HATTIE E. SHEPHARD

A feisty lady with a heart of gold, humorously sarcastic, a loyal loving person to family and friends are just a few phases that describe Hattie Shephard who entered this world strong and vibrant and left after touching so very many lives.

Hattie Shephard was born on July 4, 1926 to Archie Sykes and Millie Gunn in Arkansas. She was the youngest of her parents four children. Hattie was educated in the Augusta County school system where she loved going to school. Once Hattie graduated from high school she moved to Indianapolis with her mother. She soon met and married her first husband, Ardell Baker where their union was blessed with four daughters before his untimely death at the young age of 31. Hattie later met and married her second husband, Jesse shepherd where they were blessed with their first and only son, Mark.

Hattie worked various general labor jobs once her children were older. It was not until she found employment with the veteran’s hospital did, she find the stability and purpose that would be constant until her retirement. Hattie took great pride in severing veterans in their time of need, she made lifelong friendships during her 30 years of service. After she retired from the V.A. Hattie really started living her best life. A gambler at heart, from the Friday night tonk games to bingo at the local hall, and roulette table at the nearest or farthest casino Hattie was in the game.

Hattie loved and was grateful for so many things in her life but what made her whole and complete was her family. One of the ways Hattie showed this love was through her food. She opened and ran her own restaurant for a while after she retired but anytime you rang her doorbell Hattie had food to feed you, if you needed to know how to cook something she gave her recipes and most holidays and definitely the fourth of July, her birthday, the house was full with family and friends. In 1952 Hattie and her husband bought the house where she has lived in for 70 years until god called her home.

Hattie Shepherd was set free from this life on June 12, 2022, a few weeks shy of her 96th Birthday. She is preceded in death by her parents and siblings Maye Roddy-Sykes, Robert Lee Sykes, and Ora Mae Smith husband Jesse Shephard her daughters Sharon Jordan, Delores Riggs, and Carolyn Dunlap, her sons in-law Michael Riggs and Sylvester Stone.

She is survived by her daughter, Marie Stone; son, Mark (Marie) Shephard; 31 grandchildren; over 90 great-grandchildren; more than 100 great-great-grandchildren and many other family and friends.

Humbly Submitted         The Family

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