Gloria Pickett went to be with her Lord and Savior on October 19, 2015, passing peacefully at her home after a long battle with a respiratory illness. A longtime resident of Kingwood, Gloria was born to Norman and Eva Schostag on July 26, 1934.
She was raised on the Schostag family farm in Dewitt County and graduated from Yorktown High School in 1951. Growing up, she loved to help her parents around the farm where she learned how to sew and cook from her mother Eva and her aunt Jane Schostag. She learned how to repair simple items, grow and garden and raise chickens and cows from her father Norman. As an only child, Gloria developed a love of pets and for reading which she enjoyed throughout her life. In her early teen years, her father gave her a cow and she was able to save money for her college years raising and selling calves. After high school, Gloria attended Texas Lutheran College in Sequin majoring in elementary education and graduating in 1955. Her first teaching assignment was in Victoria where she taught first grade for one year. From there she moved to San Antonio where she taught third grade and on a blind date, in May 1959, met her husband and love of her life, Jerry Pickett. Knowing that it was the right time for both of them, they became engaged in September of that same year and later wed Dec. 20, 1959 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Yorktown.
After marrying Jerry the couple moved to Houston where their first son, Randy, was born in February 1961. Career changes and relocations took the family to San Diego, Calif. where their second son, Ken, was born in November 1962. The family then moved to Wichita, Kan., Beaumont, Garland, and finally to Kingwood in July 1976. Gloria resumed teaching elementary school in Wichita, Kan. in 1964 and taught school through May 1981. After finishing her teaching career she joined her husband Jerry where she excelled in the property and casualty insurance business at Pickett Insurance Agency until the late 1990’s.
Gloria loved the outdoors and enjoyed traveling with her family throughout the United States. She especially enjoyed the two trips and her and Jerry took to Hawaii and later to the see the fall colors in the northeast United States. She was an active member of Christ the King Lutheran Church and was very fond of pastors Al Doering and Doyle Theimer who ministered to her at home and the hospital during the last few years Gloria struggled with her illness. Gloria is survived by her husband of 55 years Jerry, her two sons, Ken and Randy, Randy’s wife and her daughter-in law, Emily Pickett and six grandchildren, Brandon (34), Megan (32), Cody (26), Travis (25), Sarah Beth (11) and Samuel (7). The family would like to express a special thanks to the medical care providers who looked after “Mom’ over the last few years.
Visitation was from 5-7 p.m. Thursday Oct. 22 at Massey Funeral Home. Funeral service was at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23 at Massey Funeral Home. Interment followed at Westside Cemetery.
Visitors and guests are invited to sign the online guest book at www.masseyfh.com
Arrangements by Massey Funeral Home, 779 N. Riedel, Yorktown, 78164 361-564-2900.