Marie Elizabeth Weidman Shepherd

Celebration of life: 2 p.m. Friday at Shannon Rufe Snow Funeral Chapel. Interment: Mount Olivet Cemetery. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Shannon's.

Memorials: Humane Society of North Texas, 1840 E. Lancaster, Fort Worth, Texas 76103-2196.

Marie was born Feb. 23, 1917, to Verne Tennyson and Cora Sterner Weidman in Mount Morris, N.Y. She began her nurse's training in September 1936 and received her degree in nursing from the University of Buffalo in February 1941. She joined the U.S. Army on July 14, 1942, was sent to Fort Mead for training, and then was deployed overseas. During her Army tenure, she served overseas from July 30, 1943, to May 14, 1944, as a second lieutenant in the Army Nursing Corps. On a troop ship on the crossing to Europe, she met Noble O. "Shep" Shepherd, who was born in West Texas and had been working in Fort Worth when he was drafted into the Army. She and Shep were married in Naples, Italy. She was separated from the Army on July 8, 1944. Upon returning to the States, they located in Fort Worth. During the next few years, they added a son, Lee, and a daughter, Janet, to the family. After Lee and Janet started school, Marie went to work as a juvenile probation officer for Tarrant County. After retiring from the county, she worked for the federal government for a number of years.

Marie was very active and enjoyed playing bridge and working in her yard. She was generous to a fault. Over the years, she had loved and cared for many cats and dogs that will be waiting for her at the Rainbow Bridge.

Marie was preceded in death by her husband, Shep, in 1975; her son, Lee, in 1985; her parents; her brother, Wesley; and her sister, Rosalie. Her son Lee was a four-time National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock world champion drag racer and a two-time International Hot Rod Association Pro Stock world champion drag racer.

Survivors: Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Janet Balke and husband, Rodney, of Colleyville; and granddaughter, Bonnie Belt of Fort Worth. She was also grandmother to Lanci Balke of Arlington, Layne Balke (Georgina) of Joshua and Misty Haji-Sheikh (Michael) of DeKalb, Ill. She was great-grandmother to Courtney, Kailey, Georgie and Hunter Balke, and Micah and Merrick Haji-Sheikh. She is also survived by several nieces, a nephew and a host of close friends of many years.