Mae Palmer

Mae Delores

Guvakosky/Palmer, 98, of

Hayward, CA, formerly of

Butte, ND, passed away in

her sleep at Parkview

Healthcare Center in Hay-

ward, on Sunday, June 21,

2020.

Mae was born on May

1st, 1922, on a homestead

in rural North Dakota and

attended a nearby rural

one-room school thru 8th

grade. She then moved to

Minot and lived with rela-

tives while attending

Minot High School. Mae

graduated from Minot

High School in 1941.

Her older brother Willi-

am (Bill) remained at

home on the farm, and

her younger brothers (El-

den and Kayton) attended

High School in Butte

along with helping on the

farm.

She lived in Chicago as

a young adult and was in-

terested in fashion and

hat making.

When her mother and

brothers decided to move

from rural North Dakota

to California after WWII,

Mae moved from Chicago

to the San Francisco Bay

area to join them. She

loved the San Francisco

Bay area and was in a

fashionable group of

youngsters that included a

young fitness and nutri-

tion guru named Jack

LaLanne. Many memories

of the San Francisco

boardwalk, beaches and

roaring dances filled

Mae’s life during these

years.

In her mid 30’s, Mae ex-

perienced mental health

issues that affected her

ability to maintain gainful

employment, yet with the

assistance of her family,

Mae was able to maintain

independent living until

the mid 1970’s. Her con-

dition required her mov-

ing in with her mother,

Agnes, who was Mae’s

care taker until they both

entered elderly care facil-

ities after Agnes had a fall

in the early 2000’s. During

the clean out of Agnes’

house, Mae’s high fashion

clothes and shoes from

her youth were in high

demand from retro

fashion boutiques, some

of whom were outbidding

each other to get part of

Mae’s historical wardrobe.

Mae is survived by: her

brothers Elden Palmer

(96) of Castro Valley, CA,

and Kayton Palmer (95) of

Sioux Falls, SD.

She was preceded into

death by: her father Nick

Guvakosky, brother Willi-

am Guvakosky and moth-

er Agnes Palmer (Nechi-

porenko). Mae’s maternal

Grandfather Metropne aka

“Nick” Nechiporenko is

considered one of the

founding members of the

city of Butte, North Dako-

ta.

Mae’s final resting

place will be next to her

mother Agnes, and among

many other family

members in the Butte

Cemetery.

Arrangements for a

summer 2021 memorial

service are pending with

Nelson Funeral Home of

Drake.

Online condolences

may be shared at nelson-

funeralhomesnd.com.