Best Wishes for a New Year, December 27, 2016

Feliz Navidad
Prospero año
y felicidad
~José Montserrate Feliciano García

This last week of 2016 includes a couple of anniversary celebrations worth remembering.

Our Wedding Anniversary. Today, December 27, is the wedding anniversary of Cindy and me. On this day 48 years ago we were married at the La Mesa Church of Christ, just a few miles down Jackson Drive from where we live today. My second cousin Edwin Kilpatrick was the minister, dear friends and family were the attendants, while Joe and Paula, and Gene and Maida were the proud parents, each of them just 40-something years old. Johnny Mathis provided the music (unfortunately not in person) and the ladies of the church provided the reception of punch and cookies and, of course, the wedding cake. 

A lot of rushing water has gone under the bridge of our family since that Friday night so long ago: a lot of joy, our share of sadness, celebrations of significant milestones, the arrival of one child and three grandchildren, years of labor-intensive careers, new relationships, amazing changes, surprising growth, and valuable challenges. They have all made the last 48 years very memorable. 

The first picture, taken at our Christmas Day gathering on Burgundy Street in San Diego, shows Cindy and me with our son Nathan, our three grandkids, Preslea, Logan and William, and Cindy's mom Paula Harris.

This evening, to celebrate our anniversary, we will share a quiet dinner together at a restaurant over looking beautiful San Diego Bay. Among other things we will raise a toast as we give thanks for so many of you, family and friends who have brought us to this point in our lives, and who have helped make the journey worthwhile.

Happy Anniversary Darrell and Mary. This coming Saturday, Dec 31 will be the 34th wedding anniversary of my brother Darrell Shepard and his wife Mary Medina Shepard. Darrell and Mary were college students at Abilene Christian University when they got married on the last day of 1982 in Abilene, Texas. Their life journey has taken them from the plains of West Texas to Montana, Oregon and now Washington State, where they live today. Their family includes 3 children, their partners, and 4 young grandchildren. Happy Anniversary and best wishes to Mary and Darrell! 

The second picture, taken Christmas Eve, shows Darrell and Mary with three of their grandchildren, Mason, Logan and Kellan. Darrell: "Thirty four years sure go by fast! Oh, and the grand kids are awesome."

Truth Is Stranger.  I went Christmas caroling with a group from our church just before Christmas. One of the places we wanted to go -- a care facility where one of our members lives -- told our leaders that we could come and sing, but just holiday music. We were to sing no songs that had any reference to Jesus Christ or to religious themes. There were people of other faiths in the facility. (I am not making this up!) It was enough to turn the brightest optimist into a cynic. Fortunately, we had plenty of other places to go and sing. And a good time was had by all.

May this coming weekend of New Years Day be a happy time of celebrating family and friends! Best wishes to all of you for a joyous and prosperous new year!
- - -
Steve Shepard

Caroline Spear Davis (1865-1951), November 29, 2016

Memories, even bittersweet ones,

are better than nothing.

~Jennifer Armentrout

Remembering Caroline Spear Davis (1865-1951). Today is the 151st anniversary of the birth of Caroline Spear Davis of Owen County, Indiana. She is the mother of my Grandmother Bura Davis Shepard (1896-1986). Her 85 years spanned a amazing time in history, from the American Civil War to the post WWII years.

The 6 image composite, below on the right, shows Callie at 6 different stages of her life. Across the top are three images from the time when she lived in Indiana: in about 1880 as a young woman, in 1896 as a 30 year old bride, and then in 1908 as a mother of 7 children. Across the bottom are three images from when she lived in Oklahoma: in 1922 as a Grandmother with one of her grandchildren Bernard Kilpatrick; in 1936 as a Great Grandmother with one of her great grandchildren Rex Russell; and in 1947 just a few years before the end of her life.

Caroline (or "Callie" as she was known) is our connection to our Spear family roots, an interesting and very significant part of our family heritage. Callie's Great Grandfather James Spear (1768-1821) migrated to America from Ireland as a young man, and eventually settled in Eastern Ohio. Like our Davis ancestors (and countless other pioneering families), the Spears came from Eastern Ohio to Indiana in the 1850s. My GGG Grandparents Alexander and Jane Davis came from Ohio's Monroe County, while the widow Julian Pugh Spear (Callie's grandmother) came with her grown children from Ohio's Tuscarawas County. The Spears and the Davises settled about the same time in Morgan Township near Spencer, Indiana in the years just before the Civil War.

