Shawnee resident Leon David Shepherd went home to Glory on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at the age of 89.
He was born July 23, 1918, in Stigler, Okla. He was the oldest child of CE and Bessie Shepherd. As a teenager, he worked to support the family after his father was injured in an oil field accident. They moved to western Oklahoma, near relatives, and he worked in the fields during the day and studied at night. When he started high school, there were 346 students in his class, but the Great Depression came, and he was one of six students who graduated from Independence High School, Custer City, Okla, on May 15, 1936. The day he graduated, he moved his family to Shawnee where he continued to work and support his whole family.
He was married to Marie J. Sontag, daughter of Joseph and Lula Sontag, on May 13, 1939, in Shawnee by Judge Tully J. Darden. They were married 69 years. Mr. Shepherd proudly served as chief carpenter's mate in the US Navy during World War II. He commanded over 300 men while building hospitals and barracks for servicemen.
He became a Christian and was baptized at University Baptist Church on Sept. 7, 1947, by the Rev. T. Grady Nanney. He had a Boy Scout group at University Church in 1947 and 1948. He was a member of Harvard Terrace Baptist Church, Fresno, Calif. He owned Leon D. Shepherd Construction Company in Shawnee. He built some of the nicest home in Shawnee. In 1960, he moved to California where he was the superintendent for large construction companies. He retired in California from the Building and Construction Industry of Northern California. The Shepherds moved back to Shawnee after his retirement.
Mr. Shepherd has been a member for more than 50 years of Shawnee Masonic Composite Lodge No. 107 AF & AM which he joined in 1946. He has been recognized as a lifetime member of the Masons, which he joined in 1943 and was a Shriner. He was a member of the Scottish Rite, McAlester Consistory. He was a member of AARP, the American Legion and the Eastern Star, which he joined in 1958.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, PH Shepherd and the Rev. Bill Shepherd; one sister, Bernice Crow; and son-in-law, Duane Chancellor. Survivors include his wife Marie; four daughters and two sons-in-law, Betty Chancellor of Shawnee, Susan and Wally Hopkins of Boonville, Calif, Mary and Gary Caskey of Fort Worth, Texas, and Leona Mores of Elk Grove, Calif; one grandson, Terry and Melody Chancellor of Tecumseh; eight granddaughters, Delaina and Henry Coleman of Shawnee, Anita and John Morgan of Prague, Rebecca Smith of Erie, Penn., Audrey and Mark Zika and Heather and Peter Zischka, all of Livermore, Calif, Susan Caskey of Fort Worth, Texas, Tandy and Drew Voit of McMinnville, Ore, and Kara and John Berwith of Elk Grove, Calif; nine great-grandsons and seven great-granddaughters, Jennifer and Travis John Morgan, Henry Duane and Hope Coleman, Wyatt Chancellor, Turner, Tucker and Sydney Zischka, Emma and Noah Zika, Oliver Voit, Abby, Jake, Rose and Kody Berwith, and Amanda Cooper.
Service will be 2 pm Saturday at Walker Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Larry Sparks officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be pallbearers.
He was born July 23, 1918, in Stigler, Okla. He was the oldest child of CE and Bessie Shepherd. As a teenager, he worked to support the family after his father was injured in an oil field accident. They moved to western Oklahoma, near relatives, and he worked in the fields during the day and studied at night. When he started high school, there were 346 students in his class, but the Great Depression came, and he was one of six students who graduated from Independence High School, Custer City, Okla, on May 15, 1936. The day he graduated, he moved his family to Shawnee where he continued to work and support his whole family.
He was married to Marie J. Sontag, daughter of Joseph and Lula Sontag, on May 13, 1939, in Shawnee by Judge Tully J. Darden. They were married 69 years. Mr. Shepherd proudly served as chief carpenter's mate in the US Navy during World War II. He commanded over 300 men while building hospitals and barracks for servicemen.
