Pickens, Merwin E.

1926 - 2012  (85 years)

• Name	Pickens, Merwin E.
  Birth	3 Oct 1926
  Gender	Male
  Reference Number	PICK.M002
  _FGRAVE	84380500
  Military Service	World War II, Technician 4th Grade, United States Army  [1]
  	With 6 months, 5 days, of prior service, enlisted in the regular army, ordnance corps, and entered active service on December 12, 1945 at Fort Ord, California. Qualified in the military occupational specialty of mail clerk (mos 056). Departed thhe continental U.S. on February 5, 1946 bound for the European Theater of Operations. Assigned to and served with the 560th Ordnance Truck Maintenance Company engaged in the occupation of Germany. Honorably discharged as a Technician Fourth Grade on December 26, 1946 at the Separation Center, Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Earned the WWII Victory Medal and The Army of Occupation Medal (Germany). Source: http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=2283262
  		United States of America Flag, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959,…
  		United States Army
  		Technician Fourth Grade, United States Army and United States Army Air Forces (Sep 1942-Aug 1948) This insignia was worn during World War II. The Technician ranks were removed from the U.S. Army rank system in 1948, although the concept was brought back with the Specialist ranks in 1955.
  		Technician Fourth Grade, United States Army and United States Army Air Forces (Sep 1942-Aug 1948) This insignia was worn during World War II. The Technician ranks were removed from the U.S. Army rank system in 1948, although the concept was brought back with the Specialist ranks in 1955.
  		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
  		Military Service Ribbons, Pickens, Merwin E. (1926-2012) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		Army of Occupation Medal, United States Army and United States Air Force
  		Army of Occupation Medal, United States Army and United States Air Force
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  		Fort Sheridan, Illinois
  		European Theater of World War II
  		Fort Ord, California
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007 On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …
  		World War II Honoree, Pickens, Merwin E. (1926-2012)
  Death	25 Jan 2012
  Burial	Swan Lake Memory Gardens, Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois   [2]
  	Gethsemane
  		Headstone, Pickens, Merwin E.
  Person ID	I35633	Carl Wayne Gray Research
  Last Modified	7 Sep 2021

  
  

  Father	Pickens, John Raymond,   b. 21 Dec 1904, Clay County, Illinois d. 20 Jul 1996, Louisville, Clay County, Illinois (Age 91 years)
  Mother	Anderson, Cora Edna,   b. 1906   d. 1978 (Age 72 years)
  Marriage	1923
  Age at Marriage	He was ~ 18 years - She was ~ 17 years.
  Family ID	F9316	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Sloniker, Betty,   b. 1929   d. 1995 (Age 66 years)
  Family ID	F14449	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Jan 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Burial - - Swan Lake Memory Gardens, Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Merwin E. Pickens, 85, of Peoria passed away January 25, 2012, at Heartland Health Care Center in Peoria. Mr. Pickens was born October 3, 1926 in Louisville, IL, the son of Raymond and Cora Anderson Pickens. He married Betty Slonaker December 21, 1947 in Louisville. She passed away September 25, 1995. He was a World War II Army Vetaran and an electrician at Bemis Beg Company and Ivex for approximately 45 years. Survivors include his children, Tommy, Danny, and Curt Pickens, Diana Burdette, Lisa Mackey, Teresa Randle, Shannon Pickens-Mitchell, Coral "Danette" Hawkins; brothers, James and Leon Pickens; sister, Shirley Atchison; 20 grandchildren; and 31 great-grandchildren. Mr. Pickens was preceded in death by his parents; wife; daughter, Jeanne R. Pickens; brother Keith Pickens and sister Merle Foreman. Funeral services were held at Endsley-Sedgwick Funeral Home in Bartonville. Burial, with military honors, follwed in Swan Lake Memory Gardens in Peoria. Memorials to Alzheimer's Association or Passages Hospice. (Published Clay County Republican)

  
  

• Sources

  [S14854] https://www.wwiimemorial.com/, World War II Honoree, Merwin E. Pickens, (https://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=2283262) (Reliability: 2). [S11314] http://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Pickens, Merwin E., (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Pickens&GSfn=Merwin&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=16&GScntry=4&GSob) (Reliability: 2).