Nellie and Paschal Sheppard shared a lifelong commitment to providing care for others. That commitment continues through the Nellie Grimm Sheppard and Paschal Grant Sheppard Scholarship Fund. Mrs. Sheppard established this fund to provide scholarships to Ritchie County residents who plan to attend a post-high school educational institution. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic promise, good character, good citizenship, and acceptance to a Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) or Registered Nursing (RN) program. If there are no applicants in these degree programs, the scholarship is offered to those considering other medical fields.

Nellie Grimm Sheppard and Pascal Grant Sheppard met while attending Parkersburg Business College. After their marriage in 1937, the couple moved to Charleston, West Virginia, where Mr. Sheppard held various jobs before serving in the Army as a pilot during World War II. Following the completion of his tour, the couple moved to Ritchie County and purchased the Blue Moon Restaurant in Ellenboro. Mr. Sheppard repaired televisions and pinball machines, while Mrs. Sheppard ran the restaurant. In 1948, the Sheppards bought the Harry Lambert mansion from Sheb Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham had opened the mansion to the public as the Washington Inn. The Sheppards added a nine-hole golf course to the grounds and a country club in the basement.

In 1954, the Sheppards opened the Sheppard Nursing Home. From the beginning, the couple was adamant that those residing at the home would receive quality care: "treat these people the way you would want a loved one treated," was their working motto. Over the years, more than 300 people were cared for in the nursing home. Most residents came from Ritchie, Pleasants, Doddridge, Wood and Calhoun Counties. The Sheppards were among the first licensed nursing home administrators in West Virginia, passing their examinations the first time around. They established an association for nursing home owners that was active in introducing rules and regulations that affect nursing homes and their residents. It is known today as the West Virginia Health Care Association.

Mr. Sheppard, now deceased, was a member of the Ellenboro Lions Club and the Ellenboro Fire Department. He was awarded his 50-year pin from the Masons. Mrs. Sheppard has been a member of the Order of Eastern Star and has been a regular participant at the Pullman High School Alumni events. She was one of the first LPNs to be licensed on the basis of practical experience. The Sheppards had four children, Roger Sheppard, Linda Rogers, Judy Terrell, and Peggy Jameson, as well as nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.