Concetta "Connie" Anthony

Concetta “Connie” A. Palmer Anthony

Concetta “Connie” A. Palmer Anthony, 84, passed away on Sept. 26, 2019 with her family by her side at All Saints Senior Living in Shakopee, MN.  She fought a long hard battle with Alzheimer’s.

Connie was born upstairs of Checco’s Tavern in Hibbing, MN to Italian immigrants Antonio and Josephine Palmer.  She spent her childhood in Park Addition where her parents owned and operated Palmer’s Tavern, which is still a family run business there.

A social worker for the Arrowhead Head Start Program, she retired after 35 years and then tended bar at the Hibbing Moose Club until it closed its’ doors.  Connie then went on to sell pull tabs at Palmer’s Tavern.  As a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Connie was also an active member of the Ladies Sacred Heart Circle.  She also belonged to the VFW Ladies Auxiliary in Hibbing.  Connie enjoyed golfing, curling and bowling.  She traveled throughout the U.S. competing in national bowling tournaments and collecting spoons from every state she visited.  She shared her love of cooking and baking with her grandchildren and made them each a personalized cookbook with all their favorite grandma recipes.  The best time of Connie’s life were spent with her family and always included playing cards, rolling dice and as Italians do: a small feast!

Connie is survived by three daughters: Kathy Fitzgerald of Shakopee, MN, Patti Abbott of Chaska, MN, Mary Kay (Dean) Dropps of Shakopee, four grandchildren: Tara (Dan) Heylman, Diana Johnson, Tiffany (Eric) Haradon, and Timothy (Chelsea) Dropps, four great grandchildren: Levi, Lauren, Landon and Wyatt.  Her 3 sisters: Elizabeth (Charles) Livens of Tempe, AZ, Rose Palmer of Washburn, WI, Mary Sellars of Hibbing and one brother Tony Palmer of Princeton, MN along with several nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husbands Haswell Anthony, Jerry Johnson, her son Jerry Michael Johnson and her parents.

A memorial service will be held at the Dougherty Funeral Home, Hibbing on Friday, Oct. 4, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.  Burial will be in the Maple Hill Cemetery, Hibbing.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Foundation or Grace Hospice in Mpls, MN in Connie’s memory.