The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-04-29
ANNIE 8. SHEPARD

Annie E. Shepard, oldest child Of
the late Mr.. and Mrs. O. G. Shepard
Of Medina, was born at Vermillion,
Ohio, December 2l, 1854 She was
two years old when the parents moved
to Richfield Summit county, Ohio,
where her father was engaged for 10
years in the lumber and sawmili busi-
ness. 1t was while her home was AZ
Richfield and when only IS years Of
age that Annie gave evidence of early
plnckiness and ambition by going to
Oberlin Conservatory Of Music for
year to learn the piano which her
father had encouraged her to master.
When she was IS years Of age the
Shepard family moved from Richfield
to Medina, where the father built the
first grist mill and sawfnill to stand
on the location Of the present Shep-
ard mill. AT Medina, Annie found
opportunity to advance her ambition
to become public school teacher by
entering the normal school conducted
here by Prof. Carver, from which she
graduated four years later in the
first class to complete a full course
in that excellent school
Miss Shepard's first teaching ex-
perience was acquired at the old Nor
thropville district school in the eastern
part Of Medina township, where she
taught year. Next she became the
very successful teacher of the IA
Grammar Room" eighth grade) III
the Medina village schools, teach
ing this grade for several years. Then
followed five years in the Elyria pub
lie schools, after which she began her
long term Of service in the Cleveland
public schools extending over more
than thirty years Twenty years of
this remarkably successful teaching
Icaerer in1Cleveland was spent as the
beloved and revered teacher Of the
eighth grade of the fremont school,
and ten years as teacher of the same
grade in the East Dennison school.
1t was not till long years of constant
and devoted service in the public
schools had begun to tell on her health
that she resigned her school position
in the fall of 1917, and engaged with
her usual ardor and keen intelligence
in the Red Gross War Work, giving
two years of efficient service to her
country and suffering humanity ii
A serious ailment that had been sap.
ping her strength for several years
compelled her to quit her Red Cross
work in the fall Of 1919, and the sue
ceeding year and half she continued
as an invalid, being confined to her
home in the Pelton Apartment, West
18th street, Cleveland, for full year
proceeding her death, which occurred
on Saturday, April l6, releasing her
from a long term of suffering that
was borne with heroic courage and Sc.
rene patience.
Funeral services were held at the
Pilgrim Congregational church, Cleve-
land, conducted by her pastor, Rev
Dan Bradley, on Monday April Is
The touching and eloquent personal
tribute paid to the high qualities oi
the dead by the beloved minister bore
truest testimony of the high regard in
which she was held in the community
where she had served so long and SC
well. At the conclusion of the ser.
vices at the Pilgrim Congregations
church the funeral partS came to Me.
dina, where a brief service was con
Quoted by Rev. Bradley at the Spring
Grove cemetery chapel, after which
temporary, sepulture was made ir
the vault here.
OF her immediate family, two broth
ers and two sisters survive Mis-.
Shepard, namely: Pauline Shepard
whose home was with her sister at tht
Pelton Apartments, Cleveland; George
Shepard of Baltimore, Md; Mrs. C. L
Griesinger and Dwight C. Shepard
both of Medina. These brothers ant
sisters were privileged to minister tt
their stricken sister in her last days
! rendering every service of care ant
tenderness that love could suggest,an
were rewarded by evidences of til,
deepest gratitude on the part of til,
4 stricken one.
| To measure the character and lif
value Of Annie Shepard, it is necessar,
to speak in words of praise and eulogy
She was not an ordinary type. From
early childhood she was marked b,
exceptional intelligence, laudable am
bition and keen sense of service. Sh
was always doing something WORT
while-always serving somewhere il
useful and purposeful way, alway
making life brighter somewhere 70
somebody, lending to others-especia
! ly to the young out of her own ful
measure of worthy ambition. So
was that she made her profession Q
teaching high calling. She file
all its great possibilities for good. Sh
| filled every hour in the school roor
4 full-1ot with book instructions alon,
but with encouragement and uplii
for her pupils She put heart as we
as mind, patriotism as well as boo
learning, loving personality as we'll a
dicipline, with her school duties. Sh
I.had read widely and wisely that sh
might be better teacher and a bette
i American. Her vacations in summe
| time were spent in travel at HON
and abroad, learning and seeing, tha
she might keep abreast with all tina
was worth while in order that sh
might serve with a keen sense of II
! sponsibility for the future years q
youth that came under her care.
was all done, too, with love and kind
4 ness. And so she was loved and tn
memory Of her cherished still by tn
thousands Of young whose lives sh
helped to mould. Indeed she filled i
fullest ulea sire that most irranortan