Honoring Susan Sheppard: A Memorial Statue

I am raising funds to commission a memorial statue of my late mother: Appalachian folk hero Susan Sheppard.

ABOUT SUSAN

It's challenging to sum up Susan's impact on my hometown of Parkersburg, West Virginia and Appalachia as a whole. She was a true Renaissance woman: a widely-published writer, a local historian and a prolific artist. But she is perhaps most remembered for her work in the supernatural arts.

Susan created the Haunted Parkersburg Ghost Tours in the early nineties, which went on to top many "Best Haunted Tours in the Nation" lists. She researched, wrote and led the tours herself. They were a sight to see every autumn. Groups of, sometimes, over a hundred people would traipse up and down the cobblestone streets of the Julia-Anne Historic District. And at their helm was Susan Sheppard: Parkersburg's beloved good witch, wearing her signature dark cape and carrying her lantern, bobbing in the misty dark.

Soon after its creation, Susan and her tour began gaining notoriety beyond West Virginia. She appeared on Scariest Places on Earth, Mysteries at the Museum, Creepy Canada, Destination America, Mysteries and Monsters, Mystery Hunters, the Travel Channel, ABC Family, and more. She worked tirelessly over nearly forty years to cultivate paranormal tourism opportunities in the Mid Ohio Valley.

Susan was also a psychic medium and a self-taught astrologer, working in both realms since her teen years. One of her first jobs was as an astrologer for Seventeen Magazine in the 1980's. Susan was a staple on local morning show "Daybreak" for many years taking calls from viewers and giving live horoscopes. This solidified her status as a local icon. Known as the "ghost tour lady" to many, she was recognized for her long black hair and bewitching wardrobe.

Despite her long resumé of accomplishments, Susan struggled with health issues since her adolescence; most of which went undiagnosed and untreated. More often than not, Susan was profoundly fatigued and suffered from chronic pain. What little energy Susan had, she devoted entirely to others and to her work. She was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer of unknown cause in late 2020. Susan passed away on April 19th 2021 after a courageous battle. She was memorialized with a Day of The Dead inspired march along the Haunted Parkersburg Tour route. Despite the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, nearly 200 people attended, played music, read poetry and honored Susan's contributions to Parkersburg, to West Virginia and to the thousands of lives she touched. Watch local news coverage of her memorial parade here.

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Susan's unique point of view lives on via her writing, her artwork and the Haunted Parkersburg Tours. But her legacy is most deeply felt by those who loved her. She was a beacon for Mid Ohio Valley locals who felt different, unaccepted or misunderstood. In Susan's presence, you were seen and celebrated for things that others would scorn. Susan's full obituary can be found here.

ABOUT THE STATUE

Jamie Lester, accomplished West Virginian sculpture artist, and I have come up with a concept that I'm so excited about. It will be a realistic bronze bust of Susan, with her long hair floating magically around her face. We also plan to incorporate divining cards of some kind to symbolize Susan's intuitive path. (The images I've uploaded to this fundraising page are just rough digital renderings, not exact representations.)

This goal of 20k includes design, sculpture, base, fabrication, delivery and installation somewhere in downtown Parkersburg - we are considering multiple possible locations. But this goal does not include any ceremonial unveiling costs or potential zoning fees. The sculpture will take about a year to complete, from creation to installation. Three deposits will be required at various points throughout the process. (1⁄3rd deposit at start of project, 1⁄3rd at time of fabrication in bronze and 1⁄3rd at time of delivery and installation.)

This sculpture will be mounted on a plinth that would place it about 48” above the ground, this way visitors can take photos with it, as if it was a full size statue. It's my hope that this art piece will serve not only as a memorial to Susan herself, but as a symbol of the authentic way she lived her life as an artist and encouraged others to do the same.

Thank you so much for reading, donating or sharing!

Scarlet Sheppard