Sarah Elizabeth (Woodham) Shepard, 90, a resident of Dothan, passed away with her family by her side, on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Flowers Hospital.
Funeral services will be held at 12:00 p.m., Friday, February 7, 2025, at First United Methodist Church with Dr. Sterling Boykin and Reverend Elizabeth Hinton officiating and Glover Funeral Home directing. The family will receive friends in the church parlor from 11:00 until 11:45 a.m. prior to the service. A private family burial will follow at Memory Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to, First United Methodist Church Respite Care Ministry, 1380 W. Main Street, Dothan, AL 36301.
Sarah was born January 1, 1935, in Hartford to the late Robert Bentley & Sally Cleo (Stewart) Woodham. She spent the early years of her life there and attended Geneva County High School. At the age of 16, she met and married the love of her life, Jack Hayes Shepard. Soon after they married, Jack’s time in the service quickly moved them to Pennsylvania, where she attended and graduated from New Cumberland High School. Sarah and Jack moved back to Alabama after his time in the service ended. Once back in Alabama, Sarah pursued a career as a dental hygienist, where she worked until she had her children, Lynne and Ben. Outside of family, she frequently participated in her Friday Morning Coffee Bunch, Geneva County High School Lunch Bunch, Suburban Women’s Club in Albany, Bridge Groups, and Garden Club. Sarah was a devoted member of First United Methodist Church of Dothan, serving in many areas such as a founding member of the Pathfinders Sunday School Class, and was an active member of the Progressor’s Sunday School Class, multiple women’s bible study groups, Church Study Club, FUMC book club, Respite Care volunteer, FUMC Altar Guild, and the FUMC Senior Exercise Group. Throughout her life, she managed her family farm and in 2018, she was named the Geneva County Outstanding Conservationist.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 53 years, Jack Hayes Shepard; her three sisters, Dorothy (Woodham) Williams, Mary (Woodham) Hutchinson, and Margaret (Woodham) McDonald; and her brother, James Woodham.
She is survived by her daughter, Lynne (Shepard) Woods of Dothan; her son, Ben Shepard (David) of Birmingham; her two grandchildren, Sam Woods (Brandi), and Sally Kelley (Tyler); her two great-grandchildren, Finley Woods, and Evelyn Kelley; and several beloved nieces and nephews.
Glover Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. (334) 699-3888. Please sign the guestbook online at www.gloverfuneral.com
