Longtime Boulder resident Ollie Shepherd passed away August 17, 2021, at the age of 103. Ollie lived a long, full life and was an inspiration to countless friends, family members and acquaintances. With an amazingly clear mind, he loved sharing his “Old Boulder” stories through the end of his life.
Born in Mountain Park, OK in 1918, Ollie’s family moved to Denver when he was 2 years old, then to Boulder when he was 10. The Shepherd family home sat on a dirt road about a block south of the current Folsom Field stadium gates. It housed Ollie’s parents and twelve kids. As a boy growing up during the depression, Ollie mowed lawns, delivered newspapers, shoveled ash pits, and took on any odd job he could to make a nickel or two. He received his primary education at University Hills Elementary School, then attended the State Preparatory School (pre Boulder High), where he
met his future wife, Caroline Meyring. After graduating high school in 1936, Ollie took a job at Miller Service Station. He and Caroline were married in 1938. They had one son, Rodney (Sharon).
While working a second job making ammunition at the Remington Arms plant in Denver, Ollie enlisted in the Army. During WWII, he was a machine gunner in Patton’s Third Army, stationed in France. When the Battle of the Bulge started, he was hospitalized in England with frostbitten feet and gangrene. Three months later, he was sent to the military government headquarters just outside of Paris to work as a mechanic.
Upon returning from the War, Ollie acquired the Conoco station at Fourteenth and Walnut Streets and ran “Shepherd’s Conoco” until 1962. He then drove the Four Mile Canyon school bus route for a year before becoming a building supervisor at The Daily Camera, where he worked until retirement. Not one to sit still, Ollie worked on Jeeps in his home garage on Grove Street for years, where his grandsons would join him, watch, and wait to see if he would give them some ball-bearings.
When Ollie told stories, he was just as animated the first time as the tenth time, laughing out loud as if the story just happened yesterday. Stories like evading police while driving at age 12 in his stripped-down Model-T Ford and later rolling it on Bluebell Ave; backpacking fish up steep trails to stock high mountain lakes for the CO Division of Wildlife; collecting brothers from The Broken Drum when things got too rowdy; accompanying his good friend, the Sheriff, on prisoner transports to the state penitentiary; adventuring with buddies on fly-fishing and hunting trips; relocating booze from bootlegger drop spots; delivering the Daily Camera to Scott Carpenter’s grandfather; being in Patton's camp and watching the motorcade pass by when the General died; trailer camping with his beloved wife; and so many more. In later years, while riding around the county with grandkids and great-grandkids, he had a story for every location.
Ollie was an avid reader of American history. Even though there was nary a story he didn’t know about WWII, railroads, rivers, Colorado history, automobiles, American Indians, cowboys, Texas Rangers, you name it, his curiosity never waned and he continued to read and learn up through the end of his life. He was also the oldest and longest-standing member (75 years) of the Boulder Elks Lodge #566.
Ollie comfortably spent his final year in an assisted living facility. He was born during a pandemic, and he died during a pandemic, with family continuously by his side during his final days. He did not let difficult times define him. He continued on with a smile on his face, interested in knowing how others were doing and not dwelling on the isolation COVID presented.
Ollie is survived by his five grandchildren, Scott (Cheri), Brett (Mary), Troy (Beth), Chad (Leanne), and Lisa (Phil); twelve great grandchildren and four (soon t o be six) great-great grandchildren; siblings Mary, Royal (Rachel) and Herbert; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by parents Lonnie Luther Shepherd and Ruth Pearl Cale; wife Caroline and son Rodney; and siblings Lonnie, Robert, Isabelle, Wayne, Richard, Donald, Raymond, and Ruth.
A graveside service will be held at Green Mountain Cemetery on Monday, August 23rd at 10am, followed by a reception for family and friends at Greenwood & Myers Mortuary, 2969 Baseline. Friends are invited to share messages and memories on Ollie’s memory page at www.greenwoodmyersfuneral.com. Donations can be made in Ollie’s name to The Museum of Boulder (previously the Boulder History Museum), 2205 Broadway, Boulder 80302.
