Palmer, Maryclare (nee Yager) died on Monday, April 8, 2019, at the age of 93. Maryclare was a passionate, determined and strong woman who loved her five daughters and their families, her friends, her cats, family celebrations, gardening and an occasional gin martini. Her family knew not to disturb her when Jeopardy was on television. A neighbor described her as a “firecracker.”
Maryclare worked most of her life, beginning in high school and then with the B-29 Modification Center in Denver during WWII. After WWII ended, she had jobs in California and Washington, D.C., including 3 years with the Library of Congress. After moving to O’Fallon, Illinois, in 1962 and then St. Louis in 1989, she worked for 21 years with Western Union, where she was a proud union member. Maryclare volunteered for 30 years at the Fabulous Fox Theatre and at St. Joan of Arc's Sodality and for 10 years she helped with Red Cross blood drives. For nearly a decade she was a regular participant in the YMCA’s aerobic exercise class where she made many new and treasured friends.
She was the beloved mother of Julie (late Len) Barker, Kate (Dean) Yannias, Toni Palmer, Terri (Gabe) Aprati, and Tina (Adrian) Vesper; loving grandmother of Chris (Patty McNeely) Barker, Susan (Peter McCoy) Barker, Alexandra (Andreas Walker) Yannias-Walker, Nicholas Yannias, Andrew (Michelle) Shaw, David Shaw, Damian Vesper, and Devin Vesper; dearest great-grandmother of John Liam Barker, Owen McCoy, Theo Walker, Harper Shaw, and the late baby Kennedy Clare Shaw; dear sister of the late Jim Steele and aunt of Linda and Jamie.
SERVICES: Memorial Mass on Friday, May 17th, 11 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc Parish, 5800 Oleatha Ave, St. Louis, MO 63139. Visitation Friday, May 17th from 10 a.m. until time of Mass at St. Joan of Arc. The main church entry is on Pernod Ave. Inurnment to follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. If desired, in lieu of flowers, donations in Maryclare's name may be made to the Sodality of St. Joan of Arc, the South City Family YMCA, or the Missouri Botanical Garden.
