Patti Palmer Spruell

Patti Palmer Spruell, 73, of Dothan, Alabama went home to be with the Lord on January 29, 2026, four months to the day after losing her husband of 32 years, Kenneth W. Spruell. She died of pneumonia after a valiant three-year battle with Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia (G.A.V.E).

Patti was born September 7, 1952, to Betty Reeves Palmer and Jesse J. Palmer of Dothan. She was a graduate of Slocomb High School. She studied at Wallace Community College in Dothan and Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa, and later studied interior design at Southern Institute School of Interior Design in Birmingham. Patti had three beautiful children by her first marriage to Wallace Alvin Sanders (dec.), Wallace Glenn Sanders, Wallace Sean Sanders, and Patti Peyton Pennington (dec.).

Patti was known for her vivacious personality, energy, undaunted spirit, beauty, wit, exceptional creativity, and dedication to her family and friends. She loved all nature, plants and animals. She was an avid gardener, and she had the greenest of green thumbs. Over the years, Patti acquired all sorts of animals and birds. She had many cats, many dogs, rabbits, horses, alpacas, a llama, chickens, peacocks, guinea fowl, quail, pigeons, and so forth. Patti was a friend of everyone especially to stray animals, stray people, and tiny little creatures that other people wouldn’t notice. If she found a little mouse or a little bird out in the yard that had been injured by cat or had fallen out of a nest, she would put that little creature in a shoebox with something soft to lie on and she would try to save it if she could. She said even if it was mortally wounded, she could at least keep the ants from getting to it so that it could die in peace.

Patti had an artist’s soul. Everything she touched turned into something beautiful. She created a world of little beings she called “Lil’ Peeks” which she incorporated into a children’s book illustrated and written by her. Visiting Patti’s home was like taking a walk down memory lane or going into a museum. She cherished things that were cast off by other people such as vintage wedding cake toppers, old dolls, vintage purses, gloves and shoes, old photographs, old children’s books, and such. Her hobbies were too numerous to list.

Patti firmly believed in living and letting live, but she was a person of firm convictions. She was extremely patriotic and an unapologetic conservative, but she never took anyone’s politics into account in how she treated them and loved them. She was a firm Christian believer, but she never held it against anybody if they were not. Patti never gave up hope for a better tomorrow and a better hereafter.

Patti was a funny, smart, sassy spitfire. She was almost always packing a pistol, including one dark night when she fought off a bobcat that was stealing her chickens, and chased it into the woods, armed only with the pistol and a stick. She was also a survivor. She endured hardship and loss on many occasions, some that would have broken most people, most significantly when she lost her precious daughter, Peyton. Patti willingly assumed the role of chief caretaker and nurse for her parents and for an aunt and uncle as well as for her daughter. Whatever the situation, Patti soldiered on and fought the good fight with charm and humor. On Patti’s final day, she fiercely resisted the indignities that the intensive care unit tried to impose on her, making a remarkable last stand. Quite simply there was no one quite like Patti Palmer Spruell. She was one of a kind.

Patti leaves behind her sons, Wallace Glenn Sanders and Wallace Sean Sanders, her son-in-law, Michael R. Pennington, her stepson, Jason Spruell (Joy), her grandchildren, Ralls Pennington (Caroline), Rabon Pennington Wilson, Jenni Pennington, Nathan, London, Lance, and Laurence Spruell, great-grandchildren, Scarlett Peyton Wilson, Sawyer Brennan Wilson, Anne Ralls Pennington, Trotter Reeves Pennington, her sister, Betsy Palmer Collins, her nieces, Jessica Collins Porterfield (Bobby), Casey Collins Linton (Mike) and Sarah Collins Lawler (Henry), her great-nephews, Palmer Alan Porterfield, Oliver George Linton, and Reeves Houston Linton, her great-nieces, Louise Grey Linton and Collins LaMarr Lawler, and many cherished cousins and friends. Patti was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth W. Spruell, her parents, Betty Reeves Palmer and Jesse J. Palmer, her daughter, Peyton Pennington, her stepson, Michael Derek Spruell (Ruth), her brother Jesse Glenn Palmer, and her dear sister-in-law, Bonnie Sartain Palmer.

Pallbearers will be Bobby Peters, Paul David West, Ralls Pennington, Bill Lovrich, Robert Syfrett, Mike Linton, Bobby Porterfield and Darrell Raulerson. Honorary pallbearers are Michael Pennington, Henry Lawler, and Al Casey. 

Services will be at Sorrells Funeral Home in Slocomb on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, with visitation beginning at 12:00 p.m. and services commencing at 1:00 p.m. Burial will immediately follow at Peyton’s Chapel, adjacent to Patti’s home which is located at 11780 Fortner Street, west of Dothan. A reception for friends and family will be held at the Southerly House, 1609 County Road 74, Dothan, AL 36301, following the graveside services. Flowers are welcome, but so are donations in Patti’s memory to either the Houston County High School Band, 200 West Church St, Columbia AL 36319; Sardis Missionary Baptist Church c/o Lanell Rivers, 3256 Kinsey Road, Dothan, AL 36303; or Kitty Kottage, 131 East Selma St, Dothan AL 36301.