Mr. Shepherd was born on a farm west of Alden on Feb. 25, 1923, to Claud and Alta Bradley Shepherd. He attended Alden High School where he played basketball, baseball, and quarterbacked the football team, graduating in 1941. After working for a short time for Frank Stout of Raymond, he joined the U.S. Merchant Marine as a fireman/water tender. He crossed the Pacific Ocean four times during WWII, seeing such places as Shanghai China, and the Phillipines.

In 1947 he married Ila Mae Boldt of Bushton, Kansas. They lived briefly in Johnson, Kansas, where he worked for his uncle Jim Dimmitt. In 1949 the couple moved to a farm south of Sterling, Kansas, where he lived until July 2012. Mrs. Shepherd passed away in 1989. Following the death of his wife, his two grandsons were the lights of his life. He never missed a soccer game, cross-country meet, track meet or school program.

Through the years, Mr. Shepherd served multiple terms as the Medford Township treasurer, and ran the township road grader off and on for 60 years. He was a member of the Sterling chapter of the American Legion and a 70-year member of the First United Methodist Church of Sterling. Mr. Shepherd retired from farming/ranching in 2009. He spent the last 2½ years in Grove, Oklahoma, with his daughter, Nancy.

He is survived by: daughters Nancy Flowers (Ken) of Grove, Oklahoma, and Linda Corcoran (Kim) of Burrton, Kansas; grandsons Stephen Young (Holly) of Colorado Springs, CO, and Matthew Ediger (Sara) of St Peters, MO; granddaughter Windi Moody (Matthew) of Wylie, TX; great-grandchildren Audrey, Aaron, and Micheala; brother C.T. Shepherd (Pat) of Wichita.

A memorial service will be held Friday, June 10, at 1 p.m., at Birzer Funeral Home in Sterling, Kansas, followed by interment of ashes at the Sterling Cemetery. A reception will follow at the First United Methodist Church of Sterling. Officiating, Rev. Jeff Miller, Rev. Matthew Ediger

A scholarship has been established with Sterling High School (Kansas) for a young future farmer. Donations may be sent to Sterling High School c/o Birzer Funeral Home, Sterling.