Special Days In Kansas and Georgia!

Why waste your time and money

looking up your family tree?

Just go into politics 

and your opponents will do it for you!

~Mark Twain

Dear Shepard Family and Friends,

Today is the Birthday of Emma Wilk, daughter of Shannon Wilk. Emma is one of the GGgrandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard. Her mother and her live in Atchison, Kansas. The first picture I am including today shows young Emma Wilk with her cousin Amanda Ortiz, in a picture that was taken in 2008.

6 weeks ago I wrote in this blog that Shannon requested family members who had memories of her mother Beverly Russell Wilk, to send them to her. (Bev died in 1974 when Shannon was just a baby.) It is gratifying to know that some of you did share some family memories with her.

Shannon: "Thank you for sharing your memories with me. It means so very much. And yes, papa Frank is a huge help. Emma has him wrapped around her finger. I am very happy to share her with him. They are like two peas-in-a-pod.

"I try my best to be a mom and dad for her. Frank helps with that as well. Plus I have a select few male friends that hang out with us and they help, like taking her fishing, kite-flying, and getting dirty. She loves tools and digging in the dirt. It's too cute. She will come in all dirty from playing with the boys and then wants to play dress up. She is well rounded! But she is most definitely a mama's girl! She is my world and the best gift God could give me.

"Enjoy your new grand baby! Isn't it just the most awesome thing to see your child's child! I saw the look in my dad's eye the day Emma was born. I don't think I ever saw such happiness in his eyes, ever!"

Best wishes to Shannon and especially to Emma on the occasion of her 5th birthday. The second picture I am including, taken in 1984, shows Shannon on the right at about 10 years old. Next to her is her dad Phil and her brother Karl. On the left are her grandparents Bill and Pauline (Shepard) Russell.

This Just In: She's A Girl! Gary and Cindy Shepard of Oak Harbor, Washington are celebrating the birth of Cindy's first Ggrandchild, born to her granddaughter Breauna and her boyfriend Curtis of Cartersville, Georgia. Cindy: "I want you to meet my Ggranddaughter Janaeya Eve born June 2nd (on our anniversary) at around 6pm Georgia time, weighing in at 8 lbs. 1 oz." The third picture I am including shows little infant Janaeya in what may be her very first picture. Congratulations!

Thanks to those of you who have recently sent me some old and new family pictures, especially those for the Father's Day photo presentation that I will be putting together in the next couple of weeks. It will be a great tribute to the Fathers and Grandfathers among us.

- - -

Steve