Cynthia Pickering

Cynthia Pickering
Sioux City, Iowa


Cindi was born in the Story County Hospital, in Story City, Iowa on August 1, 1956, the daughter of Myron and Alice (Henderson) Pickering. Her early years were spent in Roland, Iowa attending Roland Public Schools. At the age of 12, her family moved to Altoona, Iowa where she attended Southeast Polk Community Schools graduating in 1975.

In her teenage and early adult life, Cindi loved swimming, playing softball, camping, fishing and using her creative skills painting ceramics. As she grew older, her interests turned to her children, grandchildren, the Camaro Club and riding her Harley Davidson motorcycle.

In 1969, Cindi met Ronne Outland in 7th grade at Southeast Polk. They were married in May 1976, and to their union a son Jamie Joe and daughter Rhiannon Lynn were born.

On Christmas Day in 1997, Cindi and Ronne lost their son Jamie to a tragic accident. For years following, Cindi, Ronne and daughter Rhiannon, along with a large group of friends and volunteers, organized and produced the Jamie Outland Memorial Car Show annually in Altoona bringing together owners of custom cars and especially low-riders to display and show off their creativity.

Cindi’s marriage to Ronne and birth of Jamie and Rhiannon eventually produced a total of 8 grandchildren, Jasminn, Jayd, Jordan and Jeremiah to Rhiannon and Darcee to Jamie’s fiancé, Jessica Sifuentes. Keeping Jessica in the family following Jamie’s death, Jessica produced 3 additional children that Cindi always counted and loved as grandchildren, Hannah, Lilly and Carmen.

As the grandchildren got older, her family grew with an additional 6 great grandchildren, including Griffin, Penny, Axel, Waylon, Sergio and recently Brinley.

Cindi and Ronne’s marriage ended but they stayed good friends for the remainder of her life. She also remained close to many friends from Southeast Polk and enjoyed attending class reunions with graduates from 1974 and 1975 classes. Cindi also maintained many close friendships from elementary school to her adult neighbors.

Cindi worked a wide variety of jobs, including food service, daycare, detasseling, apartment manager and retail sales before beginning a 15-year career at Lowe’s Home Improvement, where she retired in 2023. She was known at Lowe’s for her helpful nature and great customer service with a smile always on her face.

While at Lowe’s, she became one of the first cases of COVID-19 in the Des Moines area and landed in Mercy Hospital where she spent 31 days in ICU, being one of the first patients on the Mayo Clinic Monoclonal Antibody Test Study, which saved her life. After a long recovery and rehab, she returned to Lowe’s to continue her career.

In the fall of 2022, Cindi again entered the hospital to be treated for Leukemia and an Ischemic stroke. Tough as nails, Cindi survived and completed rehabilitation in both Des Moines and Sioux City where she made her new home close to her sister Joy and husband Roger Caudron.

In her last years in Sioux City, Cindi enjoyed going to baseball games, watching football on TV with both the ISU Cyclones and KC Chiefs, joining Joy and Roger for shows at the Orpheum Theater, dining out at new restaurants and making new friends.

Although younger sister Lori remained in Central Iowa, Cindi and Lori remained close by talking on the telephone quite often.

Survivors of Cindi include her daughter Rhiannon (Dave) Killmer, grandchildren, Darcee Outland, Jasminn (David) Dawson, Jayd (Daniel) Holzhauzer, Jordan Killmer, Jeremiah Killmer, Hannah Cooper, Lilly Sifuentes and Carmen Sifuentes, 6 great grandchildren, sisters, Joy (Roger) Caudron of Sioux City and Lori Evans of Bondurant; niece Ashley Evans and her son Jensen; maternal uncle Richard Thomas as well as many cousins and friends too numerous to mention.

She was preceded in death by her parents Myron and Alice Pickering, son Jamie Joe Outland and brother Paul Pickering.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at Hamilton’s Funeral Home in Altoona, Iowa. A visitation with family present will be held from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM prior to the service.

Memorials in lieu of flowers may be made to UnityPoint – St. Luke’s Foundation or the June E. Nylen Cancer Center, both in Sioux City.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.hamiltonsfuneralhome.com

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