Dixie Lou Shephard, daughter of Ivan and Betty (Funk) Brandt, was born on Friday, April 13, 1945, in Glasgow, Montana and passed away on June 12, 2026. A self-described “wartime baby,” she was the oldest of the Brandt clan and was raised on the family farm north of Nashua. She graduated High School from Nashua, MT. Her siblings included Ron, Ginger, Don, Dean, Mike, and Tim. Her baby brother, Robin, died in utero.

Dixie lived a colorful and adventurous life. One of her earliest memorable experiences was a 4-H citizenship award trip to Washington, D.C., and New York aboard a Trails West Bus lines bus with 18 fellow 4-H youth. That journey sparked a lifelong love of travel. Later, she won a trip to Hawaii after being recognized by Wells Fargo Bank as Montana’s Service Manager of the Year. She enjoyed taking several cruises with her mother and sister to the Caribbean, the New England States, and twice to Alaska. Her travels also included two mission trips to Guatemala with the Glasgow Evangelical Church, experiences that deeply impacted her and broadened her perspectives on the world. In 2021, she was blessed to travel with Alan for three weeks during the Christmas season to North Carolina by way of Kentucky, where they visited the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter. It was a trip that brought the Bible vividly to life for her. She wishes everyone could make that trip and have that experience.

Dixie loved people and loved volunteering her time in the communities she lived in. While in Helena she spent many years volunteering as the Sunday School Director at Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church and won an award for her years of service. After moving back to Glasgow in 2010, the place she always considered home, she became very active in Glasgow’s community life. While in Glasgow, she spent many years as the Culinary Department Director at the Northeast Montana Fair and volunteered each summer at the Fort Peck Theater. She found her true calling in her involvement with the Glasgow Evangelical Church, specifically the children’s ministry. Those who knew her recall her generosity and the warmth she brought to family and neighbors, with many expressing heartfelt condolences and gratitude for the impact she had.

Dixie considered her greatest accomplishment to be raising her four children, and as she liked to say, “living through it.” Robert was her only biological child, but she was also blessed to become the mother of Joann, Jonathan, and Leslie. She dedicated her life to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in November 1983, beginning a faithful journey that remained at the center of her life.

Dixie is survived by her son, Robert Virts; her son Jonathan Smith, and his wife Courtney; her daughters, Joann Smith and her husband, Larry, and Leslie Smith; 12 grandchildren; 5 great grandchildren; her longtime friend, Alan Kliewer; and her Sisters in Christ, Donna, Cheryl, and Terri.

She was proceeded in death by her parents; her brothers, Ron and Mike; her baby brother, Robin; her Grandson, Trever Smith; her cousin, Johnny Westman.

A celebration Of Dixie's Life will be held on Monday, June 22nd, 2026 at the Glasgow Evangelical Church at 11:00 AM, with Pastor Seth Runner officiating. Family and friends are invited together to remember the thanksgivings of her life, faith, and the love she shared. A reception will follow at the church after her burial at The Highland Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Glasgow Evangelical Church Missionary fund.