Jerrell Pickett, age 63, of rural Wessington, SD, died Monday, September 25, 2006, at the Prairie Good Samaritan Center at Miller, SD. His memorial service will be at 2:00 PM Wednesday, October 4, at the Welter Funeral Home with Rev. Allen Sager officiating and Military Rites by the Watson-Krauter American Legion Post #110 of Wessington. Burial of his cremated remains will be held at a later date. Jerrell Raphan Pickett was born on December 19, 1942, to Forrest and Lillian (Ladd) Pickett at Zalma, MO. At the age of 3 years he moved with his parents to Nebraska. He attended school at Indianola, NE, and graduated from high school in 1961. After graduation he was employed on oil rigs. On February 25, 1962, Jerrell married Thelma Blume at Indianola, NE. On April 25, 1962, he entered the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam as a Morse Code operator. He was honorably discharged on March 6, 1964. They moved to Wolsey in 1971, and to Wessington in 1974. He worked for a feed company for a number of years and then sold real estate for a number of years. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Wessington, lifetime member of the Watson-Krauter American Legion Post #110 of Wessington, and the Wessington Masonic Lodge #107 AF & AM. In 1993, Jerrell started the A.S.A. (Army Security Agency) Vietnam Veterans Reunion on a local level, and over the years it has expanded nationwide into many state annual reunions. His many interests included collecting old car parts and license plates and barbed wire, and he enjoyed metal detecting. He is survived by his wife, Thelma of Wessington; 3 children, Shane Pickett of Miami, OK, Winona Denke of St. Lawrence, SD, and Logan Pickett of Huron, SD; 3 grandchildren, Colton Duxbury, Brandon Duxbury, and Michela Duxbury; his mother, Lillian (Ervin) Schaffert of Indianola, NE; 1 sister, Wendell (James) Reiners of Indianola, NE; and a number of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Forrest; an infant daughter, Tammy; and 1 sister, Lylis Emrich.