Ann Marie Pickett

Ann Marie Pickett, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend, passed away on September 26, 2026, at the age of 76. Ann was born on August 29, 1950, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Maurus (Moe) and Jean Schreiber. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and in September 1959, Ann moved with her family to their farm outside of Springfield. Springfield would remain her home for the rest of her life.

Ann attended St. Columbkille Elementary School before starting at Platteview High School in sixth grade and graduating in 1968. She was active in cheerleading, volleyball, and track and was even named Platteview’s Sports Queen. Ann made lifelong friends during High School. Many of her classmates remained in and around Springfield, and Ann treasured being able to stay close with them for more than 50 years.

Ann grew up with her two sisters, older sister Peggy and younger sister Kathy, on the family farm. Peggy eventually built her own home on the farm, keeping the sisters close. Ann and Peggy spent countless hours together over the years, doing the things they enjoyed, including shopping for crafts, attending family functions, or simply talking about who knows what on the phone.

When she wasn’t at school or participating in sports, Ann could usually be found helping with chores on the farm—although getting chased by a rooster may have been what gave her a lifelong fear of birds. She enjoyed spending time with her mom at the Richfield Café and spent many evenings watching her dad play Legion softball. Whenever possible, Ann and her sisters would take the roller-skating bus to the rink in Ashland. Those trips were a favorite part of her teenage years, and it was on one of those bus rides that she met the love of her life, Chuck Pickett.

Ann and Chuck were married on August 8, 1970. They initially settled into a small house on Ann’s parents’ farm, where they welcomed their first son, Jeff, in 1971. In 1973, they moved to Springfield, where they would raise their family and welcome two more children, Jenni in 1974 and Moe in 1977.

Ann was a devoted mother who was incredibly proud of Jeff, Jenni, and Moe and everything they accomplished. She loved being involved in every stage of their lives and was always there to support them. She rarely missed a sporting event, activity, or event. Ann celebrated her children’s accomplishments with genuine pride and remained one of their biggest supporters throughout their lives.

Ann and Chuck were true life partners and did almost everything together through more than 50 years of marriage. Fridays and Mondays at the Dew Drop Inn, weekends at the cabin on the Platte River, trips to Vegas (or Ord, NE), family dinners at the farm, and competitive games of pitch with Ann’s parents, Moe and Jean. Ann never missed a family function or holiday and loved having everyone together. Although she was not exactly known for her love of cooking, she became famous in the family for one dish: her rice. No matter how much the family grew, Ann always seemed to make exactly the same amount, so everyone knew they had to move quickly to get a single scoop.

The home Ann and Chuck bought on Main Street in Springfield in 1973 remained Ann’s home for the next 53 years. It became a gathering place during Springfield Days and the Sarpy County Fair, and its location made it the perfect spot for watching the parades. Ann would spread blankets along the street and make sure the kids had bags ready to collect their candy. Later in life, Ann loved sitting on the front porch and chatting with all the friends and neighbors that would just drop by to say hi.

Ann’s Catholic faith was an important part of her life. She most often attended Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Springfield, and her faith was part of everyday moments, including her seeming direct line to St. Anthony. Whenever anyone lost something, Ann would pray to St. Anthony, and more often than not, it would be found. On one occasion, Ann lost her rings, including her wedding ring, while doing yard work. After several weeks of searching and continuing to pray to St. Anthony, she found both rings, each in a different spot in the yard. To Ann, there was little doubt about who had helped her find them.

Ann loved her 50-year career at Bergan Mercy Hospital, where she worked as a secretary. She adored the people she worked with, and we often wondered if she would ever retire (which she finally did in 2020). One of her favorite parts of the job was preparing birth certificates for newborns— which was even more special when she got to prepare a few for her own grandchildren.

Ann never lost her love of sports. She played adult soccer with Chuck and volleyball with Peggy well into her 50s and remained an enthusiastic fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers - which was obvious from all of the Husker decor throughout her house. Although she loved her team, watching the games would make her so nervous that she would usually end up leaving the room because she just ‘couldn’t watch’, and would end up yelling for Chuck to give her updates from the other room.

Of all the roles Ann held in her life, none brought her more joy than being a grandmother. She absolutely adored her grandchildren and lit up whenever she talked about them. Whenever a new grandchild was on the way, Ann wanted every ultrasound picture and updates from every doctor’s appointment. It didn’t take long for the grandkids to figure out that Ann loved to spoil them. Her house was essentially a second home, with sleepovers regularly taking over the living room, trips to McDonald’s, ice cream, and a well-stocked snack cabinet. Her two of her favorite grandkid traditions were the Sarpy County Fair and Christmas. The grandchildren knew that a trip to the fair with Grandma meant a wristband and a full day of fair food, while Christmas meant Ann had once again come up with some of the most creative gifts anyone could receive.

Ann wasn’t a grandmother who simply sat back and watched—she was all in. She played Nerf gun battles, tennis at the park, hide-and-seek, and joined in climbing on the playground. When her grandchildren began to play sports, was on the sideline for as many games as she could, the freezing cold or blazing hot didn’t stop her from watching them play. And as they got older she celebrated every graduation, new job and wedding, always proud of every one of them.

Ann will be remembered for many things, but most of all for the way she loved people. She could meet someone for the first time and, within minutes, know their entire life story—their parents’ names, where they grew up, their children, and even their neighbors—and she remembered it all, even years later. To Ann, every person was special, every person was worth knowing, and every person was worth remembering. Her genuine kindness and loving personality left an impression on nearly everyone she met. Her family and friends will remember not only the things she did for them, but the feeling she created whenever she was around—the feeling that you mattered to her and that she was genuinely happy to see you.

Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Maurus and Jean Schreiber, and her beloved husband, Chuck Pickett.

She is survived by her children, Jeff (Melissa) Pickett, Moe (Adrianne) Pickett, and Jenni (Bill) Reineke; grandchildren Mason, Cole, Dillon (Rylee), Braxton, Aliyah, Kailey (Connor), and Konner (Madison); great-grandchildren Navy, Ayla, and Jett; her sisters, Peggy (Sean) Dean and Kathy Kolk; and many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and lifelong friends.

Visitation with Family will be from 9:00-10:30am Thursday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Springfield, NE followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30am. Interment will take place at Springfield Memorial Cemetery at Springfield, Nebraska.

In Lieu of flowers, Memorials are suggested To the Family for later designation.

Come With Me

God saw you getting tired

And a cure was not to be

So He put His arms around you

And whispered ‘Come with Me.’

With tearful eyes

We watched you suffer

And saw you fade away,

Although we loved you dearly

We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,

Hard working hands at rest,

God broke our hearts to prove

He only takes the best.

It’s lonesome here without you,

We miss you more each day,

Life doesn’t seem the same

Since you’ve gone away.

When days are sad and lonely

And everything goes wrong,

We seem to hear you whisper

‘Cheer up and carry on.’

Each time we see your picture,

You seem to smile and say

‘Don’t cry, I’m in God’s keeping

We’ll meet again someday.’

You never said ‘I’m leaving’,

You never said goodbye,

You were gone before we knew it,

And only God knew why.

A million times we needed you,

A million times we cried,

If love alone could have saved you,

You never would have died.

In life we loved you dearly,

In death we love you still,

In our hearts you hold a place,

That no one could ever fill.

It broke our hearts to lose you,

But you didn’t go alone,

For part of us went with you,

The day God took you home.

               ~Rhonda Braswell