Joan Shepperd

On September 13 th, 2023, Joan Darden Shepperd peacefully passed away in Belton Texas. Services will be held Tuesday, September26th, at 2:00 in the old chapel at Salado United Methodist Church.

Joan was born in Belton on May 4 th , 1932, to Emma Louise Parker Darden and Walter Carl Darden. The Parkers and Dardens were early Texas settlers. She was the youngest of the Darden’s seven children and grew up in an historic home on Beal Street in Belton.

Joan met a young Aggie from Salado, Monroe Taylor Shepperd II, at the teen canteen, which is now the home of the Bell County Museum. They were married April, 1951 at the First Baptist Church of Belton. Their early married life was spent on the Mountain City Ranch west of Buda where MT was the Ranch Manager. Joan had many fond memories of life on the ranch, and loved the ranch life. Their first son, Joe Taylor Shepperd, was born while they lived on the Mountain City Ranch. MT was then drafted into the Army and was stationed in Germany near Garmisch-Partenkirchen which was a Bavarian Ski Resort and a recreational area for US soldiers in Europe. Joan and Joe soon joined him and they enjoyed winter sports and touring the incredibly beautiful countryside. Joan loved the warmth and wholesomeness of the country people of Bavaria.

After MT’s service they moved back to Bell County. They made Belton their home and had two more sons, David Carl Shepperd, and John Mark Shepperd. The years flew by while attending untold numbers of ball games, livestock shows and rodeos and preparing her guys for hunting and fishing trips.

Joan was a homemaker first and foremost, although she did spend a decade working in the athletic department at UMHB where she was also “mother” to the young coaches and many students, whom she adored.

As a homemaker, her home and yard were always perfect. She was famous for an iron skillet roast, her brownies, apricot fried pies and her ability to make venison delicious many different ways. She was a skilled seamstress and passed her knowledge to her daughter-in-law, Pam.

When the grandkids came along, they found her house to be the perfect place to hang out and conjure up plans of which their parents might not approve. They often found a willing accomplice in “Maw Maw”.

Joan came from a large family that would congregate at the big house on Beal Street. Those times and each sister, brother, nephew and niece were precious to her and an integral part of her life. Her life was interwoven with these and her husband’s family.

She loved to travel and take “girl trips” with Carmen Tulloch, Rosie Hunter, Barbara Hale and other longtime friends. She was a member of the First Baptist Church Golden Age Travel Club which gave her much joy in her later years.

Joan was blessed to be able to watch the grandkids grow up and eventually provide her with 13 great grandkids. They were blessed to know her.

Joan was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Monroe Taylor Shepperd II, her son David Carl Shepperd and her siblings: Walter Darden, Marietta Mesecke, Dorrace Howell, Ruth Lovorn, Paul Darden and Roy Darden.

Survivors are, sons, Joe Taylor Shepperd and his wife Pam, John Mark Shepperd and his wife Teresa, daughter-in-law, Debbie Butler Shepperd. Grandchildren; Ben Shepperd (Kristen), Emily Jones (TJ), Tara Hill (Bobby Joe), Tori Shepperd, and Shelby Cross (Joey). Great-grandchildren, Clara, Hal and Eloise Shepperd, Cinco, Evelyn and John Reeve Jones, Tripp Hill, Rody and Ally White, Shep Tircuit and Tatum, Collins and Wyatt Cross.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to The Bell County Museum.