Whether the Spears and the Davises knew each other in Ohio before moving westward is unknown. We do know that both families settled very near each other in Indiana, and that both families were instrumental in establishing a small country church near Spencer, Indiana, the New Union Church of Christ. This suggests that when they migrated westward the Spears and the Davises brought with them their common church affiliation.

In Eastern Ohio in the mid-19th century, the most rapidly growing religious group was the Campbell-Stone Movement (aka the "Restoration Movement") which gave rise to the Churches of Christ, the Christian Church, and the Disciples of Christ. One curious historical tidbit I found shows that Andrew Spear (1806-1887), the brother of Callie's Grandfather Samuel Spear, is buried in the "Church of Christ Cemetery" in Washington County in Eastern Ohio. It is just one more indication that Callie Spear Davis' kinfolk in Ohio were Restoration Movement people. This suggests that our family's roots in the Campbell-Stone tradition in America go back to the early 19th century, and the very beginning of the Campbell-Stone tradition.

Another interesting bit of family history relating to Callie Spear Davis is the existence of an obscure little book by A.T. DeGroot titled "The Churches of Christ in Owen County, Indiana," published in 1935. In that book the author writes about the New Union Church of Christ (also called "the Christian Church at Union"), the congregation to which Callie Spear and her family belonged. It is also the congregation to which many family members of her husband James Davis belonged.

DeGroot's book contains numerous membership records from the period between 1866 and 1880. In those membership records are 11 people named Davis, and 28 people named Spear, most of them identifiable as kinfolk of ours. When Callie Spear married James Davis in 1896, it was the union of two church members whose families were founding members of the same small congregation in their rural community. The New Union Church was a viable congregation for 100 years until it closed in the fall of 1956.

A number of our Davis ancestors rest in the New Union Cemetery adjacent to where the New Union Church once stood, at the corner of Rattlesnake Rd and Shepard Patrick Road a few miles out of town. A number of our Spear relations rest in the Spear Cemetery, 5 miles northwest of the New Union Cemetery.

In 1913 Callie Spear Davis and her husband James Brooks Davis moved from Indiana and settled in Beaver County, Oklahoma with their 7 children. Callie and James lived the last years of their lives there and are buried in the Sophia Cemetery in Beaver County.

Happy Birthday Kim and Damian. Today is also the birthday of one of Callie Spear Davis' Great Grandaughters, my cousin Kim Boyd Clark. Kim is the daughter of my aunt Thelma Shepard Boyd. She and husband Jeff Clark live in Grain Valley, Missouri. 

Today also happens to be the birthday of Kim's grandson Damian Ortiz of San Diego. Damian is the son of Kim's son Jeremy Ortiz and his wife Desiree of El Cajon, California. Best wishes and happy birthday to Kim and Damian!

Thanks to Damian's mom Desiree for this picture of Kim and grandson Damian.
- - -
Steve Shepard 

Dog Days of Summer, August 16, 2016

The reverence for the deeds of our ancestors

is a treacherous sentiment.

Their merit was not to reverence the old,

but to honor the present moment.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

During these dog days of summer, two events seem appropriate to bring to your attention.

Happy Birthday Linda Shepard. One is the birthday today of my niece Linda Shepard of Anacortes, Washington. Born and raised in Anacortes, Linda is the daughter of my brother Russ Shepard and his wife Pam, and the youngest granddaughter of Maida Shepard, also of Anacortes. Linda has lived almost her entire life in their home on 32nd St just down the street from the Church of Christ in town.

Last month Linda and her long time boyfriend Jamie Stockmoe announced their plans to be married. This first picture shows the two of them on South Jetty Beach in Oregon where Jamie proposed to Linda. Here's a first for The Shepard's Crook in this digital age: you can select this link to see a romantic video of the entire surprise proposal that took place July 22.

Congratulations to Linda and Jamie and best wishes! And happy 23rd birthday today to Linda.

Reconnecting With Family. Another recent event was a visit of my cousin Kim Boyd Clark and her mother Thelma Shepard Boyd with some relatives in Bolivar, Missouri. 

