Cerise was born in Muscoda, Wisconsin, a small-farming town in southwestern Wisconsin, on February 6, 1915. She was the oldest of two children of Van and Geraldine Beran. Her younger brother, Van John E. Beran, an actor known as Buddy, was killed on a B-17 mission over Germany in 1944.
Cerise grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. It was there that she met and married Robert S. Palmer in 1939. Their only child, Bradley B. Palmer (Brad) of Chatham, was born a year later.
Robert was employed by the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC). As he worked his way up the corporate ladder, he was transferred fairly frequently. They moved to Chicago in 1943 and spent most of their lives in the greater Chicago area, including Park Ridge, Mount Prospect, and Arlington Heights. They also had brief stints in Peoria, Illinois and Edina, Minnesota.
Cerise considered herself a corporate wife, going where the job took them, and making the best of it. She was a devoted mother and took pride in her son’s 40-year career as a Chicago radio and television sportscaster. She also took pride in her appearance. She wore dressy-casual clothes along with heels, and started every day with makeup and lipstick. She was always concerned that her wig wasn’t on straight.
She kept busy by making some of her own clothes, gardening, refinishing furniture, and joining various bridge groups. She even took up golf when they lived in Minnesota. She was an avid reader, and, in her later years, enjoyed doing jigsaw and crossword puzzles.
She and Bob spent part of their golden years taking cruises to such destinations as England, Alaska, Hawaii, as well as the Panama Canal. Bob died in 2002 at the age of 90.
Cerise drove a car until she was 97, finally giving up the car when she joined Brad and daughter-in-law Patti in a move to Phoenix, Arizona. A year later, she gave up cigarettes because her apartment had no balcony.
She saw a lot of changes in her lifetime. She looked upon television as the most significant, as she never indulged in new technology such as the internet and cell phones. One of her fondest memories was being in the front row when Charles Lindbergh paid a visit to Madison in the wake of his historic New York to Paris flight.
In 2016, Cerise joined Brad and Patti again in moving to The Cape. Cerise was very happy at the Woodland’s and looked forward to dining out once a week, usually at Pate’s, her favorite restaurant.
Cerise is survived by her son Brad and daughter-in-law Patti of Chatham, granddaughter Kathryn Palmer of Shelburne Falls, MA, and grandson Brooks Palmer and his wife, Tory, of Denver, CO.
The family was most appreciative of the care and attention Cerise received at The Woodland’s. It was her fourth experience in assisted living and by far the best. The entire staff maintained a high standard of caring and tending to her needs while always giving the impression that their work was a labor of love.
A private graveside service will be held at Forest Hills Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin.
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