Timothy L. Palen, age 40 of Bitely, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday. Tim was born on Aug. 25, 1969 in Muskegon to Lester and Bernice (Zoerner) Palen and graduated from Spring Lake High School in 1988 and joined the US Navy shortly after high school. Tim met and later married Kristina Pembrook on July 30, 1999 in Ravenna. Tim had worked as a truck driver for several years and has been working for the Nugent Sand Company in Muskegon for the past year. Tim enjoyed hunting, fishing, the Michigan outdoors, playing cards. He especially enjoyed spending time with his family. SURVIVORS : his wife, Kristina; children. Elizabeth and Madison; his parents, Lester and Bernice Palen of Las Vegas, NV; sisters, Dawn (Gus) Porter of Colorado; Brenda (Tom) Lasko of Nunica; Jeanine (Jody) Olthof of Grand Haven; mother and father-in-law, Marilyn & William Pembrook of White Cloud; maternal grandmother-in-law, Margaret Bultema of Muskegon; brother-in-laws, Dave (Teri) Pembrook of Grand Rapids; Al Pembrook of Muskegon; Mike (Amy) Pembrook of Marne; nieces and nephews, Aaron, Kaylia, Krista, Keeda, Jeremy, Jordan, William, Sarah, Katie, Aubrey, Mike, Chelsea, Samantha, Sydney. GRAVESIDE SERVICES : Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 11am at the Merrill Twp. Cemetery in Bitely with Rev. Gordon Elzinga of the Brohman Chapel presiding. Friends may send a condolence or share a memory with the Palen family online at www.crandellfh.com.