Shepard Family Update, May 23, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

"Aloha!" from Hawaii, where Cindy and Barbara and I are basking in the sunshine of Maui this week.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? This weekend of Memorial Day is a time to remember servicemen and women who have died, as well as family members who have passed away. Our thoughts are on Shepard family members who have died in recent years, like Eugene Shepard, Gabe Ortiz, Pauline and Bill Russell, and Margie Russell, all of whom have died in the last 10 years or so. Others who have been gone even longer still remain important to us, especially whenever we visit their headstones at Green Lawn Cemetery in San Diego or wherever they may be laid to rest. All of them -- whether well remembered or not so well known -- remind us of our valuable Shepard heritage and our ongoing family history.

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first is a picture of Havilah (Colgain) Reynolds and Pauline (Shepard) Russell, grand- niece and great-aunt. This picture was taken at the last big Shepard family reunion in Anacortes in the summer of 1994. Many of you were there for that reunion and remember what a great time we had.

Speaking of Havilah, I received an email from her just the other day in which she said...

Thank you for adding me (to the family email list). To answer your questions followyourtravel.com is my online travel store - kinda like my own expedia. And followyourtravel.biz is the business site where a person can get his or her own travel store. Helping people get paid to travel is just one of the things I do!... I'm really enjoying all the things I'm doing. What are the dates for the reunion? I will see what I can do to make it up!

To answer Havilah's question and to remind all of us... the Shepard Family Reunion will be Saturday, July 19, 2008, in Anacortes, Washington. All are welcome!

The other picture I am including is of serviceman Eugene Shepard. It is one of the more amusing pictures from our history, and reminds us that during WWII our people were not only sober and serious about life, but were able to face it all with a sense of humor.

Happy Birthday this coming week to Rex Russell in Reno, Nevada, on May 28, and to Brandyn Boyd of Lakeside, California who will be 15 on May 26.

I also received an email from Shannon Wilk this past week, who said,

It's been awhile since I have been able to get to the computer. I haven't been feeling very well, in and out of the hospital over the last month. I have "crohns", and sometimes when I have a flare up (it can last up to 2-3 months) my whole body shuts down on me and I end up having to stay in the hospital for a few days. No fun at all. And because of all this, I hate to say it, but I don't think Emma and I will be able to come to the family reunion. With all the hospital bills coming in, and I've missed some work, I just don't think the budget will allow it.

The weather is beautiful here and we are enjoying as much as we can... before it gets tooooo hot.... Other than all that things are going pretty good here. Emma's birthday is the 6th of June... I still can't believe she will be 3... getting too big too fast. Frank is doing well and enjoying the weather.... Hope all is well and hope to hear from you soon.

Smiles and Sunshine, Shannon and Emma

Our best wishes are with Shannon in this time of dealing with illness. We will miss her very much if indeed she and Emma are unable to make it to the reunion. But we certainly understand and hope only the best for her.
--
Steve