Jeff W. Palmer

Jeff W. Palmer, age 89, of Vestavia Hills, AL passed from this life to be with the Lord on Wednesday, August 22, 2018. Jeff was born in Ludowici, Georgia on February 25,1929 as the youngest of 12 children and a new uncle to 4 nieces and nephews already born. He is preceded in death by his parents, Robert A. and Rebecca Harrison Palmer and all of his brothers and sisters: Hugh Palmer, Ruth Jefferson, Louise Copeland, Robert A. Palmer, Jr., Sarah Stewart, Martha Poland, Frank Palmer, Sr., Alfred Palmer, Sr., Mary Frances Weyandt, and E. Lucien Palmer, Sr. and many sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws, 13 of his nieces and nephews, and a great-grandchild. He was preceded in death this week by his brother-in-law and farming partner, Dick Qualls of Longmont, CO.

Jeff is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Norma Jean (Qualls) Palmer; four daughters, Janet (Darl) Locke of Vestavia Hills, AL; Carol (John) Petty of Tullahoma, TN; Joyce (Steve) Crawford of Ocala, FL; and Shari (JD) Long of Shelbyville,TN;13 Grandchildren and 20 Great-grandchildren; 25 nieces and nephews; and sister-in-laws Ida Palmer, Nancy Palmer, and Barbara Qualls.

Loving God, his wife, his daughters and their families was the most important thing to Jeff. He had a true servant’s heart, sacrificing himself for his family. When the many years of hard physical work took its toll on his body, he pushing through his pain for many years to continue to work and serve them. He felt honored to prove care for 3 of his siblings in their later years. He served his fellow church members as an example of a man of conviction and commitment to the Lord, as an excellent Bible teacher, as an elder with wisdom and the ability to bring peace to tough situations, a designer and builder of church buildings, a friend to call when something needed to be built or repaired. At least 6 different times, Jeff and Norma Jean opened their home for many months at a time to provide a place for young adults to live to help them get a new start on life.

Many of Jeff’s life decisions involved seeking and providing education, but Christian education was very close to his heart. At a point when his family thought he might drop out of school, siblings and friends made a way for him to attend Dasher Bible School in Valdosta, GA, which was a life changing decision. At Florida Christian College, he met Norma Jean Qualls, and then her parents, Major and Myrtle Qualls, who were Colorado wheat and cattle farmers. He and Norma Jean were married on January 1, 1950. After completing his business degree at David Lipscomb College, he joined the Qualls family farming operation in Colorado. Having farmed 10 years with good harvests, bad harvests, drought, and decimating hail, he returned to school to obtain his industrial arts teaching credentials so Norma Jean could stay home with 4 little girls. After 10 years of teaching high school industrial arts while continuing to farm, he again returned for a Masters in Industrial Arts in order to teach all the trades of home construction at the Aurora Vo-Tech Center for an additional 14 years. Besides providing a Christian college education to their own daughters, Jeff and Norma Jean helped 2 others gain a Christian college experience to help support their life’s journey as a Christian. At age 55, Jeff took an early retirement offer from teaching and began building houses in Parker, CO. He continued his teaching as he taught the men of the Parker Church of Christ how to build their own building, which he had designed. At age 75, he rebuilt another large home when they moved to Tullahoma, TN, living there 7 years. In 2012, they moved to Birmingham, AL where he continued to manage the family farming operation until a few years ago.

Jeff has now ended his life of labor and pushing through pain to meet his Lord and Savior and join the chorus of those praising his Heavenly Father. Jeff’s prayer is that you would join him there for eternity.

The Celebration of Life for Jeff W. Palmer will be on Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 2 pm, with visitation beginning at 1 pm, at the Deerfoot Memorial Funeral Home, 5360 Deerfoot Parkway, Trussville, AL 35173

Burial will be on Monday, August 27, 2018 at the Dasher Cemetery, 3680-3730 Carroll Ulmer Rd, Valdosta, GA 31601.

Memorial gifts can be sent to Georgia Christian School (the former Dasher Bible School), the Jeff W. Palmer Memorial Fund, 4359 Dasher Road, Valdosta, GA 31601