Viola C. Shepherd

Funeral services honoring the life of Viola C. Shepherd will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, November 25, 2022 at Mooringsport Baptist Church, 500 Ivy St., Mooringsport, Louisiana. Officiating the service will be Pastor Harrell Shelton. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 12:00 p.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the church. Burial will immediately follow the service at Memorial Gardens in Mooringsport, Louisiana.

Viola C. Shepherd was born September 1, 1927 to Charlie Dewitt Chelette, Sr. and Minnie Bell Chelette in Colfax, Louisiana and passed away in her sleep, Monday, November 21, 2022, surrounded by family, at the age of 95. 

Viola was a witty, sharp-minded, and sometimes blunt person. Traits she inherited from her own mother, along with her strong family values. She did her best to take care of her family and hold them together, and she expected only the best from them. She enjoyed getting the last word in any conversation she was a part of and took extra care to be sure she had thought of just the right thing to say to each person, whether it was kind encouragement or a well-deserved kick in the pants. And no matter what you did, how hard you succeeded or failed, she was always there to support you and try to steer you right again. She was also surprisingly hard-headed, as her siblings could attest, and did things as she saw fit. Once she’d made up her mind, she wouldn’t listen to anyone except her mother and God Himself.

As anyone could tell you, as much as Viola expected from others, she expected infinitely more from herself. She always put her best foot forward and tried to do the right thing, no shortcuts or easy ways out. And she was only so stubborn because she knew what was right and, to her, anything else was just falling short. She would do anything for anyone who needed it, and she tried to pass this attitude on to everyone she knew. She loved her family more than anything in the world, and it was her most sincere wish that everything she did benefit them.

She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 55 years, Billy Shepherd; her son, David Shepherd, her parents; her brothers, Charles and Bobby Chelette; and her sister, Linda Todd.

Viola is survived by her son, Don Shepherd; her grandchildren, Brian Shepherd, William “Graham” Shepherd, Zachary Shepherd, and Summer Shepherd; her great-grandchildren, Brannan, Stefan, Mallary, and Beckham; her sister, Beatrice Fleener; and her brother, William “Wampus” Chelette.

Honoring Viola as pallbearers will be Brian Shepherd, William “Graham” Shepherd, Zachary Shepherd, Max Ryan, Sammy Welch, and Mike Fleener.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be William “Wampus” Chelette and Gayle Bergh.

The family suggests memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home, PO Box 4196, Monroe, Louisiana 71211.