Ann Rutherford Bickel
Greenville Herald Banner
Friday, April 6, 2007
Ann Rutherford Bickel, 52, of Lone Oak died April 4, 2007, at Baylor Hospital in Garland.
She was born Aug. 4, 1954, in Greenville, daughter of Helen Franklin and W. Med Rutherford. She was married to Frank Bickel on Oct. 19, 1984, in McKinney.
She leaves behind her beloved family, husband Frank Bickel of Lone Oak, a Garland firefighter; twin daughters Andra and Kara Bickel of Commerce; a stepson and wife, Chris and Cari Bickel of Wichita, Kan.; her mother, Helen Franklin Rutherford, of Greenville; two brothers and a sister-in-law, Med Rutherford Jr. of Boston, Mass., and Joe and Virginia Rutherford of Greenville; a niece, Elizabeth Rutherford of Greenville; nephew Will Rutherford of Greenville; and four stepgrandchildren. She also leaves behind a large loving family, aunts Mary Rutherford of Greenville, Louise Miller of Dallas, and Edna Fielding and husband Jack of Hope, Ark.; and numerous cousins.
She was preceded in death by her father, W. Medford Rutherford Sr., in 1982 and grandparents E.S. Franklin in 1979 and Zola T. Franklin in 1989.
Ann graduated from Greenville High School in 1972. She attended East Texas State University in Commerce where she earned degrees in home economics and business. She was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority. After college Ann was employed by Farmers Electric Cooperative. After being a homemaker, school volunteer and raising her twin daughters, Ann began teaching family consumer science at Lone Oak High School. She had held that position for five years.
She and her husband, Frank, have been tireless volunteers for the various campuses and booster clubs at Lone Oak ISD. She and her family are members of First Presbyterian Church in Greenville where she served as an elder. She was a gourmet cook, an avid gardener, and delighted all of her family and friends with her special gifts.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church under the direction of Coker-Mathews Funeral Home. Rev. Shelby Miller, Rev. Robert Cook and Rev. Danny Calk will officiate. Burial will be in Donelton Cemetery.
Visitation is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be Ann’s cousins, Mike Allen, Ben Miller, John Miller, Mike Miller, Sam Miller, Bill Rutherford and Jim Rutherford. Honorary pallbearers will be friends Jerry Click, Brian Gibson, Jack Gipson, Thomas Patterson, Dude Turner and Eddie White. Ann’s family wishes to thank all of their family and friends for their love, support and prayers throughout her illness.
The family requests memorials be made to First Presbyterian Church, 5905 Stonewall, Greenville, Texas 75402; American Cancer Society; or to the Lone Oak School Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 38, Lone Oak Texas 75453.
Submitted by Elaine Nall Bay
