Maurine Pearl Sheppard, age 80, of Hanover, Illinois, died on Sunday, December 2, 2018 at ManorCare Health Services in Dubuque, Iowa. A visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m., Friday, December 7, 2018 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Hanover. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 8, 2018 at the Hanover United Methodist Church. Burial will take place in Evergreen Cemetery, Hanover. Memorials may be given to World’s Children International, PO Box 2708, Corvallis, Oregon 97339 in Maurine’s memory.
Maurine was born on March 28, 1938 at home, the daughter of Gerald B. and Pearl (Sutton) Pierce in Masonville, Iowa. Due to the death of her mother at her birth she was raised by her father and grandmother Elizabeth Pierce until her father married Ethel Sutton. She started school in Masonville and later in Manchester, Iowa where she graduated with the Class of 1955. She briefly attended the University of Iowa and then returned to Manchester where she worked at Grover Drug Store and Central Iowa Telephone Co. as a long-distance operator and supervisor.
On January 19, 1958, Maurine married Marvin L. Sheppard at the Manchester Methodist Church. During her married life, she lived in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Illinois. During this time, she worked as a bookkeeper for Great Plains Supply, Otis Radio, Crandall’s Ben Franklin & Variety Store for 20 years, and 23 years at Swiss Colony.
During her lifetime she was very active in the communities in which she lived. She served as a 4-H leader, girls softball coach, Girl Scout leader, office and recess aid at school, assistant head start teacher, substitute teacher, co-president of square dance club, member of women’s club and 20 years as an EMT with the Hanover ambulance. She was a member of the Women’s Golf League, Secretary of Community Club and the Hanover Township Clerk.
Always active as a lifelong member of Methodist Churches, she served them as Sunday School teacher, choir member, lay member to annual conferences, VBS teacher, circle leader, office secretary, financial secretary, treasurer, intercessory prayer leader, and even did some preaching.
Maurine will be dearly missed by her husband, Marvin of Hanover; three children, David (Sue) Sheppard of Hanover, Corrinne (Jeff) Eastman of Naperville, Illinois and Kathy (Dick) Wearmouth of Galena, Illinois; seven grandchildren, Autumn (Jim) Sheppard-Blandi, Justin (Kirstie Brenson) Eastman, Kevin Eastman, Alex Eastman, Chrissy Neubauer, Michael (Kimberly) Saltow, Benjamin Sheppard; and three great-grandchildren, Cody Sheppard, Hannah Saltow and Callise Blandi; one great-great-grandson, Jackson Blandi; one brother, Merle (Donna) Pierce; and three sisters, Lois Thompson, Wanda Hansel and Shirley (Will) Dangler; and one brother in-law, Dan Mensen. Maurine is preceded in death by her parents; one sister, Marcia Mensen; two brothers-in-law, Tom Thompson and Jimmy Hansel; and a sister-in-law, Pat Pierce.