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Edeltrud "Edel" Shepard, 88, of Burneyville, went to be with the Lord on September 20, 2025. Private family services will be held at a later date.
Edel was born on June 16, 1937, to Johann and Maria Meike in Essen, Germany. Edel survived being a child in Germany during World War II. She survived something no child or adult should ever have to go through but survive she did.
Edel and her mother Maria boarded, as she referred to it, "a magnificent ocean liner" named the SS America on the 5th of May 1959 in Bremerhaven, Germany. She was 21 years old and could not speak a word of English.
She was leaving, knowing nothing would ever be the same as home and remembering all her family and friends she was leaving behind. After being on the ocean for nine days, she was so happy to be seeing the Statue of Liberty on the horizon. They arrived in America in New York on the 14th day of May 1959. She became a naturalized citizen and found a new home in America.
Once in America, she and her mother made their way to Odessa, Texas, where they moved in with one of her sisters who was already in America. Edel started working at a delicatessen in Midland, Texas. While she was trying to learn English, she would often say that her first words were "love me tender, love me sweet" because of her love of Elvis' music. While working in the delicatessen, Edel met the love of her life, Gene Shepard, and went on to be married on April 1, 1961. They were married almost 60 years. That kind of love comes but once in a lifetime.
They moved to San Antonio, where Edel attended beauty college at the Beauty College of San Antonio. She graduated in 1962 and went to work at a salon there for many years.
They moved to Lake Hills, Texas, where she opened her own salon and called it Edel's Hair Care. She loved doing hair and was really good at it. She would go on to sell her salon in 1977 to a dear friend, Barbara Engel, who still has it open to this day under the name Cutaway Salon. Edel and Barbara remained great friends until her passing.
Edel and Gene made their way back to San Antonio. While there they both started at the ground level of a jewelry company out of Dallas called Classique Creations. They enjoyed working there, but realized the opportunity would only continue if they made the move to Dallas. They both made their way up the ladder to vice presidents.
After many years in the jewelry company, Edel started importing clothes from Germany to sell at the Apparel Mart that was part of the Dallas Market Center. It was called Edel's of Dallas.
Then in 1989, while still in Dallas, Edel and Gene were given the opportunity to buy a restaurant on I-35 in Marietta called Denim's. They both jumped into the restaurant business with both feet. Edel was an excellent baker and cook. She loved serving the community and getting to know the employees and customers and making many wonderful friendships through the years. Edel retired from the restaurant in 2001 and became a full-time Nana, a job she enjoyed beyond measure and more than any she had before.
From being a little girl in war-torn Germany to coming to the United States, not speaking English, getting married, going to beauty school, opening up her salon, becoming vice president of a jewelry company, importing clothes, running a restaurant and everything in between, Edel always gave 100%.
Edel was a kind, loving, caring, genuine, amazing wife, mom, nana, and a woman of faith who was one of a kind. She will be missed more than anyone could know.
Edel was preceded in death by her mother and father; her beloved husband, Gene Shepard; sister, Sonya Grimm of San Antonio, and sister Edith and husband Walter Venker and niece Regina Venker of Germany.
Edel is survived by her two daughters, Debbie Carpenter and Sharon Shepard, both of Burneyville; three grandchildren, Sarah Bobb and husband Brandon of Kingston, Jacob Carpenter of Burneyville, and Noah Lemons of Norman; six great-grandchildren, Alice and Ben Nelms and Brinlee, Baron, Bellamy, and Branson Bobb, all of Kingston; and many relatives in Germany: nephew Christian Venker and son Leonardo, Joao Venker, and Paula of Gelsenkirchen, Germany; Peter and Gerda Wernau of Gelsenkirchen; and Melanie and Steffi Wernau of Bochum, Germany.
Online guest book: griffinhillcrest.com
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