Esther Laurine Pickett, 99, of Flagstaff, died peacefully in the loving care of the Olivia White Hospice Home Friday, July 13, 2007.

Mrs. Pickett was born July 27, 1907, in Schuyler, Nebraska, the first child of Albert and Louise Nieman. Her family moved to Kearney, Nebraska for Esther and her sister to attend high school, where she graduated in 1925. She continued her studies at Kearney State Teachers' College, where she graduated, then became a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Nebraska for several years.

Mrs. Pickett lived in several western states during her life, including Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. She moved from Albuquerque to Prescott in 1963, then pursued her keen interest in nutrition by opening a health food store with her husband, Foy. Following his death, she moved to Flagstaff when she was 81 to be near her family, and was a lively part of the lives of her son Dean, daughter-in-law Cindy and grandchildren Amy and Greg.

Mrs. Pickett enjoyed travel, visiting Colorado, Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, driving along the Pacific coast and seeing many other sites during her retirement years. Throughout her retirement, she shared a special love with her family and close friends in Flagstaff, while gardening, bird-watching and forecasting the weather with uncanny accuracy. She always had dogs, once operating a Dalmatian kennel in Golden, Colorado, and loving her pet Happy in her recent years. Her bright and caring spirit has inspired everyone she has met.

Mrs. Pickett is survived by her son Dean and daughter-in-law Cindy Pickett of Flagstaff, daughter Val and son-in-law Willard March of Albuquerque, grandchildren Amy and Greg of Denver and Doug and Heidi of Albuquerque, four great grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Mable and husband Foy.

A celebration of Esther's life on her 100th birthday will be Friday, July 27 at 2:00 pm at Flagstaff Federated Community Church