Funeral - Sheppard

Welcome & Prayer

Good morning, everyone. On behalf of the family, thank you for being here today. We gather to honor and celebrate the life of Sally, to mourn her passing, and to find comfort in one another and ultimately in the promises of God. This is a time of both sorrow and remembrance, grief and gratitude. As we reflect on the impact Sally had on many lives, may we also find strength in our shared memories and in the hope that God gives us. I invite you to enter into this time with open hearts, allowing the presence of Christ to bring peace and healing.

Let’s pray

Scripture Reading

Psalm 23 “A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

Song (s)

"Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler

Obituary Reading

Sarah (Sally) Jane Sheppard

Longtime resident of Spokane, Washington, Sally passed away peacefully at home February 26, 2025, at the age of 84. Sally was born in Sterling, IL, March 18, 1940, to Bradford and Marian Chambers. Sally was raised alongside her brother Bob Chambers and attended K-12 in Elmhurst, IL. She continued her education at Eastern Illinois University as a Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority sister. While in college, she met her starter husband and father of her children, Ronald North Jourdan. As an Air Force wife, they traveled the U.S. and settled in Spokane, Washington, where their three beautiful daughters were born and continue to reside. Sally dedicated 25 years of her life to Kaiser Aluminum, where she found the love of her life in John Sheppard. They were married on March 17, 1993, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. During their 32 years of marriage, they made a lifetime of memories with their families at their home in Colbert, WA, and enjoyed their summers at Sour Dough Point, Pend Oreille Lake, spending endless hours beaching, boating, eating soufflé and sticky buns, and playing dominoes. During her lifetime, she cultivated many enduring friendships from neighbors on Jay Street, Air Force wives, to her sisters-in- laws. Sally’s passions included her Bridge Group Ladies, golfing trips with her daughters, spending time in Kauai, toll painting, skiing, quilting, and of course, treasure hunting at TJ Maxx on a weekly basis!! Her grandchildren and great grandkids were the light of her life and gave her so much joy and pride. She celebrated every milestone and will always be remembered for the “un-birthday” tradition. Sally is survived by her husband John Michael Sheppard (Papa/Po/Po), daughters Becky and Brian Farmer, Michelle and Mark Dupuis, Nicole Austin, Michele and Curt Bowles, and Steven and Jamie Sheppard, her brother Bob and Jan Chambers, Sister-in-Law Jeanette Wagner; 12 grandchildren, 7 great-grandkids, and many nieces and nephews.

Eulogies – Letters from the daughters and/or grandchildren

A letter from Grandma’s Grandchildren

There are twelve of us, the grandchildren of Grandma and Papa. Our family is fortunate to have so many of us, yet we remain as close as if we were a small, intimate group. We owe that to Grandma and Papa, who welcomed us into their home for every holiday, birthday, and summers at the cabin. For years we managed to fit into their two-bedroom cabin at Lake Pend Oreille each summer, and those moments will forever be cherished. We are grateful to have grown up with our cousins and grandma gave us that. Grandma had a special way of making each of us feel valued because her love was unconditional and spread equally to all of us. She was the constant in our lives, someone we could always count on, our guide when we needed direction. Her advice and encouragement shaped us into who we are today. She made us laugh often and plenty. We will remember her every Christmas as we hang our beautifully hand-sewn stockings. We will remember her sticky buns, egg soufflé, and applesauce. We will remember sneaking into her snack drawer for Fruit Roll-Ups because we knew she always had them stocked. We will remember her playing dominoes at the kitchen table by the lake, and we will remember her on the pontoon boat, sun hat on, enjoying the lake she loved. I can guarantee that our memories of Grandma will never fade, and our appreciation for her life will only grow stronger over time. The only thing she loved more than being our grandma was becoming Gigi. She was an incredible great-grandmother to seven children. Gigi’s heart overflowed with joy as she watched her grandchildren become parents. Her joy was evident in her smile as she held each of her great-grandchildren and watched them grow. She was so deeply loved by them. For those of us who haven’t yet reached the stage of having our own children, we will make sure to share the stories of Gigi with them. We’ll pass down the memories and ensure they know all about their beautiful Gigi Sally. We’ll make our best attempts at making sticky buns on Christmas morning and reminisce about how Grandma's were always better. The thing we will be the most grateful for will always be that Grandma gave us Papa. Papa filled a void in our lives, he stepped up as a father to her three daughters and the best Papa to us. Our family was completed when Papa joined us, and that is something we can never repay Grandma for. Together, they were perfect, always showing us how to be kind and compassionate. They balanced each other out and became our example of how to love. Grandma/Gigi Sally, thank you for creating this wonderful family. We are heartbroken without you, but we know we can get through this because of the strength you gave us all. How lucky we are to have had someone so special, someone worth missing so dearly.

