The family of Robe’rt (Bob) and Bettye Palmer are holding a surprise 50th wedding anniversary celebration today at the Waterford Hotel in Springfield. Two hundred guests from across the country are expected to attend, including community leaders.
The Palmers were engaged in 1963, a pinnacle year for the Civil Rights movement. As plans were being made for 100,000 people to converge on Washington, D.C. for the historic March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King would deliver his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, the Palmers were making a promise that has held firm for decades. The Palmers married September 1, 1964.
Together, the Palmers raised a family in the wake of significant historic events, including the first moon landing, the Viet Nam War, the Nixon administration and the continuing conflicts in the Middle East. They have four children: Robe’rt, Jr., Palmer, Remond Palmer, Nicole Guess and Germaine Palmer. The Palmers also have four grandchildren: Dana Rae Lawrence, Remond Keith Palmer, Jr., Keshawn Jemond Palmer and Valentino Bryon Guess.
The Palmers are active members of Dumfries’ First Mount Zion Baptist Church, under the leadership of Dr. Luke Torian and Assistant Reverend Sandra James. According to Robe’rt, Jr., “Over these 50 years, as with all families, Bob and Bettye have no doubt had their ups and downs, their triumphs and losses, sickness and health. But the one constant, as anyone who knows them can attest to, has always been their love and commitment to God and to each other.”
Nicole Guess says her mother is known to say, “Keep your hand in God’s hand,” while Bob’s motto is, “I will trust in the Lord always.”
“You can be on time for everything else,” says Bettye. “Don’t make me late for church.”
Bettye is also known for her coordinated outfits, from dress, to shoes, to hat, to handbag. Guess remembers her father saying, “Bettye, you don’t have to buy another hat, dress or purse, even if they are giving it away!”
The Palmers met in 1963 in Asbury Park, NJ, where they both had moved to work. At the time, the area was the hub of the African American community. Bettye’s career took her from a clothes cleaners to manufacturing and corporate America, including Signal Light and AT&T. Bob worked in the hospitality industry and eventually with the Asbury Park school system until he retired in 1999. In 2006, the family moved to Dumfries.
Robe’rt, Jr., holds a Bachelor’s degree from Rowan University and a Master’s from Strayer University. He has worked for the Department of Defense for 25 years in D.C. Metro.
Remond attended Monmouth University and graduated from Seton Hall University. He is a retired fireman and currently instrumental in the Asbury Park political system.
Nicole holds a Bachelor’s degree from Rowan University and a Master’s from Strayer University. She is a Department of Defense Contractor in D.C. Metro.
Germaine graduated from Potomac High School in Dumfries and works for Prince William County.
“With that strong commitment, their union has stood the test of time,” Robe’rt, Jr. says about his parents. “And that is what we celebrate today.”
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