Raymond Lavern Pickard 1924 - 2007

PICKARD, LEWIS, WOODSMALL

Posted By: Deb (email)
Date: 8/20/2007 at 09:11:45

The Burlington Hawkeye, Friday, August 15, 2007
Raymond Pickard
Raymond Lavern Pickard, 83, of Mount Pleasant died Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007, at Arbor Court care center in Mount Pleasant.

Born Feb. 17, 1924, in Washington, he was the son of Raymond Leslie and Gladys Mae Lewis Pickard. On June 16, 1946, he married Remona Evelyn Woodsmall in Mount Pleasant. She died July 25, 2002.

Mr. Pickard retired in 1986 after 39 years with Rural Electric Cooperative, where he first worked on the ground, was promoted to lineman, foreman, and then line supervisor. In 1978, he was promoted to project manager. After retirement, he delivered Pioneer seed corn for Don Lange until 2000.

His mother died when he was 2 years old. He grew up in Pleasant Plain and was raised in the Quaker faith. He graduated from the Pleasant Plain Consolidated High School in 1941. While in high school, he excelled in many sports. He played baseball for the local VFW baseball team where he was scouted and offered a contract to play on a minor league baseball team. He served in the Navy.

He was a member of the Congregational Church of Mount Pleasant, American Legion Robert Tribby Post 58 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2561. He volunteered as a train conductor for Midwest Old Threshers. He had been a member of the Odd Fellows and the Loyal Order of the Moose.

Survivors include one son, Larry, of San Francisco, Calif.; two grandchildren; four half brothers, Ed Pickard of Batavia, Ronald Pickard of Fairfield, Donald Pickard of Brighton and Gary Pickard of Kirksville, Mo.; nieces; and nephews.

Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents, one sister and two half sisters.

Visitation will be from noon to 9 p.m. today at Weir & Kimzey Funeral Home in Mount Pleasant, with family receiving friends from 7 to 9 p.m.

The funeral for Mr. Pickard will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Weir & Kimzey Funeral Home, with the Rev. Milo Van Veldhuizen officiating. Burial with full military honors will be in Forest Home Cemetery in Mount Pleasant.

A memorial has been established for the Mount Pleasant Public Library.