Vada Webb Sheid was born in 1916 near Calico Rock (Izard County) to John William Webb (1892-1965) and Gertrude Reynolds Webb (1896-1979). She graduated from Calico Rock High School in 1934 and at the age of nineteen, became the Izard County Welfare Director. In order to meet additional requirements for the position, she attended Draughon School of Business in Little Rock. In 1936, Vada Webb went to work as an interviewer for the state Welfare Department. In 1940, she married Carl Sheid (born 1915). He was born at Norfork (Izard County) to Dr. Zachary Sheid and Octava Rector Sheid. They have one son, Richard Sheid, and two grandchildren, Adam and Stacy Sheid.

Carl and Vada Sheid moved to Mountain Home, where they opened the area's first self-serve food market. In 1941, Carl Sheid was drafted into the army, so the couple sold their store. Vada Sheid returned to Izard County, where she worked as a payroll clerk for the construction company that was building Norfork Dam. During the war, she also accompanied Dr. Zachary Sheid on his rounds through the county. After World War II, the Sheids returned to Mountain Home, where they built a new grocery store. Dissatisfied with the grocery store business and a brief bout with farming, the Sheids opened a furniture company (Baxter Furniture Company) in 1957. Today, with their son, Richard, they operate Sheid's Furniture in Mountain Home.

In 1958, Vada Sheid ran for Baxter County Treasurer. She lost by 200 votes; but in 1960, she ran for the same office and won. She served as Baxter County Treasurer until 1964. In 1965, Sheid was elected to the Arkansas State House of Representatives from the 44th District (Baxter and Fulton counties). She served on the Public Health, Welfare, and Educa- tion Committee and the Insurance and Commerce Committee. Her interest in the plight of the elderly led to her appointment in 1972 by Governor Dale Bumpers as one of his official representatives to the White House Conference on Aging. She also served as a member of the Governor's Committee on the Status of Women, having first been appointed by Governor Winthrop Rockefeller in 1971.

In 1976, she was elected to the Arkansas Senate. She became the only woman in Arkansas to be elected to the Arkansas Senate who had not succeeded to a Senate seat through the death of a husband. Sheid represented the 20th Senate District (Baxter, Marion, Boone, Newton, and Searcy counties) until 1985, when she was defeated in the 1984 elections by Steve Leulf. She served on the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, and the City, County, and Governmental Affairs Committee. She also served on the State Agencies and Government Affairs Committee, and the Retirement and Social Services Committee. In 1987, Governor Bill Clinton appointed her to the Arkansas State Police Commission. Vada Sheid's interests are many; however, one of her greatest accomplishments has been the spearheading of many road and bridge improvements. The biggest project was the construction of two bridges over Lake Norfork. Sheid was also active in the development of community colleges; she introduced the measures which established the North Arkansas Community College in Harrison in 1973. In addition to her service in the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate, Sheid has actively participated in a number of voluntary organizations including Easter Seals and the American Red Cross.