Eleanor Pickens was born May 31, 1932 in Clinton, Iowa to Martin and Elizabeth (Juist) Rose. She passed away Thursday, December 30, 2010 at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Mrs. Pickens was a homemaker, real estate salesperson and dedicated Walmart employee for many years. She was a gifted seamstress and loved choosing beautiful fabrics and making custom clothing. She played the organ and piano for her church and choirs, with a talent for sight reading music. Mrs. Pickens was a voracious reader and taught her love of reading to her family. Mrs. Pickens is survived by her daughters, Karen (Alfred Noftz) Scherer-Noftz of Belvidere, Gayle (Randy) Stowers of Dumas, TX, and Margaret (Robin) Olsen of Crystal Lake; grandchildren Shawn (Harold) Nelson, Julie Scherer, Nicholas (fiance, Sarah Sreenan) Scherer, Abby (fianc, Jeffrey Brown) Stowers, Ryan and Devin Beach; brother James (Mary) Rose of Mt. Carroll, IL and sister, Jeanne (Gary) Crossland of Sterling, Il; and two great-granddaughters, Harper Brown and Rebecca Nelson, as well as several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ellis L. Pickens on January 5, 1995. The family will be receiving friends on Monday, January 3, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. until the time of Memorial Service at 3:00 p.m. at the Mausoleum Chapel of McHenry County Memorial Park, 11301 US Highway 14, Woodstock, IL. Arrangements were handled by Windridge Funeral Home, 104 High Road, Cary, IL 60013. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, 8765 West Higgins Road, #401, Chicago, IL 60631-4022.