MAE NELL SHEPHERD

Mae Nell Shepherd Benford was an active member of the Denton Women’s Interracial Fellowship (DWIF). She moved to Denton in 1962, joining the DWIF through encouragement from friends in churches. She served several times as an officer of the Fellowship, including organizing the job and help fairs in the fellowship’s later period.

Born in 1936, Ms. Benford grew up in Overton, Texas where her family worked multiple jobs to make a living. In 1964 she helped with U.S. general elections, meeting her husband that same year. In 1971 she began working as a teacher in the Denton Independent School District where she continued to work for numerous years. After retirement, she continued serving her community in the Fellowship.