Full Obituary

     IVA F. PALMS, age 96, of Greenwood, WI, formerly of Thorp, WI, passed away at home on Friday, October 4, 2024.  A memorial service will be at 12pm on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Thorp, with Pastor Randy VanDeLoo officiating.  Burial will follow in Sylvan Cemetery in the Town of Reseburg, rural Thorp.  Visitation will be held at the church on Saturday from 10:30am until time of service.
     Iva Florence Bertrang was born on a farm in Mount Pulaski, IL, on October 11, 1927, one of 13 children born to Walter F. and Nelia F. (Hoy) Bertrang.  When she was a young girl, her family moved to Fairchild, WI where she was raised on a farm and received her education.  After completing her education, she remained at home to take care of her ailing mother.  Iva met the love of her life, Robert K. Palms, and they were united in marriage on May 15, 1947.  They raised 16 children together, living in Fairchild, Neillsville, and later, Thorp.  While Iva was raising her children, she would occasionally help cook at local establishments for fish fries, the yearly coon feeds, and later helped cook at the senior citizen's center in Thorp.  For years, she was treasurer of the horseshoe team her husband and some of her sons were on, and organized the seasonal horseshoe picnic.  Iva enjoyed Sunday dinners with the family (everyone was expected to show up), visiting relatives, playing cards, Bingo, gardening, quilting, reading, baking and fishing. When the grandchildren began to arrive, she spent endless hours rocking, kissing and singing to them which brought her the most joy.  Following her husband’s death on January 18, 1996, she remained in her home, then later moved to Morgan Plaza apartments in Thorp.  She loved living there and all the activities it offered.  Iva enjoyed helping others, and would take friends and other tenants to their doctor appointments and with her to Bingo throughout the local communities.  When it became too hard for Iva to live on her own, she went to live with her daughter, Patty and Jim Briski in Greenwood, who became her caregivers.  She was also cared for by her granddaughter, Jennifer Briski-Riemer, and daughter, Lucy Nitz, until her death.  Iva was loved greatly and will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
          She is survived by 13 children: Roberta Braeger of Red Granite, WI, Nancy (James) Fitzl of Augusta, WI, Eugene "Butch" (Renee) Palms of Thorp, WI, Gordon (Debra) Palms of Withee, WI, Kenneth Palms of Coloma, WI, Cheryl Ustianowski of Chippewa Falls, WI, David Palms of Neillsville, WI, Patricia (James) Briski of Greenwood, WI, Valorie (Eddy) Salzgeber of Barron, WI, Lucy Nitz (Les White) of Boyd, WI, Renata (Allen) Ciokiewicz of Stanley, WI, Dotty (Robert) Mikolainis of Thorp, WI, and Tina Palms of Rhinelander, WI; 41 grandchildren, 54 great grandchildren, 9 great-great grandchildren; daughter-in-law: Patricia Palms of West Allis, WI; sister-in-law: Shirley Bertrang of Fairchild, WI; nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.
     She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert; two sons: Gary and LaVern "Popeye" Palms; her daughter, Wanda Leigh; one great grandson, Adam Kaiser; 8 brothers: Frederick, Orville, Walter, Rodney, Dean, William, Donald, and Byron Bertrang; and 4 sisters: Helen Scroggins, Dorothy Davis, Lillian Scroggins, and Edna Oliver.