Jacquelyn Pickens

Jackie Pickens was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Roy and Nora (Sally) Ballew on December 3, 1931, and left peacefully for Heaven on October 1, 2021. She grew up in the St. Louis area. When in college, she served as a camp counselor at a summer camp in Wisconsin. She attended Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. Hendrix College is where she met the love of her life, Harry Pickens. They were married August 29, 1953. She also lived in Paducah, Kentucky, while her husband was serving in the U.S. Navy. She and Harry were stationed and lived in Newport, Rhode Island, Bayonne, New Jersey, Athens, Georgia, and Corpus Christi, Texas. They also lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, North Little Rock, Arkansas, and later moved to San Antonio, Texas, all where they had many close friends. She was a homemaker, and talented artist. She later used her art skills when she worked as an illustrator with Swearingen Aviation. Jackie was a wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was a very outgoing person, who loved socializing with friends and family. She and Harry enjoyed traveling to numerous locations in their motor home, and developed many close friends along the way. Jackie moved to the Waco area, following the illness and death of her husband, Harry, in August 2015. She continued to have fun with friends, and enjoyed playing trivia games at the Assisted Living Centers, where she excelled with her knowledge of extensive trivia information. She loved watching her classic movies. She will be greatly missed. Jackie is survived by her daughters, Meryl Burchardt, and husband, Mike, of China Spring, and Jeri McKinley and husband, Les, of Houston; son David Pickens, of Austin; sister-in-law, MarNelle Bragg, of St Louis. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Larry Burchardt, Jacob Burchardt, Michelle Sasser, Morgan Earles, Blake Kohutek, Connor Kohutek, Drew Pickens, and Katie Pickens, as well as nine great-grandchildren. The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to her physicians, Dr Carlos Alvarez-Mendez and Dr William Craig, of San Antonio, and also to Dr. William McCunniff and Dr Shawn Skeen, of Waco, who all lovingly and tenderly cared for her through the years. A family service will be held in Jackie’s honor. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Jude’s Hospital, or the organization of your choice.