Sr. Rita Shepherd, CHM

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Sister Rita Shepherd (Sister Mary Paulita), CHM, 90, who served in the Diocese of Davenport, died April 1 at Bishop Drumm Care Center, Johnston.

Sr. Shepherd was born Sept. 6, 1919, in Birmingham, Iowa, and entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary on July 19, 1937, and professed vows on Jan. 6, 1941. She attended Ottumwa Heights College, Ottumwa, and received her BA from St. Ambrose College, Davenport. She did graduate work at the University of Iowa and elsewhere.

Her ministry of education covered some 46 years. She taught primary grades at schools in Ottumwa, Dunlap, Georgetown, Centerville, Bettendorf, Neola, Fort Madison, West Des Moines and Des Moines in Iowa and in Minneapolis, Santa Paula, Calif., and Great Falls and Sidney, Mont. She served as principal and taught fifth and sixth grades in Oskaloosa. Her last 14 years of teaching were at Sunnyside School in Burlington. After Sr. Shepherd retired in 1983, she volunteered as librarian and substitute teacher in schools in Burlington and Davenport. She moved to Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in 1997. 

Her funeral Mass was to be held April 6, at Our Lady of Peace Chapel at Bishop Drumm, with a memorial service to be celebrated April 8 at 7 p.m. at the Humility of Mary Center, Magnificat Chapel in Davenport. Burial was to be in Mount Calvary Cemetery, Davenport. 

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