Parthenia Shepherd

Our dear mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, Parthenia M. Shepherd, transitioned to eternal rest, Tuesday, November 1, 2022, in Albemarle, North Carolina. She was born October 18, 1936, in Stanly County, North Carolina; and was the daughter of the late Horace and Hazel Bell Cole McLendon. It is difficult to say good-bye to our dear mother, but we find solace in knowing she is safe at home and is resting in the Arms of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. During this season of thanksgiving, we give honor and glory to Our Savior for blessing us with a life that was loving, kind, and generous. We will miss her dearly, but we know that we will see her again.

Parthenia was educated in the Stanly County public schools and graduated from the historic West Badin High School, Badin, North Carolina. She also attended Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Pfeiffer University, Misenheimer, North Carolina. Never idle, she later received her cosmetology certification from Butler Cosmetology School. Parthenia was a retired teacher’s assistant with the Stanly County Board of Education, Albemarle.

She accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age and joined St. Luke Holiness Church, Badin. She later joined New Direction Life Ministries, Norwood, North Carolina where she was a faithful member. Mother Parthenia enjoyed singing in the choir and for many years she was the church’s pianist. Cooking was her passion. Her favorite specialties were making Southern potato salad and baking pies.

She was married to Ronnie Lee Owens, and they were the proud parents of four devoted children. After his death, she married Jeremiah Shepherd who also preceded her in death. Her youngest son, Horace Christopher Owens, passed in 2017.

A life well lived, loved, and cherished will forever be remembered by her daughters: Dr. Anita (Elder J. Michael) Owens-Scott and Parthenia Tijuana “TJ” Atkins; son, Marcus L. (Fredia) Owens; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; daughter-in-law, Amanda Owens; sister, Mary Kirkley; brother, Johnny (Beverly) Harrell; a host of other relatives, church members, and friends.

“Good night, dear Mother, may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest”.

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