Kim and Thelma met with some Davis relatives who represent an important part of our extended family and its history. They were three cousins of my Aunt Thelma, daughters of Bura Davis Shepard's sister Winona Davis Kilpatrick.

This second picture shows those who were a part of this mini family reunion in Bolivar, Missouri. From left to right are Carolyn Kilpatrick Roberts, Shirley Kilpatrick Borgstadt, Thelma, Kim, and Norma Lou Kilpatrick Allen.

Here is Kim's report on the events of this past weekend:

We had such a great time today. We have the sweetest family. It was such a pleasure spending the day here in Bolivar. Carolyn made us a wonderful lunch. I can't wait to meet more of them and we found out that there is more family in Liberty, Missouri about 30 minutes from us.

This picture was taken at Carolyn's house. This is where we met and spent the afternoon. If it wasn't for you, Steve, this never would have happened. I can never thank you enough for the family you have searched and found and reconnected. I am so happy that my mom was able to see her cousins that she hasn't seen since she was a teenager. I loved every minute of our visit.

We are having some changes here. By the end of the month Jeff and I and my mom will be moving to another one of our properties in Grain Valley, Missouri which is only about 4 miles from Blue Springs. My mom has sold her house and will be moving in with us so we will all be moving in at the same time.

Thanks to Kim for sharing these details of a happy time with her mom's cousins and this opportunity to celebrate this kinship with family.

- - -

Steve Shepard

From Pioneering Stock, June 2, 2016

It is not easy to be a pioneer

- but oh, it is fascinating! 

I would not trade one moment,

even the worst moment,

for all the riches in the world.

~Elizabeth Blackwell

Three celebrations are in order in our family this day. Two are contemporary, one is a remembrance from long ago, involving stories of a genealogical nature and of historical interest.

James Brooks Davis (1870-1928). Today is the anniversary of the birth of my Great Grandfather James Brooks Davis who was born on this day in 1870 near Spencer, Indiana. He was the much admired father of my Grandmother Bura Davis Shepard, who chose her father's birthday as the day to marry William Shepard in 1915. James died at 58 years old, also in the month of June, but in Beaver County, Oklahoma.

Jim Davis was the brave soul who, after living in Indiana all his 43 years, and after being a 3rd generation Hoosier, packed up and moved west in 1913 to Beaver County, Oklahoma, some 900 miles away. He migrated with his wife Callie (also a native Indianan), their 7 children (ages 5 to 16), AND his wife's special needs brother Clayton Spear. To pack up and move a family that size and configuration required a pioneering spirit. It was something between "rather crazy" and "incredibly ambitious." 

But Jim Davis was from pioneering stock; it was in his blood. His grandparents Alexander and Jane Davis had braved the American wilderness some 60 years earlier when they migrated from Monroe County, Ohio to Owen County, Indiana. And they did so with several young children, including my Great Great Grandfather Charles Davis! The stories of their adventures must have been the stuff of many a conversation around Davis dinner tables during James' early years. We remember him, on this his birthday, with admiration for his love of family and his willingness to dream of a better future. He is buried today alongside his wife Callie in Sophia Cemetery in Beaver County. 

The picture above shows James Brooks Davis in 1923 with 4 of his grandchildren, Eugene, Pauline and Elmer Shepard, and Geneva Kilpatrick.

Happy Anniversary Gary and Cindy. Today, June 2, is the 37th anniversary of my brother Gary Shepard and his wife Cindy Dillon Shepard. Happy Anniversary to them! Gary is one of the Great Grandchildren of James Brooks Davis. 

He and Cindy were married in 1979 in Southern California where they lived for the first 34 years of their married life. Today they live in Oak Harbor, Washington just a short drive from Anacortes, Washington where our mother Maida Shepard lives. Cindy and Gary are very helpful in caring for mom who, as she moves into her 90's, is requiring more and more care and attention from her family.

Happy Anniversary Jeremy and Desiree. Yesterday was the 14th wedding anniversary of Jeremy and Desiree Ortiz. Jeremy is one of the Great Great Grandchildren of the aforementioned James Brooks Davis. He is the oldest child of Kim Boyd Clark of Blue Springs, Missouri and lives with wife Desiree and their 5 children in El Cajon, California. Best wishes to them for a happy anniversary!
- - -
Steve Shepard

"The Best Is Yet To Be", April 20, 2016

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

the last of life,

for which the first was made.

