The Newspaper of Record since 1878
Jerry Sheppard 89, of Globe and Payson, passed away on September 8, 2017, after a long illness.
Jerry was raised and educated in Long Island, New York. She met and married her husband, Dug Sheppard, while he was in the submarine service and stationed in Staten Island after World War II. They were married in 1947, and she moved with her husband to Globe, having never lived in the West before.
She worked for many years in the Globe Unified School District, both in the superintendent’s office and the business office. She retired in 1986. Jerry and Dug owned and operated a small cattle ranch southwest of Globe, known as the Lazy SK. She was his number one cowboy and chief round-up cook; something growing up in New York had not prepared her for.
Jerry was a lifetime member of the Arizona Congress of Parents, presented to her by the Hill Street – East Globe PTA in 1960.
She was also a lifetime member of Beta Sigma Phi and a past President of the American Field Service, a foreign exchange student program to promote world understanding.
She was a Past Matron of the Order of Eastern Star and a Mother Advisor of Rainbow for Girls, as well as a recipient of the Grand Cross of Color in 1972.
In her younger years, she helped organize the Apache Bow Hunters, was the secretary of the club for many years and was an avid bow hunter.
In 1979, she was honored by the Globe Chamber of Commerce as the Citizen of the Month for March.
After retiring and moving to Payson, she became active with the Whispering Pines Fire Department Auxiliary, the Geronimo Rowdies and the Geronimo Estates/Elusive Acres Home Owners’ Group, where she served as Secretary for some time.
Jerry was predeceased by her husband of 63 years, Dug. She is survived by one son, F. William Sheppard (Range Shaw) of Phoenix; two grandsons, F. Jason Sheppard (Lolly) of Los Angeles and Kenneth Michael Sheppard (Kristin) of San Francisco; sister Joy Geist (Tom) of East Meadow Long Island; niece Nancy Widman (Jeff) of East Meadow as well, and nephew Jeffrey Geist (Carol) of Longmont, Colorado.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at Messinger Payson Funeral Home at 302 West Aero Drive, Payson.
There will be a visitation at 9:00 a.m. at the same location.
A graveside service will follow at Mountain Breeze Cemetery in Globe-Miami at 1:00 p.m., also on September 16.
Memorial donations may be made in Jerry’s name to the Whispering Pines Fire Department Auxiliary at 10603 North Houston Mesa Road, Payson AZ 85541 – Attn: Janet Weber.
