Winifred Irene Palmberg

Winifred Irene (Sutor) Palmberg was born April 23, 1924 to Vernon Charles and Leola (Pywell) Sutor in rural Rooks County near Zurich, Kansas. She passed away Wednesday, October 23, 2013, at the Good Samaritan Society in Ellis, Kansas at the age of 89. She graduated from Palco High School with the Class of 1942. She was united in marriage to John A. “Fred” Palmberg on January 21, 1944 in Hays, Kansas. To this union eight children were born. Winifred was a hardworking woman and a loving mother for her entire life. She was a member of the Palco United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women. Among regular jobs she had, including working side by side with Fred as bookkeeper for Fred’s Welding, owner of Palco Sundries, and being a Watkins dealer for many years, she always made time for the people she loved. Not only was she a wonderful caregiver to her own children, and of course her grandchildren whom she loved dearly, she was an “adopted” mother to many more and treated them all as her own. In addition, she always found time for some of her favorite things which included cooking, baking, and gardening which was always done with a special place in her heart for butterflies. Winifred is survived by five of her children, Gail Palmberg and wife Linda of Hays, Randy Palmberg and wife Linda of Newkirk, OK, Elaine Graybill and husband Jerry of Alva, OK, Richard Palmberg and wife Glenda of Plainville, and Phyllis Dreiling and husband Les of Ellis; daughter-in-law Shirl Palmberg of Austin, TX; sister Lorene Hamit of Littleton, CO; sister-in-law Freda Sutor of Cut Bank, MT; 19 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Fred; parents Vernon and Leola; sons Robert “Bob”, Ronald "Kent", and John “Eldon” Palmberg; brother Charles Sutor; sisters Marion Cooper, and Norma Lee Blevins; and daughter-in-law, Donna Palmberg. Although Winifred will be greatly missed by those she leaves behind, she will live forever in our hearts and memories. We take comfort knowing that like the caterpillar who continually labors, her life and work on earth is finished, but by the grace of God, her spirit now flies forever with her Lord like a butterfly.