Jessie Mary Palmer

Jessie Mary Palmer, 99, of Raber, Michigan, died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on October 19, 2018, on Drummond Island, Michigan. Jessie was born February 13, 1919 to Leo Wojichowski and Frances Mary (Jaros) Wojichowski in Raber, Michigan. Jessie was raised on the family farm with her seven brothers and sisters, as the oldest surviving child. She attended the one room school house on West Clay Road and graduated in 1931. Her teacher urged her to become a teacher herself, but being surrounded by seven other siblings, she decided on another path. She worked for a summer on Marquette Island in Cedarville, and then moved to Sault Ste. Marie where she worked as a waitress at the Manhattan Restaurant and then the Log Cabin Restaurant owned by Taffy Abel, (who was a U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer). One day she met Alden Palmer, who was working heavy equipment on the MacArthur Lock, and he became a steady customer at the restaurant. They married September 13, 1942. Alden was soon called to be a SeaBee in WWII, and came back to Jessie and baby Phyllis who was born while he was gone. From there, Jessie, Alden and Phyllis lived a gypsy lifestyle in a 27 foot tcvravel trailer, following heavy construction jobs around Michigan. In 1952 they settled in Livonia, Michigan where they were surprised five years later by baby girl Aldeen. Six years later Jessie went to work just down the block at Fisher Body, sewing upholstery for the auto industry. In 1973 they retired from Livonia and moved back to the Wojichowski family farm in Raber. Alden died in 2004 and Jessie stayed in their Raber home until, at 92, she moved to her daughter Phyllis’s home on Drummond Island. Jessie was an active member of the Raber Amvet Auxillary. She liked to garden, both flowers and vegetables and whether or not she liked canning is up for debate, but she had to do something with them. She was an excellent cook and loved having friends and family over throughout her life. She especially liked this in later years when her daughters did the cooking and cleaning and she was able to sit and receive her subjects. Her shining light was her granddaughter, Jessica, who she let do all those things her daughters were not allowed to do. Three weeks before her passing her granddaughter gave her another shining light, her great granddaughter, Abby. She was able to meet Abby twice and incredibly, she seemed able to see and hear the videos of Abby clearly, and watched them over and over. Jessie is survived by her daughters Phyllis Palmer and Aldeen (Steve) Anderson of Drummond Island, granddaughter Jessica (Mark Elliott) Anderson, and great granddaughter Abagail. Also surviving are her sister Lee Forrest of New Buffalo, Michigan, sister-in-law Yvonne Wojichowski of Macomb, Michigan and brother-in-law Ed Salna of Livonia. Jessie was preceded in death by her parents, husband Alden, brothers Stanley, Joseph, and Jack Wojichowski, and sisters June Pierce, Ruby Benoit, Pat Salna, and infant sister Patricia. Memorials may be directed to the Drummond Island Ambulance Corp, P O Box 225, Drummond Island, MI 49726 or the Hospice of the E.U.P., 308 W. 12th Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. Memorials may be directed to the Drummond Island Ambulance Corp, P O Box 225, Drummond Island, MI 49726 or the Hospice of the E.U.P., 308 W. 12th Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. Services for Jessie will be held on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at R. Galer Funeral Home, 24549 S. M-129, Pickford, Michigan, beginning with visitation at 10:30 a.m. followed by the funeral service at 11:30 a.m. Burial will be at North Raber Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rgalerfuneralhome.com.

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Jessie Mary Palmer

February 13, 1919 - October 19, 2018