Blanche Palmer Thurmond

Mrs. Blanche Palmer Thurmond Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones…for they rest from their labors (Ps. 116:15, Rev. 14:13). On October 4th, 2011 all heaven celebrated a very precious event. Mrs. Blanche Palmer Thurmond, 96, of Cleveland was welcomed into the presence of Jesus, Her Savior, whom she loved dearly. After a brief illness from complications following a fall, she passed from this life at her home surrounded by family and friends. A lifelong resident of White County, Mrs. Thurmond was the daughter of the late Marlin and Jessie Freeman Palmer. She was preceded in death by her husband, Loy Oliver Thurmond, a brother, Lee Palmer, and a sister, Lucille Turner. She is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law: Barbara and Bill Peters of Cleveland, Linda and Tom Chapman of Gainesvile, Judy and Jim Hall of Buford; two brothers, Guy and (very special!) sister-in-law, Polly Palmer, and Ross Palmer of Cleveland; three granddaughters and spouses, Kara and Bill Pumphrey of Duluth, Natalie and Scott Robinson of Alpharetta, Heather and Tony Riley of Dunwoody; seven great-grandchildren; four step grandchildren and eight step great-grandchildren. Ms. Blanche, as she was lovingly known by friends, was a homemaker and a charter member of Mt. Yonah Baptist Church where she was very active in W.M.U. (Women's Missionary Union), Bible Study and prayer meetings. She was a diligent student of God's Word and was dearly loved by all who sat under her teaching as a Sunday School teacher for more than 40 years. Her hobbies included sewing, gardening and genealogy. Times were tough when she was raising her girls, so she made nearly all their clothes, and also sewed for others to supplement the family income. She had a prolific flower and vegetable garden every year, canning much of their food for the winter. She also wrote a weekly column of community events for the newspaper for a number of years. But what she loved most and did best, was faithfully praying for her family and friends, and being a great, godly mom, grandma, great-grandma, and cherished friend to countless others in her church and community. …but let your adornment be…the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God (1 Pet. 3:3). Such was Ms. Blanche's adornment consistently. She loved the Lord, and she loved serving Him and telling others about Him. This she always did with a gentle, joyful, and thankful spirit. One could not be in her presence for long without feeling encouraged…and inspired. There are a host of people in this county—and beyond—whose lives have been profoundly impacted by her godly wisdom and kindness. She will be missed, but the wisdom she shared and the love she gave lives on and will continue to shine brightly in the lives she touched…and many more will see and believe! (Ps. 40:3). In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mt. Yonah Baptist Church Building Fund, Mt. Yonah Baptist Church, 882 Asbestos Rd., Cleveland, GA 30528. The family will receive friends on Thursday, Oct. 6th from 2:00-4:00 and 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at Mt. Yonah Baptist Church at 2:00 p.m. on Friday with Pastors John Yarbrough and Doug Merck officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Those wishing to send online condolences may do so at www.barrettfh.com. Barrett Funeral Home, Cleveland is in charge of arrangements.