Brenda Marie Ballinger Clark

(March 30, 1954 – October 12, 2022)

Brenda Marie Ballinger Clark, 68, of Bolivar, Missouri, left this life to meet our Lord on Wednesday October 12, 2022 in her home. She was born in the Ballinger home and was a lifetime resident of Bolivar, Missouri.

She married David Lynn Palmer on January 27, 1973 and from that union had one child, Mellissa. They divorced in June 1976 but remained close friends.

Brenda was raised in a home centered around music; dobro, mandolin, fiddle, pedal and lap steel guitars. Her childhood and young adult life consisted of family, immediate and extended, her father's  bandmates, and sometimes neighbors gathered in the home to play music. She was 6 years old when she had her first lesson on the pedal steel guitar. She was dedicated and played for several years before moving on to the next instrument.

Her first job was at Woods Café as a waitress at the age of 16 and the owners quickly became her second family.

She loved to sing and dance while listening to her collection of records. Brenda was also known for being an Elvis memorabilia collector as she had always been an avid fan.

Brenda was a giving woman. She always gave to others, putting herself last, when in fact she was the one that needed people to take care of her. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior later in life and was baptized shortly thereafter.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Genevieve Wilson Ballinger; father, Samuel Nelson Ballinger; two sisters, Jerry Sanders and Judith Barker; and twin brother, Brent Ballinger.

She is survived by her daughter, Mellissa Lynn Palmer Edwards; grandchildren, Kristen Nicole Blum and Chase Alexander Blum; extended family members, friends and loved ones.

Funeral services will be held at 2 pm, Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at Butler Funeral Home. Her remains will be placed in Rondo Cemetery at a later date.