Graveside funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at the Kit Carson Cemetery. The family will be recieving friends at the Church of the Redeemed in Kit Carson on Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. for a time of visitation and remembrance. Memorial contributions can be made to the Kit Carson Church of the Redeemed.


Fay Stewart Sheppard was born near Warner, Oklahoma on April 17, 1920 to Ruben Ray Stewart and Daisy Vann Stewart. Fay spent her childhood in Oklahoma completing her education through the 7th grade. Fay was married to George H. Sheppard and they had two daughters, Virginia L. on October 31, 1935 and Margaret A. on October 6, 1937. The early years of their marriage were spent farming in Oklahoma until the family purchased a restaurant in Oklahoma in 1945. The restaurant business would become a part of their lives for its entirety. In 1946 the Sheppard family packed up and moved to New Mexico for one year where George had taken a job. Their stay in New Mexico would not be for long; in 1947 they moved to California in search of a new job for George. While in California, Fay cooked in restaurants until they purchased one of their own in 1953. In 1965 they moved back to Oklahoma where they purchased an 80 acre farm. Farming didnt work out for them and in 1967 the Sheppards moved to Kit Carson where George and Fay would make their home for the remainder of their lives. Shortly after moving to Kit Carson, George and Fay purchased a bare spot of property and built their restaurant there. George and Fay operated Shepps together until Georges death in 1984. For the next 13 years, Fay would operate the business by herself until Margaret returned in 1997 to help her. Throughout her time of taking care of the business, Fay always made time to visit her family that still lived in California. She would run the restaurant for 6 months then spend 6 months visiting family. Family was always important to Fay, and she thoroughly enjoyed the months each year that she could spend with them.

Fay was proud of her Cherokee Indian heritage and had many accomplishments including her business success, however the example that she set for her daughters by reading her Bible through from front to back more than 10 times is a true testament to the fact that Fay was a devoted Christian and loved her Lord and was longing for the day when she could see her Savior face to face. Fay Sheppard died peacefully at her home in Kit Carson on Good Friday, April 22, 2011.

Fay is survived by her Children: Virginia Rutherford of Folsom, CA and Margaret (Stewart) DeVault of Kit Carson, by her four grandchildren: David Myers of Portland, OR, Melody Crombie of Silver Spring, MD, Audrey Melendez of Sacramento, CA and Stanley DeVault of Nevada City, California. She is also survived by her 10 great grandchildren and by one sister, Bonita (Bill) Jones of Modesto, CA. Fay was preceded in death by her parents, her Husband George, 4 brothers, 1 sister and 1 grandson.