As this year of 2022 comes to an end, I want to say thank you to all of you who are readers of The Shepard's Crook, especially those of you who have responded through online comments, emails or in various other ways. It was exactly 15 years ago that I first started writing this blog. Over these past 15 years I have written about various people in our family from all parts of the United States.
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Thelma Shepard Boyd (left)
and Maida Gower Shepard |
I have celebrated the newest family additions in our midst, whether they were babies born in Washington, North Texas, California or elsewhere. Whether they had the last name Shepard, Aquiningoc, Gower or some other name, their birth was celebrated. And we have remembered and honored the senior most members of our family: people like my mother Maida Gower Shepard in Anacortes, Washington who is now 98, as well as my Aunt Thelma Shepard Boyd who lives in El Cajon, California. They have the unique distinction of being the two oldest living descendants of our larger family.
It has been an honor for me to research our Gower and Shepard and other associated families. It has been a joy to learn about relatives from long ago, while celebrating the oneness we share as descendants with a common heritage. I continue to do research on Ancestry.com and to gather valuable information about people from all the various parts of our Family Tree. Ancestry is a terrific resource and has allowed me to add over 30,000 individuals to our Family Tree. That number embraces cousins and relatives far and near over the last 200 plus years. It includes my nearest relations as well as cousins way out on the farthest branches of our Tree. They are all people with whom we share some DNA.
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From our family in San Diego
to yours wherever it might be:
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! |
Over the past 15 years I have shared with you nearly a thousand old family photos, as well as numerous recent ones. In these posts I have introduced you to ancestors I never knew about, people from fairly recent times as well as centuries past, folks who have contributed in their own way to the history of our family.
As 2022 comes to an end, and a new year is ready to begin, I want to share with you in celebrating the family that we are. The Shepard's Crook will continue into the foreseeable future, honoring our roots, remembering our past, and enjoying the unity we share as family. I welcome any suggestions, comments or contributions you might like to make to The Shepard's Crook.
From our family and our home on Burgundy Street in San Diego, to your home wherever it might be, Cindy and I wish you all the very best for a healthy and happy new year!
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Steve Shepard
(he/him/his)
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