~Robert Browning

In my last post regarding Siblings Day I referred to my mom Maida and her sister Vicki. I said that with combined ages of 173, they were among the oldest siblings we have ever had in our family. I heard from two different people who shared with me some family data that helps to complete that picture.

Two More Senior Siblings of Note. My wife Cindy reminded me that her mom and sister, right here in San Diego, are 92 and 94 years old respectively, and have combined ages of 186. Cindy's mom Paula Harris and Paula's older sibling Juanita Eeds have lived in their house on Burgundy Street for close to 40 years. In 1957 Paula and her late husband Joe Harris first bought that home in the Allied Gardens community of San Diego. Next year Paula will celebrate 60 years living in that location. Congratulations to Paula and Juanita on being such good examples of healthy longevity within our family!

This first picture shows Paula and Juanita last August in San Diego on the occasion of Juanita's 94th birthday. Also in this picture are Cindy on the left and my sister Barbara on the right, who were celebrating Juanita's birthday with her.

I also mentioned in my last post that in February of 1999 my Great Uncle Lawrence was 101 and his sister, my Great Aunt Marjorie was 92. That year their combined ages were 193, which seemed to me the record setter for siblings anywhere in our extended family.

Setting the Sibling Record Straight. After that post I received word from cousin Carolyn Kilpatrick Roberts of Bolivar, Missouri. Her mother was Winona Davis Kilpatrick, sister of my Grandmother Bura Davis Shepard. Carolyn corrected the statement in my last post about Lawrence and Marjorie Davis being the oldest siblings ever in our extended family.

Carolyn: "You cited Aunt Marjorie and Uncle Lawrence but my mother Winona was older than Marjorie and was still living in 1999. She died in February of 1999 at the age of 95 so that, added to uncle Lawrence at 101, is 196 combined years."

So there you have it. 196 years for a single pair of siblings. It happened in 1999 in our family. Can anyone else find any other pair of siblings whose combined ages at any single point in history totaled more than 196?

This second picture is one I have not shared in this blog for a couple of years now. It is an absolute classic and one of the most amazing 100+ year old photos in our family history archives. It shows James Brooks Davis, his wife Callie and their 7 children. The children standing across the back are Winona, Myra, Bura and Lawrence. In the very middle is Jesse. The youngest ones in the front are Marjorie and Esther. This picture was taken in 1908 in Spencer, Indiana, 5 years before the family moved to Oklahoma.

A Unique Family. James Brooks Davis and his wife Callie Spear Davis were married in 1896 in Spencer, Indiana. In 1913 they packed up their family and migrated to Beaver County, Oklahoma where some of their descendants live to this day. They were healthy Hoosiers, simple farming folk, heartland Americans, whose simple lifestyle contributed to a wholesome family life. They were "dyed in the wool" Church people who honored family and cared for others. Both the Davis and Spear families from which James and Callie came were "Restoration Movement" Church people who had their roots in early 19th century Ohio.

We have other exemplary family circles among us, but this particular family unit -- all of whom are gone now -- is a special example. It is no wonder that two of their members, Lawrence and Winona, are the senior siblings ever in our family. With people living longer these days, their record will probably be broken one day - maybe in my lifetime. Even so, we will do well to remember with respect and admiration the family of James and Callie Davis. 
- - -
Steve Shepard

Footprints on the Sands of Time, November 18, 2015

The lives of great people remind us

that we can make our lives sublime 

and, departing, leave behind us 

footprints on the sands of time.

~Henry David Thoreau

Caroline Matilda Spear Davis (1865-1951). This month celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of my Great Grandmother Caroline Spear Davis who, with her husband James Brooks Davis, were the parents of 7 children, the oldest of whom was my grandmother Bura Davis Shepard. This first picture shows Bura Davis Shepard on the left in 1915, and her mother Caroline Spear Davis on the right in 1908.

Caroline (Callie) Spear Davis was born November 29, 1865, at the very end of the American Civil War and lived until 1951. Hers was a life that spanned an amazing period of time. Born in Owen County, Indiana where our Davis and Spear families had settled, she married James Brooks Davis there on New Year's Day, 1896. She, husband James, and their 7 children migrated from Indiana to Beaver County, Oklahoma in March, 1913, where they lived the rest of their lives.

