Individual Details

Marriage

Miss Shirley Page Shepherd Wed to Mr. Furr in Arlington. MR. AND MRS. CHARLES HENRY SHEPHERD of Avon Park, Fla., formerly of Arlington. Va., announce the marriage of their daughter Shirley Page to Mr. Warwick Rex Furr, son of Mr. and Mrs. Warwick Elwood Furr of Clarendon, Va., which took place yesterday afternoon in the home of the bride's uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Overton Shepherd, at 2002 Fifteenth street north in Arlington. The ceremony was performed at 5 o’clock by Rev. Walter M. Lockett, pastor of the Community Methodist Episcopal Church South, before an Improvised altar of ferns and cut flowers, and was witnessed by the immediate families only. Just prior to the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Smith of Lyon Village, brother-in-law and sister of the bride, sang a duet, accompanied at the piano by Mrs. Philip Shepherd. Arrangements for the wedding were informal, and the bride was married in her traveling costume, a smart three-piece tweed ensemble, with colors of green and brown predominating. With this she wore a jonquil-yellow crepe silk blouse, a brown felt tailored bat and other accessories of brown, and her flowers were a shoulder cluster of talisman roses and lilies of the valley. A small reception followed, when refreshments were served in the dining room, and Mrs. Shepherd was assisted by Mrs. Furr, mother of the bridegroom, and by Mrs. Cora Lewis, grandmother of the bride. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Furr left on a wedding trip, and upon returning they will take an apartment at 2015 Fifteenth street north, Arlington. Pre-nuptial parties for the bride included a miscellaneous shower given by Mrs. Harry K. Green, wife of the commissioner of revenue of the county, assisted by her daughter, Mrs. Albert Foltz, and a shower given at the home of Miss Doris Miller in Waycroft by the teachers of the Stonewall Jackson School, where Mrs. Furr is a member of the faculty. The bride was graduated from the Teachers’ College at the Florida State College for Women at Tallahassee, Fla., and also attended the Fredericksburg State Teachers’ College. She has made her home for the last four years with her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Philip O. Shepherd, in the county. The bridegroom is a member of one of Arlington County’s pioneer families. He is a member of the Clarendon Lodge of Odd Fellows and is a member of the Order of Elks. He is now engaged in private business in the District of Columbia.
The Evening Star, Washington, DC, January 17, 1937

Death

FURR, Shirley Shepherd, 97, passed away July 6, 2011, at her home on Lake Byrd. She was born in Ballston (now Arlington County), Va., August 1, 1913. She moved to Avon Park, Fla., in 1919 with her parents, Charles and Erna Shepherd, and grew up here. She was salutatorian of her Avon Park High School, graduating class of 1930. She received her two-year teaching degree from Florida State Teacher's College for Women, then years later, a Bachelor of Arts degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Shirley moved to Arlington, Va., in 1936, where she married Rex Furr, raised five children and taught school for many years. She then returned to Avon Park in 1961. Shirley was first and foremost a teacher. She taught for many years in the Arlington Public School System as a special reading teacher, taught reading to GI's who were studying for the GED at Fort Myer, Va., and later taught for many years in Highlands County. She also had a passion for life, children, justice and equality for all. She lived her convictions, as evidenced by her decision to volunteer to teach at Hopewell School in 1966, in order to facilitate integration of the Highlands County School System. She co-founded the Avon Park Community Child Development Center with Gwen Sanders-Hill in 1982 to ensure that the children of Avon Park had access to quality preschool education. She served as President of the center's board of directors until 1995. Shirley was always a voice for children. She adamantly believed children should be raised and educated in a loving, rich learning environment. Time and time again, she reached out to help children achieve their potential. In recognition of her passionate and effective advocacy for children, Shirley was one of the first recipients of the Judge Clifton Kelly Champion for Children Award. She was also the loving mother of her children and took pride in their accomplishments. She was a respected advocate for the teaching profession and a leader in the education community. Shirley was preceded in death by her husbands, Rex Furr, and later, James Roberts; son, Charles; and grandson, Peter. She is survived by her children, sons, Warwick "Bud" (Diana) and Mike (Anne); daughters, Joan Harrell (Jim) and Pat Landress; 14 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her. A memorial service to celebrate her life will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 23, at Union Congregational Church in Avon Park. Visitation will follow in the church social hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Avon Park Community Child Development Center, 800 S. Delaney Ave., Avon Park, Fla.
Published in TBO.com on July 8, 2011