You can learn more about Ollie’s life story by visiting his Oral History at the Carnegie Branch Library for Local History,
record 0H2091.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ollie Shepherd, please visit our flower store.
Born in Mountain Park, OK in 1918, Ollie’s family moved to Denver when he was 2 years old, then to Boulder when he was 10. The Shepherd family home sat on a dirt road about a block south of the current Folsom Field stadium gates. It housed Ollie’s parents and twelve kids. As a boy growing up during the depression, Ollie mowed lawns, delivered newspapers, shoveled ash pits, and took on any odd job he could to make a nickel or two. He received his primary education at University Hills Elementary School, then attended the State Preparatory School (pre Boulder High), where he
met his future wife, Caroline Meyring. After graduating high school in 1936, Ollie took a job at Miller Service Station. He and Caroline were married in 1938. They had one son, Rodney (Sharon).
While working a second job making ammunition at the Remington Arms plant in Denver, Ollie enlisted in the Army. During WWII, he was a machine gunner in Patton’s Third Army, stationed in France. When the Battle of the Bulge started, he was hospitalized in England with frostbitten feet and gangrene. Three months later, he was sent to the military government headquarters just outside of Paris to work as a mechanic.
Upon returning from the War, Ollie acquired the Conoco station at Fourteenth and Walnut Streets and ran “Shepherd’s Conoco” until 1962. He then drove the Four Mile Canyon school bus route for a year before becoming a building supervisor at The Daily Camera, where he worked until retirement. Not one to sit still, Ollie worked on Jeeps in his home garage on Grove Street for years, where his grandsons would join him, watch, and wait to see if he would give them some ball-bearings.
When Ollie told stories, he was just as animated the first time as the tenth time, laughing out loud as if the story just happened yesterday. Stories like evading police while driving at age 12 in his stripped-down Model-T Ford and later rolling it on Bluebell Ave; backpacking fish up steep trails to stock high mountain lakes for the CO Division of Wildlife; collecting brothers from The Broken Drum when things got too rowdy; accompanying his good friend, the Sheriff, on prisoner transports to the state penitentiary; adventuring with buddies on fly-fishing and hunting trips; relocating booze from bootlegger drop spots; delivering the Daily Camera to Scott Carpenter’s grandfather; being in Patton's camp and watching the motorcade pass by when the General died; trailer camping with his beloved wife; and so many more. In later years, while riding around the county with grandkids and great-grandkids, he had a story for every location.
Ollie was an avid reader of American history. Even though there was nary a story he didn’t know about WWII, railroads, rivers, Colorado history, automobiles, American Indians, cowboys, Texas Rangers, you name it, his curiosity never waned and he continued to read and learn up through the end of his life. He was also the oldest and longest-standing member (75 years) of the Boulder Elks Lodge #566.
Ollie comfortably spent his final year in an assisted living facility. He was born during a pandemic, and he died during a pandemic, with family continuously by his side during his final days. He did not let difficult times define him. He continued on with a smile on his face, interested in knowing how others were doing and not dwelling on the isolation COVID presented.
Ollie is survived by his five grandchildren, Scott (Cheri), Brett (Mary), Troy (Beth), Chad (Leanne), and Lisa (Phil); twelve great grandchildren and four (soon t o be six) great-great grandchildren; siblings Mary, Royal (Rachel) and Herbert; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by parents Lonnie Luther Shepherd and Ruth Pearl Cale; wife Caroline and son Rodney; and siblings Lonnie, Robert, Isabelle, Wayne, Richard, Donald, Raymond, and Ruth.
A graveside service will be held at Green Mountain Cemetery on Monday, August 23rd at 10am, followed by a reception for family and friends at Greenwood & Myers Mortuary, 2969 Baseline. Friends are invited to share messages and memories on Ollie’s memory page at www.greenwoodmyersfuneral.com. Donations can be made in Ollie’s name to The Museum of Boulder (previously the Boulder History Museum), 2205 Broadway, Boulder 80302.
You can learn more about Ollie’s life story by visiting his Oral History at the Carnegie Branch Library for Local History,
record 0H2091.
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