Donald Levi Palmer Sr., 81, passed at his home in Richmond on Sunday, May 3, 2020.

Don was born in Monegaw Springs, Missouri, on April 2, 1939, to Joseph Harrison Palmer and Louella Davis Palmer. His brothers Gene and Gale completed the family.

On March 31, 1959, he married Della “Marie” Sanner and had three children: a son, Don Jr., and daughters Anita and Shelly.

Don made his career at Ford Motor Co. However, during the 1980s, he and Marie moved to Orcas Island in Puget Sound to join his best friend and brother-inlaw, Allen Minnis, and his wife, Marie’s sister, Mary. For nearly a decade, Don worked building houses for Allen’s construction company, Beemer & Minnis. In his spare time, when not building houses or mowing lawns, Don made intricate and beautiful wood and stone carvings. Whales and dolphins were favorite subjects.

Although Don loved island life, in 1990, health concerns brought him and Marie back to Missouri. They settled in Camden, and Don returned to Ford Motor Co., where he worked until his retirement.

Don loved being around people and would give you the shirt off his back, if you asked. His quick wit and dry sense of humor made him delightfully funny. He was an immensely talented artist. His home is a shrine to his collection of carved arrowheads and his other wood and stone carvings.

Don was also an avid hunter, and collector of rifles and specialty ammunition. He had a fascination for and spent a lifetime learning about WWII and the Civil War.

Don is preceded in death by his beloved parents and brothers, his best friends Al and Oscar, and the love of his life, his wife of 60 years, Marie. He is survived by his children, Donald Levi Palmer Jr., Anita Marie Rhoades (Greg) and Shelly Lorraine Woodroof (Charles Gilbert); his grandchildren, Amy Stevens and Christopher Hankins (Shannon); one great-grandson, Dillinger Hankins; and one great-granddaughter, being born to Amy in August.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to organizations promoting animal welfare. They can be left at or mailed to Thurman Funeral Home, 507 E. Main St.-P.O. Box 190, Richmond, MO 64085.

A memorial service for Don and Marie will be held at a later date at Cravens Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Thurman Funeral Home, Richmond. Please remember to share your memories of Don with the family by visiting www.thurmanfuneralhome.com.