Doris J. Palmberg

Doris Jean (Kinnett) Palmberg, 87, of Topeka entered her Eternal Home on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at Kelly House of Meriden South with family by her side. She was born March 16, 1937, the daughter of Ira C. and Mary Frances (Ward) Kinnett. She grew up in Topeka and graduated from Seaman High School in 1955. She married James E. (Jim) Palmberg on February 8, 1964, at North Topeka Baptist Church. Doris and Jim celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this year. 

 Doris worked as a cashier at various credit unions in the Topeka area. She then stayed home for several years to raise her and Jim’s two young children. She volunteered in the USD 345 school district at Indian Creek Grade School in the library and as room mother and later became secretary at the school for several years. Following that, she worked for the Kansas Department of Education as a teacher certification specialist until she retired in June 2001. She then became a volunteer for 12 years in the Stormont Vail Health Center gift shop.

 Doris accepted Jesus as her Savior at age 9 and loved Him with all her heart. She grew up attending N. Topeka Baptist Church. She then, with her husband and young children, began attending Bethel Baptist Church in Topeka and was a children’s Sunday School teacher for many years. She also had attended Fairlawn Nazarene Church. Doris enjoyed singing with multiple trios at church and had a lovely alto voice which she carried through all her life. She loved animals. Her hobbies included collecting lighthouses, bird watching, traveling with Jim, listening to Daniel O’Donnell’s music. She loved to cook and bake; she baked and decorated nearly all birthday cakes for her family as well as other occasion cakes for others. Doris had the gift of hospitality and was always giving things to people. With her mother’s recipe, she made many batches of apple butter to give away. She doted on her granddaughters and was always there as “chauffeur” and to help see them on and off the bus during their school years. She always had a smile on her face and never knew a stranger. 

 Survivors include her husband Jim of Topeka; daughter Lisa McCommon (Rex) of Topeka; daughter-in-law Stephanie Palmberg of Emmett, KS; granddaughters, Mariah Young (Dalton) of Belton, MO, and Amanda McCommon of Kansas City, KS; nieces and nephews; and great nieces and great nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, son Eric Palmberg, and brother Warren Kinnett.

 Visitation will be at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 5th, at Bethel Baptist Church, 4011 N. Kansas Ave., Topeka, KS. The funeral service will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment will follow the service at Prairie Home Cemetery. The service will be livestreamed on Bethel Baptist’s YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelTopeka/streams. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Bethel Baptist Church or the Topeka Rescue Mission and sent in care of the Parker-Price & Davidson Funeral Home at 245 NW Independence, Topeka, KS, 66608. Condolences may be sent online to www.ppdfuneral.com.