Mother of four remembered by community after dying 10 days after giving birth

IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls mother of four is being remembered for living a life full of love, kindness and joy after unexpectedly dying 10 days after giving birth.

Janelle Palmer, 36, died March 13, 2025, at her home due to a spontaneous coronary artery dissection, which is when a tear forms in a wall of a heart artery. A GoFundMe set up for Palmer’s family said she was found unresponsive and transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

OBITUARY: Janelle Lee Bailey Palmer

She leaves behind her husband, Shane Palmer, and their four children, ages five, four, two and a newborn.

“Wherever Janelle was, others were drawn. She had a tangible light and a brightness that pulled people in,” her obituary reads. “She was unfailingly kind — a friend to all. Pure hearted and without guile, Janelle had the gift of making a person feel like they were the only one in the room.”

Palmer was born in Midland, Texas. As an infant, she lived briefly in Barnwell, Alberta, Canada, but she spent most of her childhood in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Palmer, who her family described as being “gifted academically and a natural athlete,” accomplished many feats throughout her life. She earned the distinction of valedictorian of her high school class and competed in high school athletics.

She served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Brazil Sao Paulo East Mission and later on, enjoyed working as a Pediatric Speech Pathologist at EIRMC.

“Janelle brought her all to every worthwhile endeavor that she could find. And find them she did!” her obituary reads. “Janelle looked for learning and adventure and always used the opportunities that the world provided her as a means of connection and spending time together with the people she loved.”

Her obituary says that before Palmer had her own children, she had been an “integral part of the lives of her nieces and nephews.” Once she became a mother, she was “intentional in her efforts to teach, instruct, guide, and love them (her kids).”

The GoFundMe explains that she dedicated her life to “creating warmth, light and love in her home and to all those around her.” And that she had “so much joy in watching her children grow.”

“As Janelle fully inhabited her role as mother in the very short time she was able to, we have faith that her intention to continue what she was blessed to begin will not waver,” her obituary states. “Our hearts are held in the faith that mothers want to be where their babies are, and we have no doubt that Janelle will be close by throughout the lives of her precious children.”

Palmer’s viewing will be held on March 21, 2025, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hawker Funeral Home, 132 South Shilling Avenue in Blackfoot. The funeral service will be held on March 22 at 11 a.m., with a viewing prior, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Idaho Falls North Stake Center, 955 Memorial Drive. The interment will follow the funeral at the Moreland Idaho Cemetery.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Palmer family with medical expenses, funeral costs, child care, education and the other day-to-day needs as the family adjusts to life without Palmer. To donate, click here. Monetary donations can also be sent to Palmer’s husband through Venmo @Shane-Palmer-23.

Palmer’s loved ones would like to thank the southeast Idaho community for their outpouring of love and support to the Palmer family at this difficult time.

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