Donna Shepherd

Donna Grace Shepherd, beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her loved ones on February 26, 2021, after complications of a stroke.

Donna was born on March 8, 1935, in Provo, Utah to Samuel Grace Hunt and Jesse Leroy Thurgood. Early in her life, a good looking boy by the name of Vern Shepherd caught her eye. Her older brother Dean had married his sister Veda, so their lives remained entangled as they grew up. When Donna was 17 years old working at Reams Market after school, a handsome serviceman wandered in to buy some mints and eventually asked her out on a date. After a year and a half courtship that consisted of dates while on leave and writing letters to each other while Vern was serving in the Korean War, they were married for all time and eternity on June 3, 1953, in the Manti Temple.

Her greatest calling in life was raising her six sweet children in Mapleton, Utah. She was hard working and wasn’t afraid to take on a project, even on her own. She learned the value of hard work at an early age, growing up on a 21-acre farm where her family grew celery, potatoes, corn, and hay. Vern was as hard working as Donna and it showed in their clean home, in their yard, in their garden, and in the way they remodeled/built their homes. They were not shy when it came to hard work, and they enjoyed working side by side, tackling things together. In every meaning of the words, they were the perfect team.

Donna had a special love for music ever since she was little. At six years old she was singing duets with her sister Joyce, while their mother played the piano at weddings and family reunions. While she attended Provo High School she served as the Vice-President Student Officer and was known for her beautiful singing voice. She performed in a trio along with her two friends, Janet and Norma, in many school assemblies and activities. She was an active and faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and while she held many callings, she was most known for her the wonderful music she produced as the Ward Choir Director for over 20 years.

After raising their six beautiful children together, they built a home in 1992 in Salem, Utah where Donna has resided for the last 29 years and was blessed with special friendships. During those first 15 years spent aside her loving husband they made wonderful memories serving as ordinance workers in the Provo Temple for seven years, cheering on their BYU Cougars, tending to their beautiful garden and immaculate yard, and snow-birding in California and Arizona with family and friends. Vern and Donna spent countless years making the most cherished memories with their family, hunting, fishing, and camping at Fish Lake. Being surrounded by her family was her favorite place to be. Donna had a special love for genealogy work and she took pride in connecting her family members together. She has spent countless hours researching, indexing, obtaining these family names, and performing Temple work for her ancestors. She was loving, kind-hearted, and spent her life in service to those around her.

She is survived by her children Gregory (Sandra) Shepherd, Clearfield; Michael (Leslie) Shepherd, Mapleton; Terrie Cornia, Logan; Bradley (Lenny) Shepherd, Genola; Roxanne (Garland) Cranford, Saratoga Springs; Joanna (Brian) Wall, Mapleton. She is adored by 32 grandchildren; 72 great-grandchildren, 10 great-great Grandchildren, her brother Ronnie (Becky) Thurgood (Spanish Fork), and her sweetheart dog LuLu.

Long has she awaited the day that she would be reunited with those she loved who have gone before her. We know she was greeted so lovingly by her parents, grandparents, her sisters; Mary Lloyd and Joyce Cross, her brothers; Bud, Dean, Ted, and Garth Thurgood, 2 grandsons, 4 great-grandchildren, sister and brother-in-laws, friends, her furry best friend Sparkle, and most of all, that handsome man that stole her heart 70 years ago, her husband Vern Shepherd. There hasn’t been a single minute in the past 13 years that she has not missed him. Our hearts are full knowing their reunion was grand.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Maple Creek Home Health and Hospice nurses Angie Alleman and Kelby Woodland who so lovingly cared for our mother. Your kindness, compassion, and service were beyond anything we could have expected.

The funeral will be held on March 3, 2021, at The Nelson Family Mortuary in Provo, Utah at 1:00 p.m. with a viewing at 12:00 p.m. Due to restrictions we have invited family members only, but will be streaming the funeral live for anyone who would like to watch. The recording of the funeral can be viewed for 90 days. Donna will be laid to rest in the Spanish Fork Cemetery next to her eternal companion. We appreciate the visits, phone calls, and loving words of support we have received during this difficult time.