Mrs. Odra Mae Pickeral

Odra Timms Pickeral 1926-2017 Odra Timms Pickeral, formerly of Waldorf, MD, died on January 18, 2017. A resident of Heartlands Senior Village in Ellicott City, Maryland since June 2006, Odra enjoyed meeting new people and hearing about their life experiences. Odra was a life-long learner who stayed well informed about local, national, and international events. In the last decades of her life, her vision dimmed due to macular degeneration. This vision loss robbed her of her ability to read and reading was her passion. She educated herself about macular degeneration and used what she learned to adapt to her vision loss. A favorite phrase was, “if life gives you lemons, then make lemonade.” Odra Mae Timms was born on June 6, 1926 in Fairmont, West Virginia to John Timms and Ramah Carpenter Timms. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Fairmont State College in 1949, with a major in Home Economics and a minor in Sociology. Odra attended college at a time when higher education was not widely valued for women. She saw education as a means to becoming independent and self-supporting. After graduating, Odra accepted a teaching position in Southern Maryland at Hughesville School in Hughesville, Maryland. She attended church at Calvary Methodist Church in Waldorf, Maryland, where she met Emmett Pickeral. They married in 1951, and saved their pennies to purchase their farm in Waldorf. They had a daughter, Diane. At that time, when a teacher was expecting she had to stop teaching. With the support of her principal, and the backing of the community, Odra was allowed to continue teaching during her pregnancy. When Emmett’s parents became ill, Odra resigned from her teaching position to care for them. Odra was unable to leave the farm since her in-laws required around the clock care. Guided by her strong belief in education, she arranged for the Charles County Bookmobile to make regular stops at the farm. Odra would stand on the farmhouse porch and watch Diane, then age 4-5, visit the bookmobile. When Odra returned to teaching, she substituted in many different Charles County Schools. She was active in church activities and as a Girl Scout leader. Each year there was a well-planned summer vacation, by car, to United States destinations. The trips were a result of Odra’s reading about the different states and the historical sites in each. Using her home economics background, not a penny was wasted during these trips. A cooler, a camp stove, and garden tomatoes ripening in the car’s back glass were essentials. By the time Diane finished high school, they had visited every state except three. After substituting for a number of years, Odra became a full-time teacher at Spring Dell Center in La Plata, Maryland. She taught her clients home living skills. Odra retired from Spring Dell in 1988. After Emmett’s death in 2005, Odra remained in their home in Waldorf. Due to worsening vision, Odra could no longer drive. During this time, Emmett’s cousin, Carl Hamilton, became Odra’s link to the world. He graciously drove Odra to medical appointments and to the grocery store. Carl took care of the lawn and was on-call for anything that Odra needed. His kindness will never be forgotten. Odra regained her independence when she moved to Heartlands Senior Living Village. Meeting new people, having her apartment, attending social functions, and listening to audio books brought her great joy. Odra is survived by her daughter Diane Pickeral, son-in-law Joe Duckworth, granddaughter Joanna Duckworth, grandson John Duckworth and granddaughter-in-law Ashley Duckworth. A graveside service will be held at Trinity Memorial Gardens, Waldorf, MD at a later date. Memorial contributions, while not expected, may be made to Friends of Old Waldorf School Foundation, Inc. (FOWS) P.O. Box 954 Waldorf, MD 20604. Online condolences may be offered at www.haightfuneralhome.com

Mrs. Odra Mae Pickeral

June 6, 1926 - January 18, 2017