Mary Beth Shepard

Mary Beth Klobuchar Shepard, 74, of Ely, died on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at her home. A celebration of life will be held from 1-4 p.m Saturday, May 31 at the Grand Ely Lodge. Arrangements are with Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home of Gilbert.

Born in Biwabik on Nov. 27, 1950, she was the middle child of three children. Mary Beth graduated from Gilbert High School in 1968 and paid her way through college at St. Cloud State University, earning a degree in teaching.She met her husband of 47 years, Brooks Shepard, in May 1978, and they married in October of the same year. They had three sons, Zachary, Jacob “Silas” and Jesse. Mary Beth stayed home to raise her boys until 1990. She then worked as a substitute teacher for local schools in the winter and at the Soudan Underground Mine in the summer. She found her full-time career of 25 years with the Minnesota Department of Revenue, retiring in 2015.Mary Beth loved to travel and was always the first to encourage her friends and family to stay active. She took up golf in retirement and was known to have scored a birdie or two. She also loved to do water aerobics, watch movies at the local theatre, and watch live music at the Tiki deck. She was very active with her friends, either golfing, attending concerts and plays, or traveling in the countryside, and sometimes out of the country. When her grandchildren were born, the offspring of Jesse and Holly Bondensteiner Shepard, she did everything she could to see them, buy them gifts, and fill her phone with pictures. Bodie and John were the grandkids that she had wanted for so long. She was so very proud of her three sons.

She is survived by her husband, Brooks; three sons, Zach Shepard, J. Silas (Amy) Shepard and Jesse (Holly) Shepard; grandchildren, Bodie and John; sister, Becky (Denny) Bone; sister-in-law, Gloria; nephews, Garret (Morgan) Bone and Joe (Sarah) Berry; and nieces, Mallory Bone (Paul) Skalko and Lauren and Shelby Klobuchar.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Elizabeth “Liz” Klobuchar; and older brother, Mark Klobuchar.