Post Christmas Memories, Dec 28

If there is to be peace in the world...
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.

~Lao Tzu

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from soggy San Diego where record rainfalls have made life difficult in the last week or so.

Remembering Pauline Shepard. Today is the anniversary of the birthday of Pauline Shepard who was born 94 years ago. (See the first picture, taken in 1935.) She has the distinction of being the first of the four children born to William and Bura (Davis) Shepard, and the first of the 31 grandchildren born to James Brooks and Caroline Davis.

Born in Beaver County, Oklahoma, in 1916, Pauline married Willie Davis Russell in 1935 a week after her 18th birthday. They were married near Two Buttes, Colorado where the family lived at that time. She lived most of her life in San Diego, where she passed away 10 years ago. Pauline and Bill's living descendants are their son Rex Russell and his son Eric, of Red Rock, Nevada; and their grand daughter Shannon Wilk, and her daughter Emma, of Atchison, Kansas.

Shannon sent me these remembrances recently: "So many wonderful memories of Grandmother... Like the day I came running in to tell her I could pronounce Grandmother (she didn't want to be called grandma). She would pick me up on Wednesdays after school when I was in grade school and take me for frozen yogurt and we would go shopping or to the movies... I LOVED to spend the weekends with her. Sundays were the best. We would go to church and it seemed everyone knew me and they all had smiles and hugs for me. I could listen to grandmother sing all day! (Too bad that talent skipped me.) We were just talking about Little Bit and Suzie tonight at dinner. Frank has a little dog, and I was remembering how Grandmother would spoil them. The best memories I have are those of her and me talking about my mom. She didn't talk a lot about her, but when she did, her eyes would light up... but then a sadness would slip in. That's when I knew to change the subject. She gave the best hugs and she always told me she loved me. I loved her smile. She was a beautiful person inside and out. I miss her so very much. I bet she would just have fallen in love with Emma. Grandmother was full of love, kindness, under- standing and was the classiest person I have ever met. I can't remember ever hearing a cruel word come out of her mouth."

Wedding Anniversary. Yesterday Cindy and I celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary. We were married here in San Diego 2 days after Christmas in 1968.

The second picture I am including (above) was taken in 1969, just a few months after we were married. We were students at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, where this picture was taken. On the left are Cindy and I, then four visitors to Abilene from San Diego: my mom Maida Shepard and her mother Nola Gower. In front are my brother Russell and sister Barbara.
The third picture, taken this past Christmas day, shows Cindy and me. 

Family Reunion Plans. Next summer on Saturday, Aug 13, 2011 we plan to have a Shepard family reunion in Anacortes, Washington. You are invited! Mark your calendars now and make your plans. More details will be made available in the coming weeks and months.
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Steve