabin on top of the Superstition Mountains where Will was cowboy foreman of the famous Reavis Ranch. When Eunice became pregnant, the couple moved west of Florence on Adamsville Road where they raised five children: William Frazier "Bill," Emma Floy "Emily," Eunice Ann "Ann," Mary, and John Davis "John." The family's pioneering history is lovingly recorded in two books, Emigrant Knight of Cornwall and Portrait of a Family, written by Mary's only surviving sister, Ann Knight Rose of Ahwatukee, and often quoted by Arizona historians. Mary graduated from Florence Elementary School alongside her future husband, C. Ned Palmer. Like her two sisters before her, she was valedictorian of her graduating class at Florence High School where she was affectionately called "Red" by all her classmates. They also made fun of her abundant freckles. She attended the University of Arizona on scholarship for a year, then married Ned on June 29, 1941. They lived in Ray before moving to Coolidge where they farmed and ranched with Ned's father, Pierce Vensel, and brother Dan. They raised three children: Sydney Ned (Sandy), William Anthony "Tony" (Sara), and Nancy Kathleen (Barry Iselin). Mary loved to play bridge, golf, bowl, garden, fish, and work crossword puzzles. When her children were all in college, she worked as an executive assistant to the head of the Juvenile Probation Department in Florence. Active in the Coolidge community, the Presbyterian Church and devoted to her friends, she was dedicated to her family and her children's welfare, happiness and education. In 1975 she and Ned moved to Litchfield Park and also enjoyed summers at their cabin in Pinetop, until the sunset of their lives. Mary is survived by her three children who still reside in Arizona and her three grandchildren: Lindsay Kathleen, Eric William and William Ned "Will" who are fourth generation Arizonans and her pride and joy. So we picture her in our hearts, enjoying the wonderful March weather, tending her roses and laughing with her family, as she always did. Then say goodbye now to that beautiful, intelligent, happy and loving redheaded girl who made all who knew her so lucky. So long Red. You were the best. Graveside services will be held Thursday, March 24 at 12:30 pm at Valley Memorial Park, 1½ miles east of the junction of Highways 87 and 287, on the Coolidge-Florence highway. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Arizona or a local hospice provider.