Sheppard, Jane Turner

Services to celebrate the life of Jane Turner Sheppard, 56, will be 11 a.m. 
Saturday, October 28, 2006, at the First United Methodist Church in Longview. 
Additional services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 31, 2006, at the 
First United Methodist Church at 1106 Fourth Street in Rosenberg, Texas, 77471. 
She will be buried next to her parents in Memory Park of Longview. Ms. Sheppard 
died Wednesday, October 25, 2006, in Houston, after a courageous battle with 
cancer. "Janie," as she was known in her hometown, was born January 28, 1950, 
in Longview, the only child of Bailey and Jane Turner Sheppard, who preceded her 
in death. The day the Sheppards brought her home from the hospital, they also 
employed Carrie Brown to be her nanny. Carrie remained her most faithful 
caregiver for as long as she was able and was her prayer warrior until the end. 
Jane grew up in Longview, where she was born to a pioneer family, and she was 
baptized in the First United Methodist Church, a fourth generation member of 
that congregation. Jane was always one of the most beautiful, popular, and 
intelligent girls in school. In 1968, she graduated from Longview High School 
as salutatorian of her class. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University 
of Texas at Austin, where she received her B.A. in Spanish and English in 1972, 
and was a member of the Pi Phi sorority. She received her masters of professional 
accounting from University of Texas in 1975. She was employed by Exxon in Houston 
from 1975-1980, and attended law school at night. She earned her doctorate of 
jurisprudence from the University of Houston in 1980, and worked for Cooper 
Industries from 1980-1981. She enjoyed a successful career practicing family law 
as a partner in the firm of Whitmore, Sheppard, and Pollicoff and was highly 
respected in the legal community for her expertise in family law. Always ready 
for an adventure and never afraid of hard work, she gave up her practice in 1991 
to pursue other interests. She raised a variety of animals on her Happy J Farm 
in Beasley, and started a business growing and selling organic foods. She raised 
and showed angora rabbits, spun their hair, and knitted beautiful clothes with 
their fiber. Eventually, she devoted her time to raising and showing llamas. 
Jane was a brilliant woman with many and various talents. When she settled in 
Beasley, she became active at the First United Methodist Church of Rosenberg, 
where she taught a Spanish-speaking Sunday school class and gave countless hours 
volunteering at Shade Tree Food Ministry. Jane held membership in many 
organizations, including the Junior League of Houston, Knit at Night Guild, Fiber 
Artists of Houston, Contemporary Handweavers of Houston, State Bar of Texas, State 
Board of Public Accountancy, and numerous livestock organizations. Jane was full 
of love for all of God's creatures and treated everyone the same, with kindness. 
Hers was a life of loving service to others, and she will be greatly missed by a 
host of loving friends, including many of the four-legged variety, and several 
cousins. Honorary pallbearers will be Beckie Fuller, Mary Sue Rabe, Linda O'Brien, 
Joanie Moncrief, Betsy Gerber, Terri Van Slyke, JoAnn Lewis, Sarah Deitch, Mary 
Hollomon, Cindi Rabia, Denise Winter, Cameron Vann, Susan Myres, and Louise 
Fielder. Memorial contributions may be made to Shade Tree Food Ministry, c/o Bob 
Wright, 313 Lane Dr., Apt. 122, Rosenberg, TX, 77471; M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 
P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX, 77210-4486; or a charity of choice. A memorial 
guestbook may be signed online at www.raderfh.com.

Published in the Longview News-Journal on 10/27/2006.