Pickering, Maurice E.

Maurice E. Pickering, 98, of Keystone, died Monday, Nov. 21, 2011, at St. Luke's Hospice in Cedar Rapids. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, at Salem United Methodist Church in Van Horne, with Pastor Norm Bennett officiating. Interment will be held at Oak Hill Cemetery in Belle Plaine. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Phillip's Funeral Home in Keystone.

Maurice Pickering was born in Sheldon, Iowa, on June 1, 1913, to George and Edith Whitsell England. She received her early education in Poweshiek County rural schools and later Belle Plaine High School. She married Leonard Pickering on Dec. 29, 1931, in the Little Brown Church, Nashua, Iowa. The couple farmed two miles east of Keystone for 36 years, before moving to Belle Plaine. After Leonard's death in 1997, Maurice moved to Keystone where she resided until her death. She was a long time member of Christ United Methodist Church in Belle Plaine, where she taught Sunday school for many years. In more recent years, she had been a member of Salem United Methodist Church, Van Horne.

Maurice embraced her years as a farm wife. She enjoyed watching Iowa Hawkeye basketball games. Her lifelong passion was working with flowers.

She is survived by daughters, Linda (George) Meeks of rural Hartwick, and Sandra (Larry) Points of Solon; grandchildren; Tami Mora and Christine Meeks of Cedar Rapids, Stacy Meeks and Jason (Jocelyn) Meeks of Chelsea, David Points of Cedar Rapids and Brian Points of Denver, Colo.; great grandchildren, Jessica Mora, Savanah and Tanner Meeks, Zoie and Ava Points; sister-in-law, Geraldine Pickering of Van Horne; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband and brothers, Floyd, Lloyd and Vernon England.

Published in The Gazette Nov. 23, 2011.