He became a Christian and was baptized at University Baptist Church on Sept. 7, 1947, by the Rev. T. Grady Nanney. He had a Boy Scout group at University Church in 1947 and 1948. He was a member of Harvard Terrace Baptist Church, Fresno, Calif. He owned Leon D. Shepherd Construction Company in Shawnee. He built some of the nicest home in Shawnee. In 1960, he moved to California where he was the superintendent for large construction companies. He retired in California from the Building and Construction Industry of Northern California. The Shepherds moved back to Shawnee after his retirement.
Mr. Shepherd has been a member for more than 50 years of Shawnee Masonic Composite Lodge No. 107 AF & AM which he joined in 1946. He has been recognized as a lifetime member of the Masons, which he joined in 1943 and was a Shriner. He was a member of the Scottish Rite, McAlester Consistory. He was a member of AARP, the American Legion and the Eastern Star, which he joined in 1958.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, PH Shepherd and the Rev. Bill Shepherd; one sister, Bernice Crow; and son-in-law, Duane Chancellor. Survivors include his wife Marie; four daughters and two sons-in-law, Betty Chancellor of Shawnee, Susan and Wally Hopkins of Boonville, Calif, Mary and Gary Caskey of Fort Worth, Texas, and Leona Mores of Elk Grove, Calif; one grandson, Terry and Melody Chancellor of Tecumseh; eight granddaughters, Delaina and Henry Coleman of Shawnee, Anita and John Morgan of Prague, Rebecca Smith of Erie, Penn., Audrey and Mark Zika and Heather and Peter Zischka, all of Livermore, Calif, Susan Caskey of Fort Worth, Texas, Tandy and Drew Voit of McMinnville, Ore, and Kara and John Berwith of Elk Grove, Calif; nine great-grandsons and seven great-granddaughters, Jennifer and Travis John Morgan, Henry Duane and Hope Coleman, Wyatt Chancellor, Turner, Tucker and Sydney Zischka, Emma and Noah Zika, Oliver Voit, Abby, Jake, Rose and Kody Berwith, and Amanda Cooper.
Service will be 2 pm Saturday at Walker Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Larry Sparks officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be pallbearers.
Shawnee resident Leon David Shepherd went home to Glory on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at the age of 89.
He was born July 23, 1918, in Stigler, Okla. He was the oldest child of CE and Bessie Shepherd. As a teenager, he worked to support the family after his father was injured in an oil field accident. They moved to western Oklahoma, near relatives, and he worked in the fields during the day and studied at night. When he started high school, there were 346 students in his class, but the Great Depression came, and he was one of six students who graduated from Independence High School, Custer City, Okla, on May 15, 1936. The day he graduated, he moved his family to Shawnee where he continued to work and support his whole family.
He was married to Marie J. Sontag, daughter of Joseph and Lula Sontag, on May 13, 1939, in Shawnee by Judge Tully J. Darden. They were married 69 years. Mr. Shepherd proudly served as chief carpenter's mate in the US Navy during World War II. He commanded over 300 men while building hospitals and barracks for servicemen.
He became a Christian and was baptized at University Baptist Church on Sept. 7, 1947, by the Rev. T. Grady Nanney. He had a Boy Scout group at University Church in 1947 and 1948. He was a member of Harvard Terrace Baptist Church, Fresno, Calif. He owned Leon D. Shepherd Construction Company in Shawnee. He built some of the nicest home in Shawnee. In 1960, he moved to California where he was the superintendent for large construction companies. He retired in California from the Building and Construction Industry of Northern California. The Shepherds moved back to Shawnee after his retirement.
