Charles Raymond Palmer, Sr., of Gallatin, Tennessee, passed away on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the age of 89. He was born on March 8, 1937, in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and was the son of the late James Edwin Palmer and Lela Christine Bennett Palmer.

Mr. Palmer lived a life marked by hard work, self-reliance, and deep ties to the land. He worked for 10 years at Genesco and then for 24 years with the Eaton Corporation. First and foremost, however, he was a farmer. He raised tobacco and corn and always kept a large garden. Old school in the best sense of the word, in his younger years he plowed his fields and garden with a horse and plow, carrying on a tradition handed down by those who came before him.

He found great enjoyment in the simple and enduring pleasures of country life. He liked attending livestock auctions and flea markets and had a special fondness for animals. Over the years, he cared for horses, cows, goats, pigs, chickens, donkeys, rabbits, ducks, dogs, and guineas, and he often tried to nurse injured or maimed animals back to health. He also loved old pickup trucks, especially those from the 1960s and 1970s.

He loved hunting and fishing, and one of the ways he showed care for others was by sharing his surplus with neighbors, family, and friends. His generosity and practical kindness were woven into everyday life. He also kept his guardian angels busy over the years, surviving many dangerous accidents, a fact remembered with wonder by those who knew him.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 60 years, Mary Lee Palmer.

He is survived by his children, Mary Evelyn Wallen, Elizabeth Johnson, Charles Raymond Palmer, Jr., Roy Edwin (Sandy) Palmer, and Rita Christine Happel; by his sister, Joyce DeGlopper; by his grandchildren, Aaron Wilhite, Christian Happel, Alyssa Happel, Alexis (James) Harris, Darrell Eugene (Kacey) Young, Amy Young, and Tara Reece (Jay) Wilmore; and by his great-grandchildren, Jayden Hunter Young, Dawson Cooper Young, Kathryn Quinn, Annashayne Quinn, Adley Quinn, Carson Harris, Eli Wilmore, and Allie Reece Wilmore. He leaves behind a family who will carry forward his memory with love and gratitude.

Visitation will be held on Friday, September 18, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at Crestview Memory Gardens, Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 1623 Hwy 109 N, Gallatin, Tennessee 37066. The funeral service will follow at 1:00 p.m. at the same location, with Doyle Farris and Darryl Young officiating. Burial will take place afterward in Crestview Memory Gardens.

Mr. Palmer will be remembered for his strength, his work ethic, his love of farming, animals, and the outdoors, and for the generous spirit with which he shared what he had with others. His life leaves a lasting impression on all who knew and loved him.

Arrangements entrusted to Crestview Funeral Home, Memory Gardens, and Cremation Center, Gallatin. (615) 452-1943 Online condolences can be left at www.CrestviewFH.com