Merelyn Palmer

Published 4:14 pm Thursday, September 28, 2023

Merelyn Mars Palmer, wife of the late and greatly missed Reggie Palmer of Picayune, Mississippi, died peacefully in hospice on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. She was 84 years old.

Born in Gretna, Louisiana on February 23, 1939 to the late Leon and Mineola Mars, Mrs. Palmer was raised in Picayune with her six siblings – the late Charline Hendrix of Carriere, the late Leon “Buddy” (Melba) Mars, Jr. of Bay St. Louis, the late Lavada (Jerry) Bond of Picayune, the late Larry “Butch” (Diane) Mars of Picayune, Betty “Cookie” (Tommy) Dobbs of Magee and Lynita (Wiley) Thornton of Lafayette, Louisiana.

Reggie and Merelyn raised three sensational daughters – Lori Bounds of Hide Away Lake, Kim Mitchell of Caesar and Becky (Mike) Knipper of Beavercreek, Ohio.

Mrs. Palmer was very proud of her five perfect grandchildren- Jace (Abbie) Bounds of Dayton, Ohio, Scarlett Mitchell of Houston, Texas, Jack Knipper of Columbus, Ohio and Justin and Jarrett Knipper of Beavercreek, Ohio.

She was preceded in death by in-laws Troy and Julia Palmer, Craig Palmer, Eddie Joe Palmer and niece, Robin Courtney, all of Picayune.

Survivors include Lynn and Wayne DuPont along with many nieces and nephews – James (Lorie) Bond, Shawyn Mars, Faythe (Bruce) Rankin, Laura Mars, Kevin (St. Claire) Mars, LeAnna (John) Delaney, Antha (Ottis) Mitchell, Whitney (Run) Bowen, Hannah DuPont, Gaye (Michael) Mims and Bridgett (John) Tubbs.

Mrs. Palmer was a Christian and member of Union Baptist Church where she taught youth girls Sunday School in years past. She was a talented homemaker and “Martha Stewart before her time” with a passion for decorating and then re-decorating.  She was skilled at sewing, refinishing antiques, wallpapering and upholstering. She had a great eye for design and exceptional taste.

Mrs. Palmer loved a bargain and will be greatly missed at Dillards, Dirt Cheap and Hudson’s Salvage Center. She and her husband were avid gardeners and loved to cook and feed their family, friends and neighbors. She was renowned for her yearly batches of sweet pickles and muscadine wine. She was known for her kind hospitality. Visitors never left her home empty handed.

Mrs. Palmer had a great sense of humor and was an entertaining storyteller. She was an author of a book about her life in Caesar. She was a talented artist painting beautiful florals and landscapes for over 50 years and was a founding member and prize winner of the Pearl River County Arts League.

However, she was most notably a pyromaniac,  and to the local volunteer fire department’s chagrin, was constantly burning the woods, the trash, her yard and giant stumps that George Goss would personally deliver to keep her occupied and aflame. She even managed to set a corner of her house on fire in her later years.

The family wishes to thank Darlene Storey for her kind and devoted hospice care in the past few years.

A memorial service and celebration of a long life well lived will be held in November.

The family requests in lieu of flowers a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association may be made in her memory. A tribute page has been created under her name at https://act.alz.org