Mrs. Rosalie Willard Pickler

Rosalie Willard Pickler, age 94, of Salisbury, passed away Sunday, September 04, 2016 at Autumn Care of Salisbury. Mrs. Pickler was born at the family home in Winston Salem on October 20, 1921 the fifth of six children of the late Robah Gray and Bessie Bennett Willard. Actually born as a Williard, the spelling of the family name changed to Willard following the family’s move to Salisbury in the early 1920’s. Rosalie attended Salisbury city schools and graduated from Boyden High School in Salisbury, Class of 1939. In 1940 she began employment at North Carolina Finishing Company (Fieldcrest Cannon) and remained continuously employed there in various clerical positions, including Scheduling Clerk and Head Invoicer, until her retirement in 1982. On December 22, 1945 she married Henry Clay Pickler Jr. and lived together with him until he preceded her in death on September 16, 1996. Rosalie was a Lifelong member of First United Church of Christ and secretary of Circle #2. She was a former member of the Out to Lunch group from South Salisbury (Ladies that grew up together.) She loved housework, gardening, growing flowers, sewing, cross stitch and traveling. She loved her family and maintained close relationships with her mother, father, brothers and sisters. And, while she had no children of her own she was a loving and caring Aunt to her nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. In addition to her parents and husband she was preceded in death by her brothers Grover Willard (Lois) and Albert Willard (Frances) and her sisters Sadie Bowler (Bus), Louise Fisher (Willard) and Frances Shoaf (Walter). Those left to cherish her memories are her brother-in-law Walter Shoaf of Salisbury; sister-in-law Lois Willard of Salisbury; a niece, Randye Royston, of Santa Rosa, CA ; two nephews Tim Shoaf (Cece) of Appleton, WI and Robert Willard of Aiken, SC. Visitation: 6-8 PM Sunday, September 11, 2016 at Summersett Funeral Home. Service: 2 PM Monday, September 12, 2016 in Summersett Memorial Chapel, conducted by Rev. Carol Hallman, Minister of First United Church of Christ. Burial will follow at Chestnut Hill Cemetery. Memorials to First United Church of Christ, 207 W. Horah St., Salisbury, NC 28144. Summersett Funeral Home is serving the Pickler family. Online condolences may be made at www.summersettfuneralhome.com.

Mrs. Rosalie Willard Pickler

October 20, 1921 - September 4, 2016