Mary Carolyn Neal Pickel

Monday, April 13, 2009

Mary Carolyn Neal Pickel, 85, of Crawfordsville, died Friday, April 10, 2009 at her residence.

She was born April 30, 1923 in Wingate, the daughter of Ray R. Neal and Genevieve Cottrell Neal. She was a 1941 graduate of Greencastle High School and a 1945 graduate of DePauw University, where she was a member of Alpha Phi sorority and university choir. She married Mark A. Pickel on June 17, 1947 at Gobin Memorial Methodist Church, and they were divorced in 1982.

Mrs. Pickel taught school in Steuben County and Tippecanoe County. She had 30 years of service to Girl Scouting. She had been a past conference, district and local officer of the United Methodist Women; member of the Deborah Circle and Crawfordsville First United Methodist Church Women; member of Crawfordsville First United Methodist Church; member and past local and county officer of Wingate Extension Homemakers; member, past regent and past state chairman of the Daughters of the American Revolution (Dorothy Q. Chapter); and a member, past regent and past state officer of the Daughters of American Colonists, Crawfordsville Chapter.

She was also a volunteer at Wesley Thrift Shop, volunteer and past president of Montgomery County American Cancer Society and a member of the Montgomery County Republican Women's Club.

Survivors include her son, Frank Pickel and wife Nancy of Moore, Okla.; daughters Carolyn Pickel of Terre Haute, Nancy Pickel of Crawfordsville and Jean Heise and husband John of Kingsport, Tenn.; nine grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews and great-great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by brother Robert Neal and sister Margaret Jewell.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Hunt and Son Funeral Home in Crawfordsville with the Rev. Gary Lewis officiating. Burial will be at Greenlawn Cemetery in Wingate.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to D.A.R. or Wesley Thrift Shop. Online condolences may be made at www.huntandson.com