Ellen Pickeral

A celebration of life for Ellen M. Pickeral, 90 of Iowa City will be held Friday, September 6, 2013 at 4PM at the Greater Iowa City Church of the Nazarene.  The family will greet friends from 3 – 4 PM 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, August 23, 2013 at the Univeristy of Iowa Hospital 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 November 1, 1941 in Lancaster, Missouri.  After Carl's death in 1988 she married Merlin Gibson on August 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, Iowa, three grandchildren, three great grandaughters, one step daughter; Muriel Zimmerman, one step son; Duane (Marilyn) Gibson, four step grandchildren, and 8 step great grandchildren; Rocco Zimmerman, Jonathan, Christian, Katelyn, Hudson and Sofia Gibson, Meg Gibson and Richard Miller.

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 step son; Ronald Gibson, and three brothers; Clayton, Dale and Leroy Mikesell.