MARCIA DENE WYCHE SHEPPARD
MARCIA DENE WYCHE SHEPPARD
First child born to James (Jimmy) E. and Gereave (Conaway) Wyche, she was welcomed May 31, 1941, by her grandparents Braxton and Mattie (Cockrell) Conaway, great-grandparents Mathew (Pappy) and Flora Cockrell, uncles Judge and Baron Conaway; aunts Polly (Conaway) Slagoski, Deravene (Conaway) Raley and the congregation at Pine Level Baptist Church.
Two brothers, James (Billy)(deceased) and Richard (deceased) and four sisters; Lenell, Mary Retha (deceased), Rhonda (deceased), and Renee (deceased) followed over the next several years.
Happy are the memories of the family doing things together like riding in the back of the pickup truck to go fishing at Water’s Lake or going to a Saturday night fish fry at Mineral Springs. We loved swimming at Coldwater Creek or Bonnie Beach; and we really had fun paddling the boat around in the Old Stockade Pond.
Beginning at age seven as a “little majorette” through high school as a drummer, serving one year as band director and six years as a band parent, Marcia was always a Jay High School Marching Band enthusiast. “Tell Me Why”, “On Moonlight Bay, “Ninety-Nine Bottles” were a few of the songs remembered from on the long bus rides to football games.
Marcia’s Uncle Baron and her future mother-in-law (Durant) encouraged Dan to invite her to his Junior Prom at T.R. Miller High School. The romance blossomed and they were married June 1, 1962. After the honeymoon, they settled in at Florida State University where both earned a bachelors degree in elementary education. They were doing their teaching internship at Jay Elementary the day JFK was killed, November 22, 1963.
Teaching at Jay Elementary was the highlight of their professional careers. In addition to teaching sixth grade, Dan organized and coached the sixth-grade basketball teams; friendships were made that lasted a lifetime.
Kindergarten children were Marcia’s love for thirty-three years. She believed if she could get children off to a good start and if she could get parents involved in their learning experiences, then she had made her contribution to society.
However, teaching was not her only contribution to society, she was very active in her church. It was at Pine Level Baptist Church that she taught, sang, played the piano and organ, worked, prayed, and worshipped; and praised the Lord when she and Dan witnessed the baptism of their three children; Merrimac (Mary Libb), Shana (Thomas) and Dayon.
She loved Pine Level Baptist Church and the community it served.
The Celebration of Life Service will be Sunday, April 14, 2024, 2:00 pm at Pine Level Baptist Church.
Friends and family are welcome to attend dinner on the ground in honor of Marcia before the service, beginning immediately after church. Approximately 12:45.
This will serve as the visitation time.
The Celebration of Life Service will follow at 2:00
