Doris Schimpf Shepherd

Doris (Schimpf) Shepherd passed away peacefully at home on May 8, 2023. She died of natural causes with her humor and intellect intact.

Doris was born October 28, 1938, in Helena, Montana to Ann and Frederick Schimpf. She grew up on the westside of Helena with her sister Phyllis attending Kessler School and Helena High. Doris was a member of the Helena High Tumbling Team (precursor of the Bengalettes Drill Team). In 1956, she graduated with honors. At Helena High, she met her future husband, Harold Shepherd and they were married July 31, 1954. Doris worked all through high school and after graduation for several attorneys and during Legislative committee meetings capturing testimony by shorthand. In 1960, she became a stay-at-home mom with the birth of her first child.

Doris worked alongside Harold, whether in the Body Shop or on the ranch, irrigating, haying, or calving. She enjoyed gardening and even drove a buck rake to put up hay, which was a bit of challenge considering she had hay fever. Doris was an avid reader and enjoyed dancing, rodeos, camping, gardening and “making things look nice” inside the barbwire fence. In 1975, Doris went to work at the MT Assoc. of Counties as an executive assistant and later worked as a lobbyist for county governments. In 1981, she went to work at the Montana Supreme Court and worked there until her retirement in 2003.

After retirement she and Harold were able to enjoy a few road trips with her sister and brother-in-law and enjoyed visiting family that lived out-of-state. She and Harold enjoyed 61 years together until Harold’s passing in 2016. Doris continued to garden and even took a few road trips to area rodeos, visited San Diego with her friend Sam and especially enjoyed seeing her kids and grandkids at “Friday Lunch”, a tradition started by Harold many years earlier. Doris was a kind and generous mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She never refused to help and often had “extra” kids staying at her house; although the extra kids were required to “work to eat” they never were in a hurry to go home.

The family would like to give a special thanks to Mary Jo and Hayley for their great care and compassion allowing Doris to never leave her home.

She is survived by her sister Phyllis McBeath and children Kent (Sheri) of Helena, Kirk (Dayna) of White Sulphur Springs, and Kari (Chuck) Smith of Helena. Her grandchildren, Krista (Jake) Westerhold of Helena, Kaycee (Brandon) Thoeny of Glendive, Katie (Tyler) Schlosser of Dickinson, ND, Kurtis (Hayley) Gross of Helena, Koleman (Ashley) Gross of Helena, Kane Shepherd of Chattanooga, TN, Kyle Shepherd of Pinedale, WY, and Grady Shepherd of Helena. Great-grandchildren: Tristan Thompson, Kaleigh Mix, Kavin Thoeny, Bentley Chaffin, Addelyn Mix, Maya Westerhold, Miles Westerhold, Braxton Schlosser, Kale Thoeny, Natalie Schlosser, Kwynn Thoeny, Kollin Gross, and Sloane Gross. She is also survived by multiple nieces, nephews and their extended families.

There will be a private burial and the family will hold a life remembrance at Doris’s home at 4750 York Road service on June 3, 2023, at 2pm.

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