Eunyce P. Shepherd, 93, of Post Falls, passed away Sept. 16, 2011. Eunyce was born March 17, 1918, in Haynes, N.D., to Elmer and Mary (Fleming) Bucklin. She grew up in South Dakota on a 160-acre homestead with her parents and three siblings, Aldene Marie, Wayne Curtis and Robert Glen (died at age 6 months). 

Eunyce first met her future husband, Robert Shepherd, in 1938 in South Dakota. In April 1941, Eunyce and her parents moved to Eureka, Mont., where they lived on Pinkham Creek for two years. One day when they were coming home from picking huckleberries, they picked up a soldier along the road. Robert Shepherd had a three-day pass from the Army and had come home to see Eunyce.

Robert put in for a ten-day furlough for Dec. 10, 1941, to come home to Montana to marry Eunyce, but Pearl Harbor happened on Dec. 7 and all furloughs were canceled. Eunyce went down to California the next spring, and they were married May 4, 1942. In January 1943 Robert had to leave for the overseas (Pacific Front), so Eunyce returned to Eureka until Robert returned from the war on Nov. 13, 1945.

The following spring of 1946 they bought a farm near Newport, Wash. In 1948 they sold the Newport farm and settled on Wrenco Loop near Sandpoint in 1949 where they raised their seven children. Until the children were raised Eunyce was a full-time mother/homemaker. She also stayed busy baby-sitting the neighbors' children and working as a seamstress.

In 1976 they sold their Sandpoint farm and moved to Post Falls to retire. Eunyce enjoyed gardening, crocheting, reading, huckleberry picking, spending time with family and traveling with Robert visiting 47 of the 50 states, Canada and Mexico.

Robert preceded Eunyce in death in January 2005.

Eunyce is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Gwen and Jerry Jones of Princeton, Texas; daughter and son-in-law, Lynette and Randy Downing of Kennewick, Wash.; son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Debra Shepherd of Post Falls; daughter and son-in-law, Terria and Jay Lutzke of Sandpoint; daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Jim Berry of Kalispell, Mont.; son and daughter-in-law, Arvin and Janice Shepherd of New York, N.Y.; son Wade Shepherd of Plummer; and seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Viewing will be held from noon until 12:45 p.m. followed by funeral service at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, at Yates Funeral Home, Hayden Chapel. A reception will follow at the Hayden Chapel's Gathering Center, 373 E. Hayden Ave. A private burial will be at Coeur d'Alene Memorial Gardens. Please visit Eunyce's online memorial and sign her guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.