Rosalie Lennon Shepherd, 98, of Tifton died Thursday, November 5, 2009, at Cypress Pond Assisted Living. Graveside funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, 2009, in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Dr. Wayne Roe and Dr. W. Ches Smith, III will officiate with burial to follow. The family will receive friends on Saturday, November 7, 2009, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary of Tifton’s First Baptist Church on Love Avenue.
Ms. Shepherd was born on September 12, 1911 in Irwin County and was the daughter of Woodberry Lennon and Alda Rebecca Henderson Lennon, both deceased. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Dr. Charlton J. Houston, who died in 1938; her second husband, James L. Shepherd; two brothers, Haynes Lennon and Dowlin Lennon; and three sisters, Elizabeth Rebecca Lennon, Mary Lennon Calvert and Alda Lennon Carter. During her career, she worked in several administrative and accounting positions, including secretary for Colonel P. D. Fulwood, coordinator for World War II Veteran Affairs at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and retiring as executive secretary for Stafford Enterprises. She was a life-long resident of Tifton.
Ms. Shepherd was a member of Tifton’s First Baptist Church and had a great love for the music ministry. She was instrumental in the renovation and expansion of the beautiful pipe organ in the church sanctuary. Because of her great love for church music, especially the organ, the Saturday visitation will be held in the Sanctuary at First Baptist church, with live organ music being shared.
Ms. Shepherd is survived by a niece and her husband, Becky and Jimmie Crowder of South Hill, Virginia; two nephews, Jim Shepherd of Granite City, Texas and Marshall Adams of Knoxville, Tennessee; two great nephews, Jimmie Crowder, Jr. of South Hill, Virginia and Steven Crowder of Nashville, Tennessee; and two great nieces, Linda Lennon Leeke of Columbia, South Carolina and Lisa Lennon Fitzgerald of Clarksville, Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church organ performance fund.