Esther Marie (née Jersild) Sheppard
August 7, 1925 - January 13, 2013
Went to be with her Lord and Saviour at 87 years of age at the Hospice Simcoe in Barrie, Ontario.
Esther was born on August 7, 1925 to Evald and Marie Jersild in Neenah, Wisconsin, USA. She was the youngest of three sisters and lived and worked in Neenah until her marriage to Robert Sheppard in 1947. Both Esther and Bob worked for Kimberly Clark Paper Company where they met at the Neenah Offices. They moved to the wilderness on the northern shore of Lake Superior where Bob, a civil engineer, was helping to develop what would become the paper mill town of Terrace Bay, Ontario. Esther gave birth to her three children, Robert Scott, Shelley, and Jersene in the building that functioned as pool hall, church and hospital. Following the Terrace Bay adventure, the family settled in southern Ontario. For the past 20 years, Esther, better known to her grandchildren as "Granny", has lived in Barrie. Here, she has been active in Bethel Community Church, Bible Study Groups, the Gideons, and Barrie Women’s Connection.
Esther had a flare for fashion and Interior Design and always made her home beautiful, with well chosen paint, paper and fabrics….always sewing her own draperies. Her apple green Beetle was an extension of that panache. She was very interested in sports and was an avid skier, boater and curler. She enjoyed curling and received an award as vice-skip of her curling team that scored an ‘eight-ender’. The family owned a ski chalet at Horseshoe Valley where she hosted family and friends for ski weekends. She packed up her skis at 80, but continued to swim and bike even this summer! It was at the Horseshoe Valley Chapel in 1981 where Esther and Bob began a deep relationship with Jesus Christ. They were baptized at ‘The Stone Church’ in Toronto where Esther began serving as a phone counselor for Huntley Street Ministry. For the rest of her life Esther was a studier of the WORD and excited to share the life-altering good news she had discovered.
Although friends and family sadly miss her, we celebrate a life well lived!
Predeceased by her beloved husband, Robert T Sheppard (2000). Esther is survived by her 3 children: R. Scott (Linda) Sheppard; Shelley (Neil) VanderVeen; and Jersene (Tony) Bellavance, by her grandchildren, Lisa VanderVeen, Jeff VanderVeen, Dylan Jones, Emmett Sheppard, Dylan Bellavance, Ciel VanderVeen Santoro, Shane VanderVeen, Theresa VanderVeen, Kyla Bellavance Augustine, Loni Bellavance and
Joel Bellavance, and by her 14 Great-Grandchildren. Dear nieces/nephews: Diana Netherton, Priscilla McCracken, James Dodge; Lee Campbell Smith, Scott Campbell. Predeceased by her sisters, Ruby (Jers) Jersild and Marjorie Dodge, and by her nephew, Doug Campbell.
Friends will be received at Steckley-Gooderham Funeral Home, 201 Minet's Point Road Barrie on Wednesday, January 16, 2013 from 7-9 p.m. and on Thursday, January 17, 2013 from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. A Celebration of Esther's life will be held on Thursday, January 17 at 11 a.m. Memorial donations to Gideon Bibles, Hospice Simcoe or Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences at www.steckleygooderham.com.