Agnes Shepherd

Agnes Shepherd, 90, of Smithville, MO, passed away, Wednesday, October 7, 2009.

Agnes Shepherd was born near Paradise and spent all of her 90 years in Clay and Platte Counties. She attended Arley Grade School and graduated from Smithville High School in 1937.  She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Smithville and taught Sunday School, was active in the Woman’s Missionary Union and led many youth and adult activities in the church. She was fortunate to be part of a large and wonderful family that liked to spend time together.  She is survived by one brother, Dan Sims and two sisters, Mary Brightwell and Eva Niemann.  She was married to Jack Shepherd who passed away in 1978.  They had four daughters, Mary Joyce, Patsy, Opal and Eva Carol.  Until 1964, Agnes was a busy farmer’s wife, maintaining the household, taking care of the girls, making all their clothes, taking them to church and school activities — doing all the millions of things that have to be done to keep family farm life going.  Agnes had always wanted to work for the government so in 1964, she took a Civil Service test, did exceptionally well and was offered an entry-level job at the Social Security Administration.  When she retired in 1981, she had worked her way up to Benefits Authorizer, a position often held by lawyers. She always enjoyed traveling, going to Egypt, the Holy Land, Russia, China, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, the Greek Isles, Turkey, Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada and every state in the U.S. including Alaska and Hawaii. Agnes really enjoyed her six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren and loved times spending time with them. Agnes always liked to write, and when she was 85, she completed the book, A Grand Old Church, a history of the First Baptist Church of Smithville.   Earlier this year when she was still living alone in Smithville, she wrote another book, My Memoirs, which her daughters had printed for her 90^th birthday.                               

Shortly after a wonderful celebration of her 90^th birthday, she passed away peacefully and comfortably with family members at her side. 

Funeral Services: 11:00 a.m. Monday, October 12^th at the First Baptist Church in Smithville.

Burial: Second Creek Cemetery, Kansas City, MO.

Visitation: 5:00-7:00 p.m. Sunday at the Hixson-Klein Funeral Home, Smithville.

Donations may be made to the First Baptist Church Food Pantry.