Shepard Family Update, March 19, 2010

.

So live that you wouldn't be ashamed 

to sell the family parrot 

to the town gossip.

~Will Rogers

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings on this last Friday of winter from San Francisco, California. Cindy and I are recovering from a party/shower/reception yesterday that was given for Nathan and Chenda in honor of their soon-to-be-born baby girl.

Birthday greetings today to Kaylan Shepard of Newcastle, Oklahoma! She is the younger child of Dane and Cindy Shepard, and the grandchild of Elmer Shepard. She has the unique distinction of being the last descendant of Will and Bura Shepard to be born in the 20th Century. The picture on the left shows her with her dog Katie. Kaylan emailed me recently to say,

I am grateful that you remembered my birthday. I have been very busy lately with church, traveling, bowling, and many more things. We went to a singing school in Tennessee last week. I tried to sing but with my allergies like they are I sounded more like a screeching guinea pig than a singer. I'm really excited about my birthday. I can't believe I'm going to be eleven.  I wrote a poem about my birthday. 

I thought perhaps you'd like to hear it.
 
When I'm Eleven

I can't wait to feel what it's like to be eleven
I can't wait to have birthday cake in my mouth
I can't wait to feel shredded wrapping paper under my toes
But my only regret for turning eleven, "sigh", is my ten year old days are over.

 

Birthday greetings also go out to my older brother Gary Shepard of Oak Harbor, Washington who will celebrate yet another birthday this coming Tuesday. Gary is the first born son of Maida and Eugene Shepard and the third grandchild of Will and Bura Shepard, and the first of their descendants to be born in the "baby boomer" generation.

He and his wife Cindy enjoy life these days with their dog Dexter and often find themselves at their vacation home on Lake Stephens in Washington. Gary emailed me to say,

I am slowly being left in a great cloud of dust as the electronic world has left me behind. I don't tweeter, or do Facebook, or any of that stuff anymore. We are doing well. We just painted and got new carpet last month. Cindy's job keeps her busy and on a high stress level but she likes it that way. I love retirement. I'm in my 7th year this month. Should have done it years earlier.

The second picture I am including, taken in Los Alamitos, California in 1981, shows Gary and Cindy in the middle, with our distinguished looking brother Darrell Shepard on the left, and a young Nathan Shepard mugging it up on the right.

Speaking of Darrell Shepard, his wife Mary will be having some long anticipated surgery this coming Tuesday in Kirkland, Washington. Best wishes to her and prayers for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.
- - -
Steve