William J. Sheppard Biography


	This biography appears on pages 840-841 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	WILLIAM J. SHEPPARD, president of the Mutual Cash Guaranty Fire 
Insurance Company of Sioux Falls, was born in the beautiful old city of 
Quebec, Canada, on the 24th of July, 1862, being of English and Welsh 
ancestry and a son of Percival Edward and Ellen (Lloyd) Sheppard. His 
father was one of the honored and distinguished citizens of Quebec and 
held prominent offices in the Canadian government for nearly a quarter 
of a century. The subject of this review received a collegiate 
education in the city of Ottawa, and subsequently came to the United 
States and secured a position in the Second National Bank of Detroit, 
Michigan, remaining with this institution until the death of his 
father, in 1883, when he returned to his home in Canada. He eventually 
accepted a position in the auditor's office of the American Express 
Company in the city of Montreal where he remained one year, at the 
expiration of which he became bookkeeper for the Woods Manufacturing 
Company, of Winnipeg, in whose employ he remained until the outbreak of 
the Riel rebellion, when he went out as a soldier with the Winnipeg 
Field Battery, of which he had previously been a member for some time, 
and with this command he served through the campaign of 1885. He 
participated in the famous battles of Fish Creek and Batoche, and 
received, as did all others who took part in these engagements, a 
silver medal conferred as a mark of distinction by Queen Victoria.  

	After the close of the rebellion Mr. Sheppard removed to St. 
Paul, Minnesota, and became traveling salesman for the Berrisford 
Biscuit Manufacturing Company, with which he remained seven years, at 
the expiration of which he accepted a similar position with the house 
of McKibbin & Company, of that city, with whom he remained for eleven 
years and to whose interests he gave his attention until the 
organizations of the company of which he is now president. He 
established his home in Sioux Falls in 1896, and has ever since resided 
here, and he is the owner of a fine farm of four hundred and eighty 
acres in McCook county, this state, besides property in Sioux Falls and 
in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In September, 1896, Mr. Sheppard became 
associated with four other gentlemen in Sioux Falls in instituting here 
a council of the Order of the United Commercial Travelers, this having 
been the first established in the state and being now a large and 
flourishing organization, known as Sioux Falls Council No. 100. He was 
made its first past councillor, is at the present time a member of its 
executive committee, as is he also of the executive committee of the 
grand council of Minnesota and North and South Dakota.  

	On the 28th of May, 1903, Mr. Sheppard organized the Mutual Cash 
Guaranty Fire Insurance Company, being associated in the enterprise 
with other substantial and representative capitalists and business men 
of the state, and of this company he was elected president, while he 
now gives his entire time and attention to the administration of its 
large and rapidly increasing business, the plan and policy of the 
company being so equitable and attractive and its solidity so assured 
that it has met with most favorable reception among those seeking 
indemnity for loss from fire upon economical terms, the interests of 
the policy holders being identical with those of the company, which is 
purely mutual and on a cash basis, not being a stock company, so that 
the share to the policy holder is in proportion to the amount of 
insurance carried by him. Mr. Sheppard is a man of marked initiative 
and executive ability and business acumen, and the company of which he 
is president has already taken high rank among the fire underwriting 
companies doing business in the state. December 3, 1903, Mr. Sheppard 
bought out the entire interests of Mr. Dwight in the Anothy Dwight 
Candy Company, of Sioux Falls, and then sold to Thomas H. Brown, of 
Sioux Falls, one-half of his interest. They reorganized the company, 
increasing the capital stock to thirty thousand dollars, and officered 
as follows: T. H. Brown, president; E. A. Anothy, vice-president; H. C. 
Brown, secretary and treasurer; and W. J. Sheppard, general manager. 
They have put in a steam plant, which is the only one in the state, and 
it is their intention to branch out in every way to reach business.  

	In politics Mr. Sheppard gives his allegiance to the Republican 
party and fraternally is identified with the Benevolent and Protective 
Order of Elks, while his religious faith is that of the Episcopal 
church, of which both he and his wife are communicants. He is a man of 
refined tastes and high social attainments, and enjoys the respect and 
esteem of all who know him. On the 3d of July, 1887, Mr. Sheppard was 
united in marriage to Miss Caroline Mary Harder, daughter of William 
Harder, general traffic manager of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and a 
resident of Winnipeg. Of this union have been born two children, Stuart 
Harder and William Percival.