Jonesboro, AR--Sandy Shepherd, 87, of Jonesboro died Saturday, May 10, 2008 at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro.  Born in Malone, Texas, she was a graduate of Forney High School and St. Paul's Hospital School of Nursing in Dallas.  In 1942 she married Dr. W. F. Shepherd.  Sandy and Shep moved to Jonesboro in 1945.  She was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and a member of the Altar Rosary Society.  

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. W. F. Shepherd; a son, Philip Joseph Shepherd; and a grand-daughter.  Survivors include five daughters and sons-in-law, Janet and Dr. Phil Utley of Jonesboro, Kathy and Bill Martin of Huntsville, Ala, Suzanne Cook of Fayetteville, Kris Shepherd and Tim Newell of Memphis and Margaret Shepherd of Jonesboro; four sons and daughters-in-law, Mike Shepherd of Forrest City, Pat and Jennifer Shepherd of Harrison, Tom Shepherd, and Peter and Kimberly Shepherd, all of Fayetteville; one sister, Dorothy Criswell of Forney, Texas; 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A funeral mass will be held Wednesday morning at 11 in Blessed Sacrament Church with the Rev. Mark Wood officiating.  Burial will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery.  A private family rosary will be held at 4:30 p.m. followed by the visitation tonight from 5-7 at Emerson Funeral Home Chapel.

    Jonesboro, AR--Funeral services for Ralph “Pop” Stricklin, 82, of Jonesboro, longtime member of the Jonesboro City Council who died Sunday at Anderson Hospital in Meridian, Miss., will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in the chapel of Emerson Funeral Home. The Rev. Fred Haustein will officiate, and burial will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery.

    Stricklin was retired from Grace Electric Co., and was supervisor of maintenance at the Carl R. Reng Center at Arkansas State University for a number of years. He served on the board of City Water and Light and was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Jonesboro.

    A veteran of World War II, Stricklin was a member of the Battery “C” 206 Costal Artillery of the Arkansas National Guard in Jonesboro that was federalized  during the war. Stricklin served most of the war at Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

    He was also active in the Kiwanis Club and Order of DeMolay.

    Surviving are three sisters, Virginia Rogers of Marked Tree, Doris Lummus of Toomsuba, Miss., and Maxine Gilmore of Jonesboro.

    He was preceded in death by his wife, LaWanda Stricklin.

    Active pall bearers will include Ronnie Rogers, Don Ed Rogers, Scott Lummus, Lex Orr, Robert Gilmore, Craig Rogers, Chad Rogers and Josh Rogers.

    Honorary pall bearers will include Ernest Howell, Hubert Brodell, Roger DeRoeck, members of the Men’s Bible Sunday School Class of First United Methodist Church, members of DeMolay, Kiwanis members, Jonesboro aldermen, employees and board member of City Water and Light, members of the Jonesboro  Parks and Recreation Commission and members of the Jonesboro Police and Fire Departments.

    Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
   
    Memorials may be made to First United Methodist church of Jonesboro or the Jonesboro Parks and Recreations Department.

    --The Jonesboro Sun, March 26, 2002, Page 6a; contributed by Ila East.