Letter from Sally’s 3 Daughters: Becky, Nicole and Michelle

A letter to our Beautiful Mother,

How do we put into words what our mother meant to us? We're the lucky ones who got to be close to our mom our whole lives, not just in childhood. Over the years, she became so much more than just our mother—she became our best friend and the person we could always count on. Mom went through many transitions in our lives: from a loving mother, teacher, disciplinarian, caregiver, to our biggest supporter. When we needed it, she even stepped up as our father figure. Through good times and bad, she was there with open arms and unconditional love. When Becky and Brian fell in love in high school, she handled that with grace; when Michelle got sick, she helped her fight through it; and when Nicole decided to become a mom herself at 17, she supported her through it all. Mom even did some of this as a single mother! She was so strong and brave! She wasn't just an amazing mother to the three of us—she showed other moms how it's done. Our friends were always jealous that we had the "cool" mom, and they all still love her to this day! Her heart and home were always open to our friends, boyfriends, and husbands. Mark and Brian hit the mother-in-law jackpot with her. And as a grandmother and GiGi...Well, that was her true calling. The way she made everyone in our family feel special and loved was her superpower. It breaks our hearts that some of our children's kids won't get to experience her amazing love firsthand. For those that did, you are very lucky! Just look at this beautiful family she created! Mom, we promise to strive to be half the woman you were and to carry on as many traditions, family gatherings, and memories as we can. We promise to love each other as much as you loved us all. You gave us each other to treasure forever, you gave us John, a wonderful father figure who became the best grandfather to our kids, and a whole extended family to love. But most importantly, you gave us all a piece of yourself that will live on through us. We would like to thank all of you for coming here today to help us as a family, to heal and to celebrate our mom’s life. Though she left us too soon, she will live in our hearts forever.

With love always and forever,

Becky, Michelle and Nicole

Jan Chambers would like to speak – Sally's sister-in-law

Janine would like to speak – Sally’s niece, representing her other niece Jodi and sister-in-law Jeanette Waggenor

Message

When we lose someone we care about, like the loss of Sally, difficult emotions surface, such as grief and loss.

Psalm 34:18 NLT

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. 

Also, when we experience the loss of someone we love, fond memories return, but as those memories come to our mind – we are struck by the reality that they are no longer here. The loss of someone is painful, and the questions can be daunting. However, God is big enough to handle our grief as He wraps His loving arms around us and is big enough to walk us through our most difficult questions.

I had a chance to sit down with the family last week and they describe a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother that was full of life.

The family used some amazing words to describe Sally:

Full

Loving

Happy

Joyful

The Rock

The Glue of the family

Guidance

A true shepherd

A matriarch of the family

I believe a verse that may encapsulates Sally’s life would be found in Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is with you, a Powerful One Who wins the battle. He will have much joy over you. With His love He will give you new life. He will have joy over you with loud singing.”

I want to speak to each of you in the room today…

What problems lurk in your life? Are you afraid of death? Are you afraid of life? Christ proclaims that you can be victorious over any problem that you might face. Victory can be yours by believing in the One who has conquered death.

 Many gravestones carry the inscription, "Here lies …," but on Christ’s tomb are the words, "He is not here." In Joseph’s Garden is history’s only empty grave.

 I believe Christ rose from the dead, and God's resurrection power is still being unleashed in hearts today.

God wants to resurrect us from whatever defeat is in our lives and then give us a victorious death.

He wants to resurrect us from loneliness and gloom into a life of meaning and joy.

He wants to resurrect us from a life overwhelmed by fear to an invigorated life.

He especially wants to resurrect us from our death and bring us into his very own paradise.

Often, we need to deal with our own unbelief, look to Jesus' glory, and embrace the Resurrection power that can only be found in Christ.

Belief in Jesus is the key that delivers us from fear and sorrow. Jesus is the key to joy, peace, and everlasting life. You can know this peace and joy, and you can walk in His power if today you commit yourself to Him and say with your whole heart, "I know that my Redeemer lives!"

Illustration:

There's a true story about the sinking of the Titanic. A frightened woman found her place in a lifeboat that was about to be lowered into the raging North Atlantic. She suddenly thought of something she needed and asked permission to return to her stateroom before they were cast off. She was granted three minutes, or they would leave without her. She ran across the deck that was already slanted at a dangerous angle. She raced through the gambling room with all the money that had rolled to one side, ankle-deep. She came to her stateroom and quickly pushed her diamond rings, expensive bracelets, and necklaces as she reached the shelf above her bed and grabbed three small oranges. She quickly found her way back to the lifeboat and got in. Now, that seems incredible because thirty minutes earlier, she would not have chosen a crate of oranges over the smallest diamond. But death had boarded the Titanic. One blast of its awful breath had transformed all values. Instantaneously, priceless things had become worthless. Worthless things had become priceless. And in that moment, she preferred three small oranges to a crate of diamonds.

Some events in life have the power to transform how we look at the world.

So the question for you this Monday morning is this…

“Has your heart been transformed by the power of Jesus? Have you placed your faith and hope in Him?”

Prayer

Slideshow:

"Words often fail to capture the depth of a person’s life, but pictures hold memories that remind us of the joy, love, and moments shared. As we watch this slideshow, let us take this time to reflect on the life of Sally—the laughter, the love, and the legacy she left behind.

Recessional of the family and casket 

Benediction

As we leave this place today, may we carry with us the love and memories of Sally, holding them close in our hearts. May the peace of Christ surround you, may His presence sustain you, and may His hope give you strength in the days ahead. On behalf of the family, thank you for being here, for your prayers, and for your support. May the Lord bless you and keep you. Amen.

Jude 25 NLT

All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.