Family Reunion This Saturday, August 8, 2013

Family reunion:

a chance to share our history

a reason to celebrate our past

a time to welcome our future.

Hello family and friends! Greeting to all of you from Anacortes, Washington where Cindy and I are helping with the final arrangements for our family reunion this coming Saturday. It is obvious that the family members who live here have done a lot of work making arrangements and preparing for a wonderful gathering. We look forward to family and friends who will be here from places near and far this weekend at the family home on Wildwood Lane.

Happy Birthday Heather! Our family reunion this Saturday falls on the birthday of Heather Robson Cotton, a member of our family who lives in Texas but is from right here in Oak Harbor, Washington. Heather the daughter of Paula Tuzzolino, and the granddaughter of Vicki Gower Johnston. Heather lives with her husband and their two daughters in San Antonio. The first picture shows Heather with her older daughter Tori.

Happy Birthday Jeremy! This coming Monday, August 12, is the birthday of Jeremy Ortiz, who lives with his wife Desiree and their 5 children in Blue Springs, Missouri. Jeremy is one of the G grandchildren of Will and Bura Davis Shepard.

Desiree tells me that "Jeremy will be 33 this year! He is keeping busy here in Missouri working all the time and on his days off he is coaching oldest son Damian in football and Ashlyn in soccer. Such a good Daddy:) The picture I included is Jeremy and his best friend Armand on our recent trip to San Diego."

The latest news on Logan Joseph Shepard, the new baby of Patrick and Nicole Shepard, is good. He was born July 24, but remains in the hospital in Seattle and will have to be there for a few more weeks. The word I keep hearing from his family is that he is improving and doing better all the time. But he still has some real health concerns and remains in our prayers.

A Family Historian Extraordinaire. In a previous blog post I included a picture of a family reunion in Anacortes some years ago. I asked if anyone could name all of the people in the picture. (Scroll down two blog posts to see the group picture.) My mom Maida responded with at least the first names of everyone in the picture. She therefore deserves my praise as an extraordinary family historian! The picture was taken in 1994, and must have been taken by Gary's wife Cindy, who is the only one not in the picture.

And finally... it was 10 years ago today that my dad Eugene Shepard (1921-2003) died here in Anacortes, Washington with his family gathered around him. We remember him fondly and will always have him in our hearts.

He loved family reunions and will have a special place in our memories as we gather this Saturday. Thanks be to God for the good life he lived and the wonderful family legacy he leaves behind.
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Steve Shepard