Marilyn Joyce (Brooks) Pickle
November 20, 1928-January 3, 2017

Joyce passed into glory at 6:00 AM Jan. 3, 2017 at the age of 89.
Remembrance services will be held Saturday, January 6, 2017 at Culpepper Funeral Home on Highway 35 N in Kosciusko, MS at 11:00 AM. Visitation will be the preceding Friday, January 5th at 5:00 PM also at Culpepper Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Parkway Cemetery.

Her surviving family is: son, Michael “Mike” Pickle and wife Virginia Applewhite Pickle, daughter, Karen and husband Kenneth Dale Peay; six grandchildren, Leisa Gabrielle, Michael Anthony, Christopher Michael and wife Aschah, Danielle Lee and husband Jeremy, Karen Esther and husband Jonathan, Lydia Anna and husband Marlin. By her brother-in-law and close friend, Robert William “Bill” Pickle. A sister Sue Chapman and her family, David and Laree and children, Micci and Randy and children, also a niece Cherryl Nordin and her daughter, Sabrina Ashcraft and husband, Greg and three children, Elijah, Lydia, and Corey.

She was preceded in death by her Husband, Dr. Coleman Pickle, Parents, middle sister, and many close relatives of Texas, her native state.
Joyce was born November 20, 1928 in Henderson, TX to Wilbur and Annis Brooks.

She graduated with a GED and entered the University of Texas Nursing School in 1948? During this time of education, Coleman Pickle saw Ms Brooks and almost immediately pursued her and marriage in June 1951. She completed UT Nursing School as an outstanding student. When new Dr. Pickle opened his first office in the rear of City Drug Store in Kosciusko, Joyce served as his nurse and aid.

Along with Coleman, she was involved in First Baptist Church Kosciusko for over twenty years. Together they served on the Youth Committee, Leaders of Junior High and later Senior High Sunday Schools—10-12 years. While leading the HS Sunday School, Joyce maintained a list of teenagers whose parents were not active in church so each Sunday morning she called from 10 to 20 young people to talk to them long enough to remind them to get up, get dressed, and be in Sunday School. While serving on the Youth Committee, the two of them hosted numerous events at their home in Dogwood Hills and helped host events at other locations in town. They were active members of Williamsville Baptist Church for about ten years and were founders of Grace Church in Kosciusko. Grace actively supported New Tribes Missions while the jungle camp was located in Durant. The church not only financially supported NTM but discipled dozens of couples that were members at Grace. She was involved in the Junior Auxiliary, Garden Club, Supper Club, and several other groups in Kosciusko.

As a wife of one of the founders of Attala Medical Clinic, she was involved in hosting the new doctors’ wives that began their practice in Kosciusko. Along with Bonnie Mink, she led the wives in numerous activities for social interaction and involvement in the community.

In the 1960’s, with the advent of the Ford Mustang, Joyce prevailed on her husband to buy her a Mustang. She loved to drive and apparently loved to drive “fast.” She had two of them before she outgrew the muscle car stage—1966 and 1968.

Joyce and Coleman were involved in many out-of-door activities—camping and boating to name two, as well as widely traveled the U.S. Once her children were grown, the late bloomer, Mike and his wife, began bringing grandchildren around. That began a whole new chapter of travel and activity as the two of them led and hosted the grandchildren, either 1 or all on trips or activities. A few of activities were Pickwick Dam, Huntsville, AL Johnson Space Center, the Kosciusko Country Club dozens of times, trips to the Gulf Coast, and on and on. If nothing else, for a week after four weeks of home school, they entertained all the grandchildren so Mom could prepare for the next month of school work.

After their first Bible conference in 1970, Joyce came home and purchased a Living Bible by Tyndale House publishing. She had never gotten comfortable with the King James or Revised Standard Version. She began by reviewing and studying her notes and Scriptures from the Bible conference. Joyce was a profuse writer of notes for later study and to aid her in remembering the large amounts of Bible knowledge and information she received at such a conference. She left behind between one and two thousand pages for notes on the Bible, Scripture passages, and insights. This was such a central part of her life for ten years that if you dropped in for some reason, you would see her Bible, notepads, and other study materials on the breakfast room table. These items were only moved when she needed to prepare a meal for her family.

In about 1980, women began asking Joyce to help them understand the Bible and their roles in the marriage and home. For the next ten or so years, it was not unusual to find her and one of more women sitting in the living room of her home as she led them to study the Bible for the answers they were seeking. She might work for months with one wife and mother or with a group of ten or less. On a few occasions, a wife in a crisis situation would ask Joyce to walk with her through the marital crisis. She, Joyce, seemed to never tire of these long hours of study and prayer. SHE WAS A DISCIPLE MAKER. Few people in central Miss. have taken the command of Jesus Christ more seriously, “make disciples, teaching them all things I have commanded you.”

As for her favorite Bible verses, when you look at her Bible it is well marked with notes and underlines. No one can be sure what her favorites might be. However in the guide to this time of remembrance, you will see 2 Cor. 12:9 and Romans 8:38-9. Those two passages were copied from handwritten note and a memory card found in her Bible. They seem most appropriate as we remember her life of service to Jesus Christ her Lord and Savior.

Joyce, known affectionately as “Meme”, loved Jesus Christ, her husband, her son, daughter and grandchildren with near perfection. However, if you happened to enter her life for almost any length of time, she would love you as much unconditionally as was humanly possible. “Doc” and “Meme” adopted more sons, daughters, and grandkids than can be numbered today. She loved YOU.

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