MARGERY MAE MERRICK PICKENS slipped peacefully and happily into God’s heavenly kingdom on Monday December 5, 2022 leaving behind 101 years and eight months of unconditional love for her family and her friends. Her gentle smile and happy whit will be remembered by all who knew her. She lived a remarkable healthy life. Even though she spent her last week in the hospital, she had not been in the hospital since 1954 when she had her son Gary.
A fifth generation Texan, Mae Merrick was born March 31, 1921 in Greenville Texas, the first-born child of Charles Clark Merrick and Aubrey Jennie Hayter Merrick. In two years, her sister Martha Jo was born followed 8 years later by a brother Charles Clark Merrick, Jr.
Mae was born across the street from her home on Jones St. in the home of her grandparents J.O. Hayter and Jennie Mae Ewing Hayter where she would spend her next 20 Christmases with a multitude of aunts, uncles and cousins. The “Jones St bunch” of kids had fun during the Depression playing tennis on a clay tennis court on a lot next to her home that her father built. She became an avid tennis player and went to by bi-district. She belonged to the newly formed Greenville Flaming Flashes Drum and Bugle Corps created by Gussie Nell Davis (founder of the Kilgore Rangerettes). While playing the bugle her Jr. Yr. she met a handsome trumpet player named Murray Pickens. He graduated in 1938 and attended East TX State Teachers College in Commerce. Mae was chosen to play the drum her Sr. Yr. and graduated from Greenville HS in 1939.
Mae started that summer at ETSTC and began dating the love of her life Murray Douglas Pickens. They were married November 9, 1941 in the home of her aunt and uncle Kittie and Red Ellis by Murray’s uncle Rev. Robert Ridley. They moved to Corrigan, TX where Murray was the HS band director. One month later the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and everyone’s lives changed. Murray enlisted and was assigned to the Army Air Corps Band at the newly built Majors Field in Greenville TX. They moved back to Greenville where they lived the rest of their lives.
After the war, Murray went to work for the Shirey Co. in Greenville, and daughter, Camille (1946) and son, Gary (1954) were born.
Mae was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and homemaker who had a servant’s heart. Her love and gentle smile reflected God’s love with anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Mae was a member of the Tooanoowe (Gamma Phi Beta) Sorority, Junior Pallas, officer of the Greenville Chapter of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), and a member of the Kavanaugh UMC Choir and Fellowship Class.
She and Murray had a wonderful and happy life filled with music and laughter for 74 years before his passing in 2015. Mae and her loving husband were lifelong members of Kavanaugh Methodist Church. Mae’s grandfather, J.O Hayter, was chairman of the sanctuary building committee in 1921.
Mae was preceded in death by her husband Murray, her parents and sister Jo Gililland and brother Charlie Merrick. She is survived by her daughter Camille Pickens Toro and son Gary Douglas Pickens and wife Sheryl; grandchildren Paige Toro Bullough and husband Dale, Merrick Pickens Porcheddu and husband David, and Parker Douglas Pickens; great grandchildren Colt, Cade and Caroline Bullough; Oliver and Silas Porcheddu.
Services will be held at Kavanaugh Methodist Church on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 2 PM with Rev. Cecilia Granadosin and Rev. Stephen Cotten officiating. Visitation will be Monday 6-8 PM at Coker Mathews Funeral Home, Greenville.
Pallbearers are Drew Barrett, Clif Cameron, James Charlton Ellis, Dr. Jud Gililland, John Gililland, John Helm, Johnny Henson, and Charles (Chuck) Merrick, III.
Honorary Pallbearers are Jim Adams, Ronnie Green, Kip Glasscock, Jerry Jetton, Joel Low, Dan Petty, Danny Seed, Bobby Stovall.
In lieu of flowers Mae would have appreciated donations being made to Kavanaugh Methodist Church, Greenville, Texas, the church she loved.