Ella Faye (Ledbetter) Winkle

Faye was the fifth child of Norman and Luella Ledbetter, born on May 21, 1932 in Rokeby, Nebraska. The family lived there and in the rural Havelock, Nebraska area until 1946, when Luella with her two remaining daughters moved to Pickrell, Nebraska, where she became the town telephone operator.

Faye attended Pickrell School and later graduated from Beatrice High School. She worked for several months at the W.H. Davis Insurance Office in Beatrice before joining the WAF (Women’s Air Force). While in the service she met and married Charles E. Garrett and moved to Mississippi, where they raised four children. The marriage later ended in divorce.

Faye received B.S. and M.S. degrees from Memphis State University, and taught school and served as guidance counselor for 30 years in Indiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Washington State and Nebraska. After retiring from teaching, she established a Mental Health office and served as Mental Health Therapist for eight years in the Beatrice area.

In 1993, Faye married Melvin Winkle of Pickrell, and they resided in Beatrice and later in Pickrell. Faye loved people, she loved writing, she loved the church she had attended as a youth and still attends. She served as Delegate to Annual Conference, Treasurer, Finance Secretary, Finance Chairman, Sunday School teacher for 16 years, youth music director, and was the editor of the monthly newsletter for 3½ years. She wrote many histories – of the church, the cemetery, and three histories of the town of Pickrell and several articles about the town she loved.

Faye was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters and two brothers. She is survived by her husband, Melvin; her children, Charles Garrett, Jr., Peggy Jeanes (Dana), Janet Lutz (Coutrney) and Jerry Garrett (Carla) all of Mississippi; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; stepchildren, Neil Winkle (Ginnie), Russell Winkle (Barb) and Jeff Winkle (Deb); six step-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren. Faye is also survived by one sister, Marilyn of Washington.

Funeral Services were held at 4:30 P.M. Friday, September 8, 2023 at Hickory Withe Presbyterian Church with Stephen Bell officiating. Interment is in Pickrell Pleasantview Cemetery in Pickrell, Nebraska.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers were Dustin May, Arthur May, Chris Garrett, Knox Aaron, Dawson Bell and Dana Jeanes.