Edmund Bickett

Edmund Bickett, 85, of Old Shawneetown, Ill., passed away on Monday, November 27, 2017 in Evansville, Ind.  Edmund was born February 1, 1932 in Owensboro, Ky., the son of the late Henry Louis and Ina Bell (Crowe) Bickett.  He married Lula Margaret Head on January 16, 1954.  Edmund served in the United States Air Force.  He came to Illinois and bought timber ground along with his brother James.  They cut the timber and operated their own sawmill.  They cleared land which the family now calls the Big Field.  He farmed for many years and was owner and operated of the Shawnee Package in Old Shawneetown and the Ole Grey Fox in Shawneetown.  Edmund was a catholic by faith, and was a member of the St. Patricks Church at Pond Settlement.  Survivors include his wife Margaret; seven children, Susan (Don) Bachmann of Webster Groves, Mo., Ed (Linda) Bickett of Cave-In-Rock, Janice Bickett of Overland, Mo., Donna (Jeff) Short of Ridgway, Tim (Tracy) Bickett of Ridgway, Kim (Shannon) Bickett of Sturgis, Ky., and Laurie (Bob) Marti of St. Louis, Mo.; one brother, Kenneth Bickett; three sisters, Sister Louisa Marie Bickett, Jeanie Calhoun, and Carol Bell; seventeen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by a son, Phillip Bickett; three brothers, Alvin, James and Dennis Bickett; two sisters, Geraldine Owdziej and Lucille O’Neill.  Visitation for Edmund will be held on Thursday, November 30th from 9 a.m. until service time at 1 p.m. at the Vickery Funeral Chapel in Ridgway.   Jean Wills will officiate with burial at the St. Patrick Cemetery at Pond Settlement.  In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Food Pantry in Shawneetown or to the American Diabetes Association.  Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.