Mr. Shepherd has been a member for more than 50 years of Shawnee Masonic Composite Lodge No. 107 AF & AM which he joined in 1946. He has been recognized as a lifetime member of the Masons, which he joined in 1943 and was a Shriner. He was a member of the Scottish Rite, McAlester Consistory. He was a member of AARP, the American Legion and the Eastern Star, which he joined in 1958.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, PH Shepherd and the Rev. Bill Shepherd; one sister, Bernice Crow; and son-in-law, Duane Chancellor. Survivors include his wife Marie; four daughters and two sons-in-law, Betty Chancellor of Shawnee, Susan and Wally Hopkins of Boonville, Calif, Mary and Gary Caskey of Fort Worth, Texas, and Leona Mores of Elk Grove, Calif; one grandson, Terry and Melody Chancellor of Tecumseh; eight granddaughters, Delaina and Henry Coleman of Shawnee, Anita and John Morgan of Prague, Rebecca Smith of Erie, Penn., Audrey and Mark Zika and Heather and Peter Zischka, all of Livermore, Calif, Susan Caskey of Fort Worth, Texas, Tandy and Drew Voit of McMinnville, Ore, and Kara and John Berwith of Elk Grove, Calif; nine great-grandsons and seven great-granddaughters, Jennifer and Travis John Morgan, Henry Duane and Hope Coleman, Wyatt Chancellor, Turner, Tucker and Sydney Zischka, Emma and Noah Zika, Oliver Voit, Abby, Jake, Rose and Kody Berwith, and Amanda Cooper.
Service will be 2 pm Saturday at Walker Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Larry Sparks officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be pallbearers.
He was born July 23, 1918, in Stigler, Okla. He was the oldest child of CE and Bessie Shepherd. As a teenager, he worked to support the family after his father was injured in an oil field accident. They moved to western Oklahoma, near relatives, and he worked in the fields during the day and studied at night. When he started high school, there were 346 students in his class, but the Great Depression came, and he was one of six students who graduated from Independence High School, Custer City, Okla, on May 15, 1936. The day he graduated, he moved his family to Shawnee where he continued to work and support his whole family.
He was married to Marie J. Sontag, daughter of Joseph and Lula Sontag, on May 13, 1939, in Shawnee by Judge Tully J. Darden. They were married 69 years. Mr. Shepherd proudly served as chief carpenter's mate in the US Navy during World War II. He commanded over 300 men while building hospitals and barracks for servicemen.
He became a Christian and was baptized at University Baptist Church on Sept. 7, 1947, by the Rev. T. Grady Nanney. He had a Boy Scout group at University Church in 1947 and 1948. He was a member of Harvard Terrace Baptist Church, Fresno, Calif. He owned Leon D. Shepherd Construction Company in Shawnee. He built some of the nicest home in Shawnee. In 1960, he moved to California where he was the superintendent for large construction companies. He retired in California from the Building and Construction Industry of Northern California. The Shepherds moved back to Shawnee after his retirement.
Mr. Shepherd has been a member for more than 50 years of Shawnee Masonic Composite Lodge No. 107 AF & AM which he joined in 1946. He has been recognized as a lifetime member of the Masons, which he joined in 1943 and was a Shriner. He was a member of the Scottish Rite, McAlester Consistory. He was a member of AARP, the American Legion and the Eastern Star, which he joined in 1958.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, PH Shepherd and the Rev. Bill Shepherd; one sister, Bernice Crow; and son-in-law, Duane Chancellor. Survivors include his wife Marie; four daughters and two sons-in-law, Betty Chancellor of Shawnee, Susan and Wally Hopkins of Boonville, Calif, Mary and Gary Caskey of Fort Worth, Texas, and Leona Mores of Elk Grove, Calif; one grandson, Terry and Melody Chancellor of Tecumseh; eight granddaughters, Delaina and Henry Coleman of Shawnee, Anita and John Morgan of Prague, Rebecca Smith of Erie, Penn., Audrey and Mark Zika and Heather and Peter Zischka, all of Livermore, Calif, Susan Caskey of Fort Worth, Texas, Tandy and Drew Voit of McMinnville, Ore, and Kara and John Berwith of Elk Grove, Calif; nine great-grandsons and seven great-granddaughters, Jennifer and Travis John Morgan, Henry Duane and Hope Coleman, Wyatt Chancellor, Turner, Tucker and Sydney Zischka, Emma and Noah Zika, Oliver Voit, Abby, Jake, Rose and Kody Berwith, and Amanda Cooper.
Service will be 2 pm Saturday at Walker Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Larry Sparks officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be pallbearers.
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