Callie was the oldest of the 8 children of William and Maggie Spear, while her daughter Bura was the oldest of 7 children. I never knew my Great Grandmother Callie, but I did know well my Grandmother Bura Davis Shepard. What I have discovered about Callie in recent years helps to explain a lot about the kind of person Bura was. She obviously learned a lot about life from her mother Callie. They were both the oldest among their siblings. They both felt a great responsibility for the neediest members of their families. And they both helped carry the torch of faith and church in their family lives.

Callie Davis in the 1940 U.S. Census

Above is a snippet from the April, 1940 U.S. Census, the most recent Census for which we have information about Callie. (Click on the image to enlarge it.) These numbers are interesting: in November, 1940 (75 years ago) Callie celebrated her 75th birthday. At that time she had been a widow for 12 years, a resident of Oklahoma for 27 years, and would live yet another 11 years. In the fall of 1940, she must have still been missing her oldest daughter Bura who just two months earlier, with her husband William Shepard and their family, had moved to California and settled in San Diego.

The Census information above shows that in 1940 Callie was living with her brother Clayton Spear, who was 5 years younger than her. He was a special needs person who Callie had been taking care of, probably for most of his life. When Callie and family moved to Oklahoma in 1913, her brother Clayton came with them, evidently because there was no one else to care for him. This 1940 Census record shows that she was still taking care of him 27 years later. 

Another thing to note from this Census record is that the widow Callie and her needy brother Clayton were neighbors of her son Lawrence and his family, and her brother-in-law John Davis and his family. Just a couple of years after this time Callie and her family had to make the very difficult decision to institutionalize Clayton, who then died in 1944.

I am grateful for the life of my Great Grandmother Callie Spear Davis, for the difficult struggles she endured, for the values she instilled in her family, and for the wonderful family legacy that she has left behind. We honor her this month on the 150th anniversary of her birth.

A Response From Marjorie Eldred. After my last post regarding my grandmother Bura Davis Shepard, I received word from a shirt tail relation of hers, Margie Vaughn Eldred of Washington. Margie had two Kilpatrick uncles who married two Davis women who were sisters of Bura Davis. This sounds rather confusing but it simply refers to the fact that the Davises and the Kilpatricks intermarried back in Oklahoma in the early 20th century in ways that created friendships and relations that are still respected and remembered today.

This second picture illustrates the intermarrying of the Kilpatricks and the Davises. It shows James and Callie Davis in 1922 with 2 of their Kilpatrick grandchildren (Geneva and Bernard, in front of Callie). This picture also shows 3 of their Shepard grandchildren (Eugene on the left, Elmer in the middle, and Pauline in the back).

Here's Marjorie email:  

It was great to see the posts about the Davis branch of your Shepard family; of course it included aunts and uncles of mine also. There were ten siblings in the Samuel Allen Kilpatrick family so I'm sure descendants are scattered everywhere in these United States. Barney Kilpatrick was the brother that opened his home to Verlin, my oldest brother when the need arose. Norma Lou, Carolyn, and Shirley Kilpatrick became his substitute 'sisters.' 

Verlin told a story about what happened when he and the girls borrowed the family car to go fishing. They caught fish and stored them in the car while they roamed the vicinity, forgetting to reckon with the hot temperatures inside the locked car. As Verlin reported it, "Aunt Nona never did figure out how 'that smell' got inside the car, and no one volunteered any information."  My brother Verlin died in October of 2006. Marion, my mother, died in January that same year.

I'm working on a new book, a fiction full of the history of Vale, Oregon, the place where my Mom and Dad had their farm. All of my siblings and I grew up there. The book should be finished in the next few months. It will be titled Katie of Malheur Oregon Country. ...Marjorie (Vaughn Skelton) Eldred
- - -
Steve Shepard

A Faith That Lived In Grandmother, November 6, 2015

I am reminded of your sincere faith,

a faith that lived first in your grandmother.

