June (Walters) Shepherd

Our hearts are broken, as our sweet Mother June Shepherd suddenly passed away on Saturday April 10th after a long battle with Parkinson’s. She was a retiree from Schneider Electric.  One of 10 children, beloved wife of Lenvel Shepherd, mother to Connie (Dennis) Sizemore, Dedra Miller, Robert (Melanie) Melton, Susan (Roelof Streekstra) Melton, Richard Melton, Bridgett (Rick) Bowling, stepdaughter Melinda Shaffer and was preceded in death by her sweet baby Carlos Melton, Sisters Bobby Asher and Ina Barnett and her parents Canie and Dora Lee Smyth Walters. She was the beloved Nana to Robin Melton, Jathis Gilbert, Emma Gilbert, Brent Wooten, Chris Melton, Josh Melton, Atalie Watts, Emmarie Watts, Michael Bowling and Kaylie Bowling, and Great Grandma to Taylee, Kessaney Weston, Whitley,, Cianna, Isaac, Isaiah, Gracie, Ryan,, Harper, Lillian and Khloe. She was the sister to Helen Mitchell, Bud Walters, Viola Bendel, Delores Knapp, Mary Melton, Charles Walters and Gene Walters. She was also the beloved Aunt to many. She loved us all as much as we loved her.

Our Mom was a lot of fun! She loved to play piano, cards, board games, yard games, dance, sing, swim, and of course play slots at the casino. She was always up for an adventure! She also loved to shop; just ask Dede, she once spent 8 hours in Hills Department Store Christmas shopping! She was also so thoughtful, always wanting to ensure every child, grandchild, great grandchild, boyfriend, etc. had a gift if they visited her house around Christmas. She was also an awesome cook! Her biscuits and gravy were to die for (I know her secrets for gravy :)). Her biscuits were always crisp and flaky on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and perfect for gravy. Her chicken and dumplings were the best anyone ever ate. She used to roll out her dough and cut it with a pizza cutter. We loved spending time in the kitchen with her. Whether it was making pizzas, blooming onions, pumpkin bread, or crispy dressing, we knew that whatever she made, it was going to be delicious. Everyone loved her food as much as she loved cooking it! Cooking was something she greatly missed as her disease progressed.

If you are close to our family, you know she suffered greatly from Parkinson's. We felt like Parkinson's stole her from us years ago, as it is truly a 100% debilitating disease. This disease causes problems with cognitive ability (early onset dementia) balance problems, problems swallowing, hallucinations and many other terrible symptoms. When we lost our beloved June this week, we truly felt like we lost her for the second time. We know she is in a better place; she is pain free; medication free, free of a disease which has kept her hostage for the past 15 years. She is free, to this we are grateful. We will miss her with all or our hearts, but knowing she is free from this terrible disease that caused her great pain and suffering on this earth brings great peace to our hearts. So, remember her as the beautiful soul she was before Parkinson’s stole her life. We will look for you in rainbows Mom, we love you.

Visitation will be 5p.m. – until time of services and remembrance (6 p.m.), Thursday, April 15, 2021 at the Avance Funeral Home & Crematory, 4976 Winton Rd., Fairfield, OH   45014.  Condolences may be offered at www.avancefuneralhome.com and in lieu of flowers, you may donate to Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in tribute to Mom at:  Make a Donation | Parkinson's Disease (michaeljfox.org)

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