Byron Elijah Pickering, age 80, of Pickering Road, St. Clairsville, died Sunday, March 28, 2004 at his home. He was born on June 8, 1923 at St. Clairsville, son of the late Clyde W. Pickering and Olive Blanche Moore Pickering.

Byron was a retired school bus driver for St. Clairsville-Richland City School District where he worked for 32 years and he was a retired farmer. He was a member of East Richland Evangelical Friends Church, St. Clairsville; and a U. S. Army veteran serving as a Staff Sergeant in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by an infant daughter.

Surviving are his wife of 47 years, Lois Lee Shambaugh Pickering; three sons, Jay Lee Pickering and Richard Lewis Pickering both of St. Clairsville and Charles Byron Pickering and his wife Julie of Delaware, OH; two daughters: Janet Lynne Webster of St. Clairsville and Joan Louise Lepic and her husband Ron of Barton; four grandsons; two granddaughters; one great grandson; two sisters, Helen Boyd of La Mirada, CA and Harriett Webster of St. Clairsville; several nieces and nephews.

Family and friends will be received at the Toothman Funeral Home in St. Clairsville on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at East Richland Friends Church in St. Clairsville on Wednesday at 11 a.m. with Rev. Jerry Wenger and Rev. Wayne Ickes officiating. Burial will follow at Holly Memorial Gardens, Pleasant Grove.

Memorial Contributions may be made to East Richland Evangelical Friends Church, 67885 Friends Church Rd., St. Clairsville, OH 43950 or The American Lung Association, 61 Broadway, New York, NY 10006.