Mrs. Pickler, 75, of New London , NC, died March 8, 2010 in Stanly Regional Medical Center, Albemarle.  The daughter of the late Henry Baldwin Atkins and Ina Parker Atkins, she was born July 3, 1934 in Stanly County.

                Services will be held 1 PM Thursday March 11, 2010 at New London United Methodist Church with Rev. Tony Allen and Rev. David Troutman officiating.  Burial will follow in Kendall’s Baptist Church Cemetery.  Visitation will be Wednesday evening from 6 until 8 PM at Stanly Funeral Home. 

                Mrs. Pickler was a member of the New London United Methodist Church.  She graduated from Albemarle High School in 1952.  She received her undergraduate degree from Meredith College in 1956 and served as the class historian.  After college she attended Boston University where she received her Masters in Education in Guidance. After graduate school she served as Assistant Director of Guidance for the Easton Schools in North Easton, MA and then as Registrar at Queens College in Charlotte.

                Mrs. Pickler devoted tremendous time to others through various organizations in Stanly County  For over 30 years, Catherine was an integral part of the Stanly County Historic Properties Commission.  In 1978, Mrs. Pickler and her husband served in a group who spearheaded the reorganization of the New London Volunteer Fire Dept. where she remained an active volunteer firefighter and first responder until 1996.  Mrs. Pickler was one of the first female firefighters in StanlyCounty.  She was also a volunteer at North Stanly High School for many years where she was awarded Volunteer of the Year in 1991 and Outstanding National School Volunteer in 1992.  Mrs. Pickler served on the Board of Uwharrie Capital Corp from 1995 - 2001.  She was the 1988 recipient of the Community Service Award from the Bank of Stanly.   For the last 14 years Mrs. Pickler was devoted to the Stanly County Animal Rescue League where she worked tirelessly to find homes for stray and abandoned animals. 

Survivors include daughter Anne Catherine Obeck and husband John Obeck Sr. of Charlotte, NC and three grandsons John Mark Obeck Jr., Reid Joseph Obeck, and Andrew David Obeck.  Mrs. Pickler was preceded in death by her husband Reade Redwine Pickler in 1989.

                The family requests that memorials may be made to the Stanly County Animal Rescue League, PO Box 1676, Albemarle, NC28002.