Carol Pickett

Carol Rose Marie Pickett (Nielsen) 97 of Santa Ynez, CA peacefully December 9th, 2024. Born on December 27th, 1926 in Los Angeles, CA to Robert and Martha Nielsen. Survived by her children Kaja Christiansen (Robert) of Granbury, TX, Brett Pickett (Jerri) of Santa Maria, CA, and her granddaughter Lauren Klein (Jared) of Tolar, TX. Proceeded in death by her parents Robert and Martha Nielsen, brother Robert (Bob) Nielsen and her husband Lucien Pickett.

Carols Story

Carol Rose Marie Pickett (Nielsen) was born December 27th, 1926 in Los Angeles, California to Robert Nielsen of Aarhus, Denmark and Marta Nielsen (Sandell) of Öland, Sweden whom immigrated to America. Her father was in the Danish Army Calvary, then was a trained Danish baker in Denmark before coming to the United States. Her mother and father were married June 19th, 1925 in Norwalk, California. Carol was born soon after; then a brother, Robert Michael Nielsen March 19th, 1932 in Los Angeles, California. The Nielsen family moved to Studio City when Carol was about 6 yrs old. Her father was the head baker for all Ralphs stores in the Los Angeles area. Carol enjoyed tap dancing lessons at the famous Ethel Meglins Kiddie Dance Studio. She loved to roller skate, take her Shirley Temple doll in her baby buggy with a picnic of buttered saltines around the neighborhood.

In 1938 the family moved to Solvang, California and her father opened the Village Bakery. A complete bakery with Danish delights and newly introduced to Solvang, donuts. The bakery was located on Copenhagen Dr, where the Red Viking restaurant stands today and the family lived in the apartment above. Carols father bough her a pony which she kept down the road on Alisal and would often spend time riding her pony. Carol attended Santa Ynez Valley Union High School and graduated in 1944. She had many friends Lois Fitzgerald (Hansen), the Stephensen girls, Laura Johnson (Deputy), Bill Deputy, the Bacadri Boys, and Jean Roberts. They all loved to dance and were great dancers at that.

After graduating high school school Carol and Lois got jobs as au pairs for a wealthy family in Santa Barbara; then a department store on State Street. Carol decided to attend Pasadena Junior College in Pasadena, California. She lived with family friends whom were also immigrants of Sweden. While attending college, she tried out for the Rose Queen Pageant and would hang out with Lois and other girlfriends at the famous Owl Drug store on Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood, California. This is where she met the love of her life, Lieutenant Lucien Pickett.

Lucien Pickett had just been discharged from serving over seas as a pilot in the South Pacific Theatre. He traveled from San Francisco to Hollywood. He seemed interested but she really wasn't because there were lots of servicemen in those days showing interest. Lois said "he's cute!" He asked for her number and she told him without writing it down and he remember it. He called and took her on their first date dancing at the Hollywood Palladium. He then had to return to his hometown of Lima, Ohio. She visited him there and the two were engaged two years later, then married April 25th, 1948 at the Lutheran Church in La Crescenta, California. They honeymooned up the coast of California.

Lucien and Carol moved to Lima, Ohio where Lucien was to take over his uncles dry cleaning factories. However, before that happened he wanted to fly again. He was hired by Pan-American Airlines where he worked from 1950-1962. During the early 50's they moved to Long Island, New York. Carol worked for CBS and traveled with Lucien to Frankfort, Germany to help with the Berlin Lift.

Lucien had the American route and European Route for Pan-Am. Carol gave birth to their first child Kaja Marie Pickett on December 16th, 1958 in Miami, Florida. After much traveling they decided to settle back in Miami, Florida where Lucien started his own airline, USAIR in 1964 a cargo airline, which was used all over Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa. Then came a son, Brett Lucien Pickett on January 18th, 1966 in Miami, Florida. While starting their family they traveled and lived all over the world and experienced many historical events; The Belgium Congo War (where they lived in the Congo), deviation of WWII Germany early years.

While Lucien was away flying, Carol was a home maker and mother to Kaja and Brett. They had many friends in Miami and loved life. Tragedy struck, March 7th, 1969; Lucien and two crewmembers were taking a load of explosives for Gulf Oil from Halifax, Nova Scotia via the Azores to Ireland. Tower control got a mayday call and the plane was never found. Carol, Kaja and Brett were grief stricken. To this day the FAA has no finding on the missing plane or evidence as to what exactly happen.

Carol became a typing teacher at Homestead High School in Florida. Carol then decided to move back home to Solvang, California where then she was a teachers aid at Solvang school. She then got a job at ITT Federal Electric Corporation at Vandenberg Air Force Base as a recruiter. She worked there from 1975 to 1988 when she retired. She had a lot of friends in the Valley and she enjoyed traveling Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Sweden and Denmark. She loved camping, shopping, wine, laughter, and her favorite thing was fishing for rainbow trout; in the High Sierras at June Lake and most of all, her family. She had one granddaughter, Lauren who was born to Kaja and Robert Christiansen on August 3rd, 1985 in Santa Barbara, California. Carol loved to take her everywhere and do all the things they loved together. Many travels and experiences spent together.

Carol spent her retired years in the Santa Ynez Valley. She had many friends and loved to entertain. She always had friends over or was going to lunches or dinners. Carol was very funny, she had a great sense of humor. She was strong and extremely independent. Carol was a god fearing woman, a devout Republican and loved her country. She went home to the lord on December 9th, 2024 and will be so very missed by her family and all that knew her.

Carols ashes will be spread in private with family at June Lake Summer of 2025.