DeGROOT, CORNELIA (CORA) JOHANNA - 87, of Dartmouth, passed away peacefully at Northwood Centre, Halifax, on July 31, 2009. Born in Amsterdam, Holland, on May 15, 1922, she was a daughter of Cornelius J. Warnink and Leonarda E. Warnink-van Soest. She was a bookkeeper in Holland before emigrating to Canada with her first husband, Klaas Scheepvaart (Kenneth Sheppard), arriving at Pier 21 in April 1948. They lived in various places in Nova Scotia, including the Annapolis Valley, Springhill, and Amherst, before moving to Moncton, N.B. While raising her family, she assisted her husband who was the owner of Sheppard's Auto Supplies of Amherst, and later of Moncton, before his death in 1968. She later married Arie (Harry) deGroot of Smithville, Ont., with whom she enjoyed spending winters in Florida until his death in 1987. Cora moved to Dartmouth in 1988. She is survived by her son, the Reverand William Sheppard (Elizabeth) of Dartmouth; daughters Helen Staples (John) of Moncton and Connie Conrad (Roger) of Easter Passage; brother Wilhelmus Warnink (Loes) and sister Davina Dekker-Warnink, both of the Netherlands. She was "Oma" to grandchildren Heidi, Margaret, Mark and Rosalind Staples; Rebekah and David Sheppard; Kenneth and Michael Conrad. She was predeceased by her parents and both husbands. A funeral service will be held at Woodlawn United Church in Dartmouth on Wednesday, August 5th at 2pm with a reception to follow in the church hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or a charity of your choice. Her children wish to thank the staff of 2nd floor, Northwood Centre and the Palliative Care department for their attentive care especially during the past few weeks.