Lucille Shepard, 103, resident of Carroll, IA died on April 3rd, 2024 at Regency Park, surrounded by her loving family.
Friends and family will be celebrating Lucille’s life at Sharp Funeral Home on Friday, April 5th 2024, with visitation at 5pm, followed by celebration and sharing at 6pm. A reception will follow at 7pm at the Sharp Center. Whether or not you are able to attend her celebration in person, please wear bright colors on Friday to reflect her vibrant personality.
Memorial Contributions in Lucille’s name can be given to the American Heart Association at www.heart.org.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home and online condolences may be left for Lucille’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Lucille was born to Rudolph and Eva Graf on November 17th, 1920, in Medina/Stutzman County, ND. One of thirteen children, she knew the value of hard work. Lucille and Jim Shepard met in 1943 in Tampa, Florida while Jim was in the service. After the war they moved to Sylvania, Ohio where they purchased their first house and began their family.
Church was a big part of Lucille’s life from a young age. She and Jim joined the Boulevard Church of Christ in Toledo, Ohio. There, she taught Sunday school, participated in the choir for 30 years, and was a member of the Mary-Martha ladies’ circle. She also sewed costumes for the extravagant Christmas pageants put on at Boulevard each year. Lucille had a flair for style and was an excellent seamstress throughout her entire life; she made and altered clothes for family and others well into her late 90s.
While raising her family, Lucille worked many jobs, her favorite being in the bookkeeping department of the Sylvania Savings Bank, from which she retired in 1985. She and Jim made their yard a beautiful garden, and even had people stop to take pictures of their front yard. She was a puzzle fanatic, and could easily complete a 500-piece puzzle in one day (once, she even conquered a 2000-piece zebra herd puzzle). She was always ready for a competition, whether it was cooking, her bowling league, costume contests, or anywhere else her talents would shine.
Lucille thoroughly enjoyed her life and the many people in it. She was always quick with a laugh or a joke, and wherever she went, she made friends that lasted a lifetime. Lucille enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great grand-children, welcoming them into her and Jim’s home at any time.
Lucille was preceded in death by her husband, James Shepard; three infant sons; all twelve of her siblings, and her parents, Rudolph and Eva Graf. She is survived by her daughters and their spouses, Jayne (John) Marshall, and Sherri Moser and Ed Spindler; her “honorary” daughters, Donna Edgerly, Karen Durbin, and Debra Graf; her grandchildren, Shauna (David) Welch, Lyndsay Moser, Luke Moser, and Emerson Marshall; her great-grandchildren, Oliver Edick, Landen Edick, Savannah Hall, and Aiden Welch, as well as numerous beloved nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the staff at Regency Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for their loving care over the past year.