~ The Apostle Paul

Bura Davis Shepard (1896-1986). This Sunday, November 8, is the anniversary of the birth of a person who has been gone for several decades now, but who was a dynamic force in our Shepard family for many years, my paternal grandmother Bura Davis Shepard. She was born 119 years ago this weekend outside Spencer, Indiana to Callie Spear Davis and her husband James Brooks Davis. She is the connection to our many Davis ancestors and relatives around the country, but especially in Oklahoma.

She was the standard bearer for our Shepard family's strong connection to the Church of Christ for nearly her entire life. She was part of a strong family tradition of Church of Christ people that can be traced to her Great Grandparents Alex and Jane Buskirk Davis who were from Eastern Ohio in the early years of the 19th century.

Her husband, my Granddad William Shepard, was also a long time member of the Church of Christ, but I always had the impression it was as a concession to her. Her commitment to the church was the dynamic force that moved through our family in a most powerful way.

Our Davis relatives today continue to be a source of kinship that has existed for generations. I was reunited recently with a long time family friend here in San Diego by the name of Richard Indermill. He is related by virtue of two of his uncles (Barney and William Kilpatrick), who married two of Bura Davis' sisters (Winona and Myra Davis). Even though these marriages occurred nearly 100 years ago, the bond that was created has importance even to this day.

I received word from my cousin Kim Boyd Clark recently that she discovered a relative in Missouri who she never even knew existed: Norma Lou Kilpatrick Allen of Springfield, Missouri, a long time reader of The Shepard's Crook. Turns out Norma Lou is a daughter of Barney Kilpatrick and Winona Davis Kilpatrick. Winona was the sister of Kim's Grandmother Bura Davis Shepard. (Winona is also the aunt of the aforementioned Richard Indermill.) Here is a picture that Kim sent me a few days ago, taken on the occasion of Kim and Norma Lou's happy meeting recently and the celebration of their kinship.

Many of us, Kim and myself included, can relate to the story of Timothy in the New Testament of the Bible. Timothy's life was influenced greatly by the faith of his grandmother. It was an impact that the Apostle Paul considered so important that he mentioned it in one of his letters that is now included among the books of the Bible. "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you." (2 Timothy 1.5)

Surely all my Shepard cousins echo my sentiments that Grandmother Bura was a remarkable woman whose positive impact on our lives is felt still. God bless her memory as we remember this anniversary of her birth and as we celebrate her positive influence in our lives.

Happy Birthday today to Havilah Colgain Wardle! She is one of the Great Grandchildren of Bura and William Shepard, and is the daughter of my cousin Joan Shepard of Dixon, California. Havilah is married to Kevin Wardle and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Happy 33rd birthday today to Havilah! 

Fall means many things to many people. To Havilah it means grape stomping, as can be seen in this picture of Havilah taken last month.

Happy Birthday, Shaun. This Sunday, November 8, is also the birthday of Shaun Gower, the older son of my cousin Hershell Gower. Sean is the first of the Great Grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. Born in England while his father Hershell was in the service, Sean and his wife Tracy live today in Escondido, California. 

Along with his brother Lloyd Gower, Sean has lived in the San Diego area nearly his entire life, as long as almost any of our Gower family members. This final picture shows Sean and his wife Tracy on the occasion of their wedding this past summer in Del Mar, California.
- - -
Steve Shepard

A Christmas Birth, December 26, 2014

Joy to the world

the Lord has come,

Let earth receive her king.

~Isaac Watts

Remembering William Shepard. Yesterday, Christmas Day 2014, was the 126th anniversary of the birth of my late Grandfather William Shepard, who was born on December 25, 1888.

Granddad was a unique individual, with endless stories to tell his 12 grand-kids about life in the Midwest and then the Southwest in the early 20th century. He was quite the story teller later in his life -- much more so than any of his children, including my own father -- and loved to recall events from his early years. Whenever he had the opportunity he would reminisce about everything from the spectacular Saint Louis World's Fair of 1904, to the ugly racial conflicts of the Saint Louis area where he was raised, to chasing the renegade Indian Cochise in New Mexico, to making the 1,200 mile journey from Colorado to California in pre-World War II days. He lived a remarkable life, being quite a rambler at times, in ways that made life difficult as a young family man. But he found grounding and direction from his wife Bura to whom he was married for 61 years.

