Mrs. Arden "Berta" Palmer, lifelong Faith area ranch-wife, passed away on Tuesday evening, Oct. 30th at the Hans P. Peterson Memorial Hospital in Philip.

Funeral services will be Saturday, Nov. 3rd at 11 AM at the Faith Community Center. Calvin Chapman and Larry Wilson, ministers of the Church of Christ will officiate. Interment will be in the Faith Cemetery. Visitations will be Friday, Nov 2nd from 1 to 7 PM at Faith Area Memorial Chapel, Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Faith, followed by a family time of sharing. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the Community Center. A memorial has been established.

Elvira Roberta "Berta" Palmer was born to Tom and Ricca (Keehner) Keegan on Nov. 27, 1921 at their ranch home 16 miles southeast of Faith. She grew up there, working on the ranch and helping her family and attended the Turtle Creek rural school. She then began working for her aunt, Margaret Royer at Royer's Café in Faith.

In 1945, after he served in WWII, she met Arden E. Palmer, and they were married on Oct. 29, 1946 at Sturgis, SD. They began their life together in a sheepwagon and working on his family ranch northwest of Marcus in Meade Co.

In 1949 they began operating a sheep ranch in western Ziebach Co. and in 1950 began working for A. J. Marks on his ranches in south central Perkins Co. There Berta cooked for the lambing crew as well as raising her family. In 1958 they purchased one of the Marks ranches and began their own operation on Deep Creek 23 miles west and north of Faith.

Berta was a wonderful cook and enjoyed caring for her family and neighbors. She enjoyed crocheting and sewing as well, and she and Arden avidly followed their son's sporting activities. For some years they also enjoyed square dancing in area communities.

In 1995 they retired into Faith where they continued their interest in the Faith Stock Show and Rodeo celebrations, ranch life and their many friends and acquaintances. In 2000 they were named the fans of the year for the Faith Longhorns and later were the Grand Marshals of the Faith Stock Show and Rodeo. She was a member of the Church of Christ.

Suffering with Alzheimers disease, Berta entered the nursing home in Philip in July of 2004.

Grateful for sharing her life are her husband of 61 years, Arden of Faith; sons, Jerry (Kay) Palmer of Buffalo, WY, Gary (Bambi) Palmer and Reid (Sherry) Palmer of Faith, Scott (Dawn) Palmer of Hastings, NE; sister, Thyrza Palmer, of Faith; grandchildren, B.J. (Alex) Palmer, Misty Donovan, Jayme (Mark) Williams, Lex (Kari) Palmer, Sam Castonguay, Callie (Troy) Brooks, and Kyron Palmer; great grandchildren, Alexia Donovan, Tyus and Isabella Williams, Layne Palmer, Lanny and Madison Brooks and Rylan Palmer.

In addition to her parents, Berta was preceded in death by her daughter, Carmel Kay in 1965, grandson, Levi Palmer in 2004, and brothers, Floyd, Laverne and Glendale Keegan.