Thursday, May 19, 2011

A Most Unlikely Trio, May 19, 2011

The only rock I know that stays steady,
the only institution I know that works,
is the family.
~Lee Iacocca


Hello Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you on this beautiful day in May!

Elmer. Congratulations today to the most senior member of our family - my uncle Elmer Shepard of Mustang, Oklahoma. Born on this day in 1918 in Beaver County, Oklahoma, Elmer - the second child of Will and Bura Shepard - is now 93 years young. The first picture was taken just a few weeks ago and shows Elmer with his two children, son Dane of Newcastle, Oklahoma and daughter Joan of Dixon, California.

Dane: "This has been the busiest spring I have encoun- tered in a while. I've been in and out of town with song worship meetings and also learning about claims adjusting to help supplement my 'retirement.' We enjoyed a short visit to the Dallas area over the weekend so Cindy got away for a birthday break. The end of the school year is always busy as Nathan and Kaylan are finishing two bowling leagues, tournaments, and performing in a band concert. We have even 'volunteered' to help with a summer camp this June that they will be attending. We're certainly blessed to be able to enjoy these great family experiences.

"Amidst all this I have not had as much time for Dad. I know it has not been easy for him. He is still hanging in there and although he is getting weaker, he still manages to get out. I take him each time to Chicken Express for fried catfish and to Braums for ice cream. I have asked him if he would like to go somewhere else but he states there's no other place he would enjoy more. As his doctor says, 'When you're 92, you can have anything you want to eat.' We have transferred him into a special unit in the same facility where he can receive full assistance. As always, he likes reading your email. His new mailing address is: Arbor House, 850 N. Clear Springs Road, #447, Mustang, OK  73064"

Jason. Yesterday was the birthday of Jason Shepard of Weatherford, Texas, one of the Ggrandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard. Thirty something Jason was born and raised in San Diego before moving to Texas about 10 years ago. His father is Gary Shepard of Washington, and his mom is Jackie Perry of Weatherford.

The second picture shows Jason with his nephew and fellow San Diego Padre fan Kyle Sauvage.

Ashlyn. To round out this most unlikely trio of birthday celebrants... tomorrow, May 20, is the birthday of Ashlyn Ortiz of Blue Springs, Missouri, one of the GGgrandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard. Until recently she and her parents Jeremy and Desiree Ortiz and her siblings Ciara and Damian lived in Spring Valley, California but now are in the process of moving to Missouri.

The picture on the right shows Ashlyn when she was on vacation with her grandparents recently in Bedrock City, Arizona. Partially pictured is her brother Damian.

Grandmother Kim Clark tells me that Ashlyn "is adjusting well here in Missouri. She loves to dress up and look pretty and play teacher. She likes to be on the go all the time and is amazed at all the wild life here. She especially likes to feed the buffalo. We went for a walk around the lake close to our house and she asked if she was in the forest. She loves to play soccer, boat riding and fishing."

Happy Birthday and best wishes to Elmer, Jason and Ashlyn!
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