LUNG SURGERY FOR BELINDA MORGAN SHEPPARD'S HUSBAND

 

George Sheppard, husband of Belinda Morgan Sheppard, Class of 1969, will go in for lung surgery August 4.

 

“He will have between one-fourth to one-half his lung plus lymph node removed,” Belinda posted.

 

“I want to ask for prayer for my husband. I have faith that all will be fine.”

 

Actually, in George’s case it’s semper fi(ne) since he’s a former Marine.

 

George and Belinda celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in 2019 on August 15 in Port Charlotte, Florida where they live  50 miles south of Sarasota off Interstate 75.

 

They have two daughters, Christy Sheppard Marecki and University of Central Florida graduate ShellyRay Banville and eight grandchildren.

Belinda retired in 1996. Her Class of 1969 included Alabama football coach Nick “Brother” Saban, quarterback of the 1968 Monongah High state champion football team, one of five gridiron titles won by the Lions.

Her parents were Bill Morgan, who attended Monongah High for one year before switching to Farmington High, and Jacqueline Joyce Wilson Morgan, 1956 Farmington High grad. The family lived on Walnut Street, where I was born in my Olesky grandparents’ house in 1932.

Belinda worked for Bruce and Amelia Shenask Zentz at the Dairy Kone that Amelia and Bruce built in Monongah for three summers (1975-1977). Amelia, at 101, still lives on Shenasky Lane. I visited her before my July 17 J&J&Lions Get-Together in the Monongah Town Hall. Amelia greeted me, as she always does, as “my boyfriend.”

Billie Lee Morgan, Jr., Class of 1974, widow of Fairmont West grad Paula Jean Burton Morgan, is Belinda’s brother. So is North Marion grad Rick Morgan, who works for Mountaineer Cabinet Company and lives in Fairmont. And the late Jimmie Lee Morgan.

The late Monongah councilman Sanford Carr is George Sheppard’s cousin. Linda Knobel-Carr, Class of 1967, whose late stepmother is Loraine Gorey Phillips Knobel, and Belinda have been best friends since they were 5 years old. Belinda was matron of honor at Linda’s wedding and Belinda’s brother, Ricky, was the ring-bearer. 1989 North Marion grad Tonia Carr Posten is Sanford and Linda’s daughter.