Pickeral, Ellen M.

A celebration of life for Ellen M. Pickeral, 90, of Iowa City, will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, at the Greater Iowa City Church of the Nazarene. The family will greet friends from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday at the church. The body has been cremated and a private burial will be held at a later date.

A memorial fund has been established for the Compassionate Ministries at the Greater Iowa City Church of the Nazarene.

Ellen Pickeral died Friday, Aug. 23, 2013, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics following a stroke.

Ellen M. (Mikesell) Pickeral was born July 12, 1923, in Packwood, Iowa, the daughter of Earl and Lena (Ocheltree) Mikesell. She was united in marriage to Carl Pickeral on Nov. 1, 1941 in Lancaster, Mo. After Carl's death in 1988, she married Merlin Gibson on Aug. 17, 1991, in Keota, Iowa. Ellen worked as a cook in the Washington school district for 11 years and at the University of Iowa Child Education Center for 10 years. She was a member of the Greater Iowa City Church of the Nazarene. Ellen enjoyed reading, playing Skip-Bo, walking and Iowa Hawkeye Basketball.

Survivors include her daughter, Joyce (Chris) Hampsher of Lisbon; three grandchildren; three great granddaughters; one stepdaughter, Muriel Zimmerman; one stepson, Duane (Marilyn) Gibson; four stepgrandchildren; and eight stepgreat-grandchildren.

Preceding Ellen in death were her parents; her first husband, Carl Pickeral in 1988; her second husband, Merlin Gibson in 2004; a son, Larry Pickeral; a stepson, Ronald Gibson; and three brothers, Clayton, Dale and Leroy Mikesell.

Published in The Gazette Sept. 4, 2013.