Mary Rose Palmer

Mary Rose Palmer passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 24th, surrounded by her loving children and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert G.Palmer. Mary is survived by her children: Lynn (John) Bjorvik, Donald (Ester) Palmer, and Steven (Kim) Palmer; grandchildren: Nicole Palmer, Kevin (Jessica) Bjorvik, Robert Palmer, Kelly Bjorvik, and Scott (Sara) Palmer; great grandchildren: Jack and Kacey Bjorvik; brother William (Rosalie) Bahl, and loving sister-in-law Lois Ponzetti.

Mary was born on September 3, 1945, to William and Anna Bahl. She was raised in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago alongside her older brother, Bill.

Mary graduated from St. Theresa Catholic School and St. Michael Central High School. It was during her high school years that she met the love of her life, Bob. The two were married on November 7, 1964, beginning a life together filled with family, friendship, travel, and many wonderful memories.

Mary and Bob made their home in Schiller Park, where they raised their three children. Family was always a big part of their lives. Over the years, countless birthdays, holidays, and special occasions were spent surrounded by extended family. These gatherings helped create strong family bonds and traditions that have continued through the generations and remain an important part of the family today.

During the early years of their marriage, Mary devoted her time to caring for their home and raising their children. As the children grew older, she began working as a crossing guard in Schiller Park. After 11 years, Mary accepted a part-time position at Bretford Manufacturing in Schiller Park as a message taker. She eventually rose to become Manager of the Accounting Department. She retired from Bretford after 12 years of service.

Friendship was also an important part of Mary’s life. For more than 60 years, she maintained a special relationship with a group of women she met while working at her first job with the United States Government Retirement Board. In their younger years, they would get together several times each month. As the years passed, their visits became less frequent, but their friendship never faded. They continued to make it a priority to gather once or twice each year, maintaining a bond that lasted more than six decades.

After 25 years of marriage, Mary and Bob discovered a shared love of travel. Together, they enjoyed 15 cruises and many memorable trips to Las Vegas and Florida, creating wonderful memories along the way.

Mary had a great sense of humor and was up to date on all the current popular stand-up comedians and the best new shows to watch on Netflix. She loved chatting about her favorite shows - especially New Girl. She was a beautiful, funny, smart and very resilient woman.

Above all else, Mary’s greatest joy was her family. She treasured the time she spent with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and was incredibly proud of the family she and Bob created together. The close relationships, traditions, and love they built throughout their lives will continue to be cherished by the generations that follow.

A Memorial Visitation will be held on Friday, October 2nd from 10:00 a.m. until time of Memorial Service at 12:00 Noon at Sax-Tiedemann Funeral Home, 9568 Belmont Ave, Franklin Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.