Funeral services for Elaine Shephard, 80, of Rosedale were held Aug. 25, 2003 at 10 a.m. at Wilson-Little Funeral Home Chapel in Purcell with Chaplain Tom Amos officiating. Interment was at Rosedale Cemetery under the direction of Wilson-Little Funeral Home. Mrs. Shephard died Aug. 21, 2003 at her son’s home near Wayne.

She was born June 3, 1923 in Thomas, Okla., the youngest of four childen of Willis Sylvanus Cooke and Elizabeth Jane (Walker) Cooke. She was reared in Custer County, graduating from Arapaho High School in 1941.

On June 14, 1942 she married E.W. "Bill" Shephard in Stafford, Okla. After Mr. Shephard’s discharge from the United States Army Air Corp, they began farming in the Butler and Arapaho area. In 1953 they moved with their four children to the Rosedale community where they farmed and raised cattle.

In addition to being the wife of a farmer, she served as postmaster in the 1950s in Rosedale. She had served on the McClain County Election Board and was a member of the Rosedale First Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bill Shephard on April 29, 2001; a son, Merle Shephard in 1997; two great-grandchildren, Kenneth and Cody Land; two brothers, Cloyd and Dale Cooke and one sister, Ovis Cooke.

Survivors include a daughter, Susie Fuller and her husband, Randall, of Lexington; two sons, Earl Shephard Jr. and his wife, Sandy, of Wayne and Steve Shephard of Lexington; a daughter-in-law, Barbara Shephard of Purcell; 11 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren and seven brothers and sisters-in-law and their families.

Pallbearers were Randy Bowen, Dan and Steven Shephard, Donnie Williams, Greg Kennedy, Mickey McGowen, Kenneth Russell and Darold Sweetman.

Memorial donations may be made to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.