Cassie Mae (Haywood) Shepherd
Cassie Mae (Haywood) Shepherd, 101, went to be with Jesus Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at 4:50 a.m. in Mason Health and Rehabilitation Center, Warsaw.
One of 12 children, Cassie was born Nov. 29, 1913, in Prestonsburg, Ky., to Hager Lee and Sarah (Adkins) Justice. She was married to Willie Haywood on July 20, 1934, in Prestonsburg. They moved to Kosciusko County in 1954. Willie would precede her death on July 29, 1985. Then in 1992 Cassie became the wife of Alex Shepherd, Sidney, until his death on April 30, 2002.
Cassie, a homemaker, was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She was a mother to all of the neighborhood children. She would care for anyone – feeding and caring for their needs. She was a wonderful seamstress, quilter and gardener. Cassie was a member of the former Northern Little Dove Regular Baptist Church (Pierceton) and a member of Little Flossie Old Regular Baptist Church, Kendallville.
She is survived by four daughters: Rebecca (Clyde) Arnett, Claypool; Virginia (Alvin) Rockhill, Goshen; Judy (James) Brumbaugh, Milford; Fannie (Dan) Widaman, Warsaw; three sons: Burl C. (Lana) Haywood; Bill H. (Virginia) Haywood; Joe D. (Sandy) Haywood, all of Warsaw; and daughter-in-law: Christena Haywood, Warsaw; three step-daughters: Martha (and Claude) Wallen, Warsaw; Barb (and Larry) Robinson, Claypool; and Evelene and (Joe Serovy), Warsaw; two step sons: Henry (and Toni) Shepherd, Warsaw; Monroe (and Ernestine) Shepherd, Claypool; two sisters: Grace (Don) Brown, Columbia City; and Cathleen Justice, Martin, Ky.; 21 grandchildren; 58 great-grandchildren; 22 great-great-grandchildren; 12 step-grandchildren; and 19 step-great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husbands, Cassie was preceded in death by two sons: Robert B. Haywood (May 20, 2014); Johnny Lee Haywood (1948); mother: Sarah Justice (August 1985); and father: Hager Lee Justice (August 1966); four brothers: Joe Justice, John Justice, Sandy ‘Buck’ Justice and Bill Justice; and five sisters: Cynthia Hunter, Susie Compton, Mary Alice Ousley, Emogene Marsilett and Cindy Compton.
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, at Titus Funeral Home, 2000 E. Sheridan St., Warsaw. A service celebrating Cassie’s life will follow beginning at 12 p.m. Elder Russell Hicks of Little Flossie Old Regular Baptist Church, Kendallville, will officiate. Burial will take place in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw.
The family has asked that gifts in Cassie’s memory be directed to Alzheimer’s Association (research), 50 E. 91st Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240.