Hope Carl Palmer

In Loving Memory 

Hope Carl Palmer

 November 22, 1938 — May 1, 2026

Hope Carl Palmer, known affectionately as “Grandma” to family and friends alike, passed peacefully into the arms of her Savior in the early morning hours of Friday, May 1, 2026, at her home in Claypool, Arizona, surrounded by her loving family. She was 87 years old. 

Hope was born on November 22, 1938, in Camp Verde, Arizona, to John and Cora (Kester) Raaum. Following her father’s passing, twelve-year-old Hope moved to Chicago to live with relatives. Six years later, at the age of eighteen, she boarded a plane back to Arizona to visit her mother, never imagining that single trip would set the course for the rest of her life. 

Cora was eager to introduce her daughter to a good-hearted young man she had met at a café in Miami. The day Hope arrived, she was introduced to thirty-one-year-old Al Palmer, a cowboy from Oklahoma. Al asked her to dinner that very evening, and Hope quickly knew she had met her husband. Three weeks later, on October 31, 1956, the two were married in Miami, Arizona. Together they built a beautiful life and celebrated fifty-six years of marriage before Al’s passing on March 22, 2013. 

Reflecting on those early days, Hope once said:

 “On the third day, I knew I was to marry this man. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, so I figured I might as well get it over with. I even asked him what his last name was, because I wanted to know what mine would be. I found out later, life can be hard, but it’s okay, because when God is in the plan, He always multiplies. It’s through life’s challenges that we grow and mature into Christ’s image and likeness. I wouldn’t change life’s hardships for anything in the world. They’re what make us who we become- only we can choose if they make us better or worse.”

From the very beginning, Hope dreamed of a large family. She often said she wanted no fewer than six children and no more than twelve and she happily settled at ten. Motherhood was her calling and her crown, and she poured herself wholeheartedly into being the very best mother and grandmother she could be. 

Hope’s deep love for the Lord and her unshakable faith in Jesus were truly contagious. Those who knew her often spoke of her radiant smile, her joyful spirit, and the unmistakable glow that seemed to brighten every room she entered. 

While pregnant with her second set of twins, a dear friend gave Hope a copy of Adelle Davis’s Let’s Have Healthy Children. That single book ignited a lifelong passion for natural living that would shape her family for generations. Hope became remarkably knowledgeable in naturopathic remedies and clean, wholesome eating, and friends and neighbors regularly sought her counsel for their own health concerns. Long before the internet, Hope was a walking encyclopedia of wellness and naturopathic wisdom. 

Hope instilled in each of her children and grandchildren two enduring gifts: a personal relationship with the Lord and a knowledge for healthy living. She had a gentle way of weaving “the Bible says…” into nearly every conversation, and her family still recalls with great fondness and laughter being lovingly yet firmly scolded whenever she caught them sneaking a soda or a sugary treat. 

She taught her family to look for the good in every circumstance, believing that even the darkest seasons hold lessons that shape the soul. “Oh, well… it will all work out,” she would say with a knowing smile. “God turns all things for the good of those who love the Lord.” 

Hope was a woman of beauty and a heart of pure gold. Her door was always open, her table always full, and her arms always ready to embrace anyone in need. Whether offering a cold drink and a ride to a stranger walking in the Arizona heat, lending biblical counsel to a weary soul, or simply listening with her whole heart, she lived her name. She was, quite literally, hope to all who crossed her path. 

Hope is survived by her ten beloved children: Allan (Vise) Palmer of Globe, Arizona; Dan (Tracy) Palmer of Claypool, Arizona; Brant (Maurisa “Risa”) Palmer of Claypool, Arizona; Bryon (Dynell) Palmer of Globe, Arizona; Mandy (David) Franquero of Queen Creek, Arizona; Sandy (Larry) Schrimpf of Gilbert, Arizona; David Palmer of San Tan, Arizona; Randy (Jaycee) Palmer of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Ronny Palmer of Claypool, Arizona; and Sean Palmer of Claypool, Arizona, sixteen grandchildren; fourteen great-grandchildren; and eight great-great grandchildren. She also leaves behind her sister, Faith Urick of Tennessee; her brother, John Raaum of Arizona. 

Hope was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Al; her parents, John and Cora Raaum; her sisters, Rose and Charity; and her brothers, Gary and Lawrence. 

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Family Fellowship Church in Globe, Arizona. A graveside service for the immediate family will follow on Sunday, May 10, 2026—fittingly, Mother’s Day—at 11:00 a.m. at Lakeside Cemetery in Lakeside, Arizona, honoring the extraordinary mother and grandmother she was. 

The Palmer family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, sympathy, and prayers offered on their behalf during this tender time. Hope leaves behind a legacy of faith, love, and laughter that will live on in the hearts of all who knew her and most especially, in the family she loved with every fiber of her being. 

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed.”

 — Proverbs 31:28