He was the first born child of William Elmer Shepard and Elvira Owens Shepard of Alton, Illinois. Granddad did not know a lot about his Shepard family since his own father had been estranged from his Indiana family since the days of his youth. His mother's Owens family was well established in Madison County, Illinois and there is plenty of information about their place in the history of that particular part of Western Illinois.

As a youth of about 16 Granddad's family moved from Madison County, Illinois to Beaver County, Oklahoma where he met and married Bura Davis with whom he had 4 children, including my father Eugene Shepard. In 1928 William and Bura moved their family to Colorado, and then in 1940 on to San Diego. That's where William's family grew and flourished, and where he died in 1976 just a few weeks short of his 88th birthday. He is buried with his wife Bura in Greenwood Cemetery here in San Diego, alongside several other family members, including their oldest daughter Pauline Shepard Russell. (See first picture of William and daughter Pauline from 1958.)

Pauline Shepard Russell. Speaking of Pauline, this Sunday, December 28, is the 98th anniversary of her birth. She was William and Bura Shepard's oldest child, born in Oklahoma in 1916. She and her husband Bill Russell were my aunt and uncle and were wonderful people who contributed much to the happiness of our family life here in San Diego from the time the Shepards arrived in 1940. Pauline died in the San Diego area 60 years after settling here, and just a few years after uncle Bill. Their direct descendants today are Eric Russell of Red Rock, Nevada, and Shannon and Emma Wilk of Atchison, Kansas.

A 46th Anniversary. Tomorrow, December 27, is the 46th wedding anniversary of Cindy and me. We were married here in San Diego in 1968 by Edwin Kilpatrick, the minister of the Linda Vista Church of Christ, to which my family belonged. Edwin was the logical choice since his family and my grandmother Davis' family had had close ties for several generations, both in Oklahoma and here in California. (By the way, that family connection continues. Earlier this month I bumped into one of Edwin's cousins Richard Indermill who -- surprise! -- lives about a mile from us and who I had not seen in several decades.)

It has been quite a 46 year journey for Cindy and me, from San Diego to Lubbock and then Abilene, Texas and then back to California where we have lived in a variety of places including Los Alamitos, Palo Alto, Dorrington and now San Diego again. I consider myself extraordinarily fortunate to have such a wonderful life partner with whom I have shared all these years. Life has never been better for us, with our son Nathan, his wife Chenda and their 3 children close by.

- - -

Steve Shepard

Birthday, Book, Bill and Bride, January 7, 2014

The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon,

but that we wait so long to begin it.
~W. M. Lewis

Greetings to all of you from Tucson, Arizona where Cindy and I find ourselves on this beautiful day in the desert. We are here celebrating Cindy's birthday which is today. 

The first picture shows Cindy with one of her favorite people in all the world, our oldest grandchild Preslea who lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her parents Nathan and Chenda and her brothers Logan and William. This particular picture was taken last summer in the mountains on the coast of the far northern part of our state. Happy Birthday to Cindy!

Remembering Bill and Pauline. 79 years ago yesterday my aunt and uncle Bill and Pauline Shepard Russell were married. On January 6, 1935 they tied the knot in Springfield, Colorado, not far from Two Buttes, Colorado where their family lived. 

The second picture, taken in 1957, shows the two of them in front of their home in San Diego where they lived for most of their lives. Bill and Pauline have both been gone now for nearly 15 years, but warm memories of them remain.

New Book by Marjorie Eldred. I received word from Marjorie Eldred who is a cousin from the Kilpatrick side of our family, and has a keen interest in family history. She is the author of "Seizing the Treasure: Nuggetts of Vaughn-Kilpatrick Story".

She wrote to tell me of a new book she has written, which tells a difficult family story of coming back from drugs and imprisonment. It concerns Marjorie and her daughter. 

In Marjorie's words, "During the years she spent involved in drugs and the years of prison sentence, I collected the letters she wrote to me. I also saved writings from my 'journal' that took the place of letters that could not be written because of the pain in our ‘during-the-drugs’ relationship. 

"Together Katie (not her real name) and I decided to compile our writings during these painful years into book form. Journey from Addiction to Freedom: A Family’s Prison Experience was published in October and is now available on Amazon in both digital and paperback print."

• Here is a link to Marjorie's book, "Journey from Addiction to Freedom"
• Here is a link to all Marjorie's books

- - -
Steve Shepard

A 45th Anniversary, Dec 27, 2013

We are not the same persons
 this year as last;

nor are those we love.

