Berthena Loraine Hardridge was born October 2, 1946, to Earnest and Geraldine (Steen) Hardridge in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Berthena attended Muskogee public schools and graduated from the historic Manual Training High School with the class of 1964.

Shortly after high school, Berthena married the late Spencer Lee Gordon, Sr. To this union, she gave birth to a baby girl, Evette Loraine Gordon, and a baby boy, Spencer Lee Gordon, Jr. Berthena later met and married Gene Marvin Palmer in 1982. They were married over 35 years. To this union, Berthena gave birth to two girls, Gwendolyn Gene Palmer and Nyteshia Denise Palmer. Berthena retired from Owens-Illinois Brockway after 32 years of  service.

Berthena loved to cook, and a great cook she was. She was well- known for her four layer dessert and many other dishes.

Berthena attended Morning Star Baptist Church and accepted Christ at a young age. She later became a member of New Zion Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend Gary Mitchum.

In early morning of December 14, 2022, Berthena left this Earth and ascended into Heaven to be with the Lord.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Earnest Hardridge, Sr., Geraldine Steen, and Mildred Hardridge; maternal and paternal grandparents; loving husband, Gene Palmer; sister, Erma Jean; and three brothers, Earnest Jr., Jimmy Hardridge, and Thurman.

She leaves to cherish her memory: her four children, Evette Anderson of Rowlett, TX, Spencer Gordon, Jr., of Webbers Falls, OK, and Gwendolyn and Nyteshia Palmer, both of Tulsa, OK; two stepchildren, Kenneth Palmer of Tulsa, OK, and Crystal Carter of Broken Arrow, OK; seven brothers, Archie (Garletta) Steen of San Antonio, TX, Dennis Hardridge of Rowlett, TX, Raymond, Glenn and Timothy Hardridge, both of Muskogee, OK, and Richard and Terry, both of CA; three sisters, Denise Ledbetter of Muskogee, OK, and Barbara and Denise, both of CA; grandchildren, Nakia, Paul, LaToya, Jordan, Cree, Jaylyn, Domonique, Jabril, Brooke, and Ashtyn; eleven great-grandchildren; along with a host of extended family and friends.

Berthena was a loving and giving soul.
She will be missed here on this Earth.

The Sacred Farewell for Mrs. Palmer will commence on Thursday, December 22, 2022 at the Eleventh Hour in the most holy sanctuary of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Muskogee.

You may visit her as she rest in sweet slumber on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 from 1:00 PM until 6:00 PM in The People's Chapel of Keith D. Biglow Funeral Directors, Inc.,-Muskogee.

The Christian Committal will immediately follow the services in the Booker T. Washington Cemetery.