Tributes

Jacqulyn Maedell Shepherd was born on December 15, 1932, in the Cooper Creek Area in Denton County in a snow storm, in a farm house without running water or electricity. She lived with her parents, Irma Maedell Shepherd and Jack Shepherd until she was 12. While Mr. Shepherd was serving in the Coast Guard during World War II, Jacqulyn was court committed to the Austin State School, the only one in Texas at the time. Shortly after the Mexia State School opened, Jacqulyn was transferred there. The town of Mexia and the State School were welcome homes for Jacqulyn. She enjoyed trips to town where everyone knew her. The Oil Rigger, the Dairy Queen, The Chicken Shack, Walmart and the Dollar Store were favorite places. On the Mexia campus, Jacqulyn liked to walk to the Canteen for coffee. She fished, set up pins in the bowling alley (her favorite job although she also liked making beds because she got to visit with everyone) and best of all she walked to the beautiful Chapel on campus where the Sunshine Singers, Mexia State School residents, sang heavenly. Jacqulyn knew many choruses of the hymns. She also liked to listen to the radio with her daddy and they sang along with Gene Autry and other cowboys. After 67 years, most on the Mexia Campus, Jacqulyn was sent to live in an MHMR group home 11 days before her 79th birthday. She was in foster placement with several care givers. George and Christy Portillo and their loving extended family were Jacqulyn’s kind care givers for the past two years. Janie Dobson provided care for Jacqulyn during two separate placements. Janie loved Jacqulyn. Jacqulyn was with her mother, daddy, aunts, uncles, and Jesus for Christmas. Christmas and her very own December birthday were Jacqulyn’s favorite times for sharing time with others. Jacqulyn knew intuitively when Sunday came. When hospitalized or on Sundays never mentioned by family or care givers, Jacqulyn would wake up and announce that she was ready to go to church. The Mexia Chapel and the Denton and Aubrey First Christian Churches were revered places of outreach for Jacqulyn and all people who needed a place to belong and to learn about Christ’s love. Jacqulyn saw tangible love in Linda Marrow’s Denton Class and with Melba and Felton Robinson, Jean Burk, Mary Alice Reding, Ann Redfern, Ed and Judy Christie, and John Clay in the First Christian Church of Aubrey. Jacqulyn died on December 19th at 3:35AM in Seasons Hospice within Dallas Presbyterian. She joins her parents Jack and Irma Shepherd and grandparents Lila Madell Grant Orr and Charles Carpenter Carpenter Orr and paternal grandparents Mary Alice Wilson Shepherd and Rufus Nelson Shepherd. Jacqulyn is survived by her baby sister, Mary Charlotte Shepherd Mooneyham and husband Charles; niece, Mari Ann Mooneyham Harrison and husband John; nephew, Jack Daniel Stanley and wife Megan Ubelacker; great nephews, RC Moon Harrison and Ben Shepherd Harrison. Jacqulyn’s cousins Connie Orr Cole and husband Joe Cole and Alison Orr Trapp and husband Todd Ellis were favorites in the Denton area who shared church, birthdays, Christmas and meals with Jacqulyn. Jacqulyn was buried at Belew Cemetery in Aubrey, TX. A memorial service will be scheduled later in January. Online condolences may be shared at www.slaymemorialfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Terri Slay and Slay Memorial Funeral Center. To send a flower arrangement to the family of Jacqulyn Maedell Shepherd, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.

Tributes

Jacqulyn Maedell Shepherd

December 15, 1932 - December 19, 2018