It is a happy chance
 if we, changing,

continue to love a changed person.

~W. Somerset Maugham 

It is hard for me to believe that today is the 45th wedding anniversary of Cindy and me. It was in 1968 on this December day, which also happened to be on Friday, that Cindy and I were married at the La Mesa Church of Christ here in the San Diego area. It was an evening wedding, officiated by my second cousin Edwin Kilpatrick, who was also the minister of my family's church, the Linda Vista Church of Christ.

Among those in the wedding party all those years ago were Gloria Weston, Pam Henderson, Connie Cleland, my sister Linda, my brother Gary, the Deveny twins, Dan Frost, and Cindy's brother Joe Paul. The wedding was attended by a large number of our family and friends.

I was home on Christmas break from college at Abilene Christian in order for us to get married. After the wedding we took a few days and went up the California coast for a quiet honeymoon that was a welcome rest after all the hectic preparations for the wedding (most of which I was able to avoid!). Within a few days we returned to Texas for school where we both continued our studies for another year and a half before returning to California. Our first home together was a small apartment across the street from the College. The memories of that time, though they grow faint, still fill us with warmth and joy.

The first picture (above) shows the two of us. The left half of the image was taken 45 years ago on our wedding night; the right half was taken just last month while we were on vacation in Kona, Hawaii. The right half of this picture was taken by my mom Maida Shepard, the same person who had to "sign for me" when we got our marriage license all those years ago. Cindy and I were both 20 at the time but an archaic California law stated that men were underage at 20 while women were not.

That Was Then; This Is Now. Tonight we plan to leave all our house guests to fend for themselves and have dinner somewhere here in San Diego at a nice restaurant as we celebrate our years together.

The second picture was taken this past Thanksgiving and shows Cindy and me with our son Nathan, his wife Chenda and their children William, Preslea and Logan. On the left are Cindy's aunt Juanita Eeds and Cindy's mom Paula Harris.
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Steve

Not To Be Confused, August 15, 2013

You don't choose your family.
They are God's gift to you
as you are to them.
~Desmond Tutu

This past Saturday 25 of us attended a family reunion at the home of my mom Maida Shepard in Anacortes, Washington. The weather cooperated beautifully providing us with a sunny, pleasant afternoon. Memories were shared, a delicious meal was enjoyed, laughter rang out, young kids were underfoot, young and old relatives were embraced, news was shared of recent events and loved ones were remembered, under the trees of Fidalgo Island. 

We came from Texas, California, Oregon and various locations in Washington. We were named Shepard, Clark, Bell, Kilpatrick and Davis but we shared one spirit of family love.

The picture above shows those who attended the reunion. Thanks to Jerry Clark for this photo. From left to right are Jerry, Preslea, Nathan, Darrell, William, Chenda, Steve, Mary, Cindy, Russ, Steve, Linda, Chris, Jessica, Pam, Rachel, Maida, Barb, Don, Donelle, Janet, Bud, Cindy and Gary.

Logan Update. Not pictured in this lawn photo is Nathan and Chenda's 2 year old Logan A. Shepard who was sleeping off a raucous morning of activity. Logan A. Shepard, by the way, is not to be confused with his cousin Logan J. Shepard, son of Nicole and Patrick Shepard, who was born July 24, but who is still in the hospital with his parents at his bedside. The news brought to the reunion by his grandparents Darrell and Mary was that Logan J. continues to improve as his family remains optimistic and looks forward to taking him home sometime soon.

A Tribute Tattoo. One surprise moment at the reunion was when Steven P. Shepard unveiled an impressive tribute tattoo to his late grandfather Eugene Shepard, who passed away exactly 10 years ago. Steven P. Shepard, by the way, is not to be confused with his uncle Steven D. Shepard, the author of this blog. Steven P. is the one with the bumper sticker on his truck that says "Guess where I am pierced". Steven D. does not have a bumper sticker. Nor a truck. Not even a piercing. (How baby-boomer boring I am.)

Happy Birthday Linda! Tomorrow is the 20th birthday of my niece Linda M. Shepard of Anacortes. Linda M. Shepard, by the way, is not to be confused with my late sister Linda R. Shepard (1950-1971). