John Sheppard

JOHN DAVID SHEPPARD, 93, of Arcola, IL passed away at 10:30 P.M. on Thursday, March 30, 2017 at Decatur Memorial Hospital.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, April 15, 2017 at the Edwards Funeral Home, 221 East Main St. in Arcola, IL. Pastor Brent Budd will officiate. Private burial will be in the Arcola Cemetery and Villa Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

John was born on October 12, 1923 in Villa Grove, IL. He was a son of James Alexander and Blanche Mae (Hancock) Sheppard. He married Dorothy Jean Hubbard on June 4, 1944 in Villa Grove, IL. She passed away on June 8, 1982. He then married Mildred Ann Alcorn on June 21, 1983. She passed away on November 6, 2011.

He is survived by four sons, David Sheppard and his wife Linda of Newton, IL, Dennis Sheppard and his wife Sherry of Maroa, IL, Joe Sheppard and his wife Athena of Imperial, MO, and Kevin Sheppard of Fox Lake WI; three step-daughters, Beverly Johnson and her husband Jim of Urbana, IL, Betsy Taubert of Clinton, IL, and Joyce Bean and her husband Alan of Arcola; several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Dorothy and his second wife Mildred, two brothers, Theodore “Ted” Sheppard and James “Jim” Sheppard, one sister, Nina Scheaur, two step-sons, Gary Wiese and David Wiese, and one step-daughter, Cheryl Lynn Kearns.

John was a member of the Frist Christian Church of Arcola, IL. He retired in 1987 from Illinois Central Rail Road as a Yard Master in Champaign, IL for over 25 years of service.

John was a Christian Church Minister in Alma, Mason and Griffin, IN, and Newton and Humboldt, IL.

Memorials may be made to the First Christian Church of Arcola.