Sharlyn Dianne Shepherd

Sharlyn Dianne Shepherd passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on February 20, 2026.

Services will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. at The Kingdom Hall, 3200 E. 6th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57103.

Sharlyn was born on January 3, 1942, to Abel and Silva (Zirbel) Christofferson in Waubay, South Dakota. She grew up in Summit, SD. Sharlyn was loved and cared for by Daisy Ward Severson, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, after the death of her mother at a very young age. Sharlyn moved to Illinois as a teenager, where she met and married Charles Tyson in 1959. They had four children: Tammera, Charlotte, Inger, and Carla. Sharlyn joined families with Stanley Shepherd and his three children, Jeff, Candy, and Bruce, in 1976 in Watertown, SD. In 1977, Sharlyn and Stanley moved the family to Worthing, SD, where they made their home for over 20 years.

Sharlyn loved spending time with her family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed family vacations to the Black Hills every summer. Sharlyn was known for her cooking and baking. She made her homemade lasagna, potato salad, banana bread, and apple pie from scratch.

Worship of Jehovah was the foremost part of Sharlyn’s life. She was baptized on November 11, 1995, and loved teaching and sharing the good news of God’s Kingdom with anyone who would listen. She was happy that many of her children and grandchildren dedicated their lives to Jehovah.

Sharlyn loved attending the Assemblies and Conventions. Her most memorable was held in New York at Yankee Stadium on August 2, 1950. It was at that convention that Brother F.W. Franz addressed the audience on the “New System of Things.” Once baptized, Sharlyn never missed a convention until her health declined. Sharlyn also attended meetings at the Diamond Valley Congregation in Sioux Falls and, more recently, the Timberline Congregation in Sioux Falls.

Sharlyn is survived by her children: Tammy Reynolds (Worthing, SD), grandchildren Becky Herrmann (fiancée Ken Hillman), Brad Herrmann, and McCade (Shanessa) Reynolds; Charlotte Tyson (Clarksville, TN), grandchildren Christi (Manuel) Angel, Jessica (Micah) Armato, Nathan (Aubry) Ivarsen, and Adam (Olivia) Ivarsen; Inger (Brian) Bossman (Worthing, SD), grandchildren Jennifer (Jon) Gabriel and Brandy Bossman; Carla (Mike) Whitis, grandchildren Christopher (Samantha) King, Samantha (Scott) Hanish, Cody King, and Jamar Whitis; Jeff (Brenda) Shepherd, grandchildren Cherish, Heather, and Jackie; Candy Shepherd; and Bruce (Lisa) Shepherd of Clearlake.

She is also survived by her 32 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; her sister, LaRonna (Doug) Hepner (Clinton, Iowa); and her special family, Vonnie Hills and Donnie and Valerie Miller.

Sharlyn was preceded in death by her daughter, Sylvia Elizabeth Rose Shepherd; her first and second husbands, Charles Tyson and Stanley Shepherd; her brothers, DeVoyn Christofferson and Gaylord (Virginia) Christofferson; her sisters, Jolene (Chuck) Kjetland, Rojean Fisk, Orla Christofferson, and Verlanie Beskow; her grandson, Austin Shepherd; and her great-granddaughter, Nugget Reynolds.