Mary Sheppard, wife of the late Robert M. Sheppard, formerly of Ipswich, died peacefully at her son’s Wolfeboro, NH home with family members by her side on December 30, 2013. Mary was just two months short of her 102nd birthday.  She was a lifelong resident of Ipswich until a few years ago when she moved to Wolfeboro with her youngest son.

Born in Ipswich February 29, 1912, she was the daughter of the late Tomasz and Katarzyna Sikora. She was the oldest and the last surviving of nine children. In May of 1933 she married another lifelong Ipswich resident, Robert M. Sheppard, who preceded Mary in death in May, 1993. Since her early 20's, Mary was a very successful and creative seamstress, often producing the wedding dresses for the bride and all bridesmaids.  For many years she was also the tailor for Hill's Men's Store in Ipswich. Mary loved to travel and was able to tour many of the capital cities of Europe as well as a few Asian cities.  While in her 80's and 90's, she taught knitting at the Senior Center in Ipswich. She crocheted many blankets that she donated to local nursing homes in Ipswich and Wolfeboro and knitted hundreds of hats for children in the Chicago schools where her daughter was a teacher.

In addition to raising five children, Mary became the foster mother for nineteen children, of which two were newborn girls that she raised until they were adopted by the age of two, and also four young brothers that she raised for about six years.

She is survived by her children and their spouses, Robert Sheppard and his wife Rita of Portland, OR, Paul Sheppard and his wife Gerry of Venice, FL, Peter Sheppard and his wife Lynda of Venice, FL, Mary Funk and her husband John of Chicago, IL, and Michael Sheppard and his wife Paula of Wolfeboro, NH. She is also survived by her ten grandchildren, Kimbers Sheppard, Paul Sheppard, Michael Sheppard, Keith Sheppard, Brian Sheppard, Greg Sheppard, Joshua Funk, Christine Gathman, Kaitlin Lovell and Lindsey Apel, and nine great-grandchildren.

Her funeral services will be held on Monday, January 6 at 9 am from the Whittier-Porter Funeral Home, 6 High Street, Ipswich, followed by the celebration of a Funeral Mass at 10 am in Our Lady of Hope Church, Pineswamp Road, Ipswich. Family and friends are respectfully welcomed. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be made to Central New Hampshire VNA and Hospice, 240 South Main Street, Wolfeboro, NH  03894.