"Sal" Martha Bell Palmer

Martha Bell “Sal” Palmer, age 89 of Flat, passed away peacefully, on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 in Gatesville, surrounded by her family.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 31, 2022 at Scott’s Funeral Home Chapel.  Interment will follow at Restland Cemetery.  The family will receive visitors from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, January 30^th at the funeral home.

Sal was born on February 13, 1932 in the Hubbard community of Coryell County, now part of Ft. Hood, to the late Roy and Ruby Jones Evetts.  She attended school in the Hubbard community and Flat, graduating from Flat High School, where she played basketball.  She was a “Class Favorite” and “Who’s Who.”  After graduation, she married Thurman Ray “Cotton” Palmer and had three children.  She worked at the Coryell County Tax Office, Gatesville State School for Boys and was a civil service employee at Ft. Hood, until her retirement.  After her retirement, she worked at several part-time jobs. In 1959, she divorced and became a single mother.  She was independent and worked hard to raise and provide for her children.  She was loving, caring and was always involved with her children.  She loved music and dancing.  She lived life and was known to “tell it like it is.”  Most of all, she was known as Granny and being amazing to her grandchildren. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Denise Palmer; and brothers, Milford Evetts and Buford Evetts.

Sal is survived by her son, Steve Palmer and wife, Cheri of League City; daugnter Sally Smith and husband, Andy of Gatesville; grandchildren, Tannon Palmer of Gatesville, Brandon Palmer and wife, Erica of League City, Dylan Palmer and wife, Allison, Cayla Williams and husband, Zane of Thrall, Shelby Ragland and husband, Colton of Gatesville; great grandchildren, Kannon, Evelyn, Gatlin, Zander; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, at https://www.stjude.org/give.html.