Jerry was a long-time member of the Vinton Presbyterian Church and a 50+ year member of the Masonic Lodge, achieving the level of Master Mason. He was very active at the Vinton Depot, spending 500 hours building the model on display there. He also spent countless hours building his own model railroad in his home. He was a talented woodworker, making over 60 pieces of hand-crafted furniture, the first of which was a crib for his son, Jeff. Another of Jerry's passions was flying. He earned his pilot's license in 1951. He owned a Piper Cub and a Piper Vagabond, but the plane he owned the longest was an Aeronca Chief, which he purchased in 1967. He also built two airplanes himself. Jerry is survived by his children, Jeffrey Bickel of Mazeppa, MN, and Jennifer (Ben) Lane of Kittrell, NC; three grandchildren: Alecia, Amanda and Travis; and six great-grandchildren: Michael, Sofia, Samuel, Lucas, Tessa and Claire. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Shirley. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Vinton Presbyterian Church, 608 1st Avenue, Vinton, IA 52349. *Obituary photo courtesy of Monkeythis. To read the full obituary, please click here: http://www.vsrfh.com/obituaries/Jerome-Milton-Bickel?obId=2700237#/celebrationWall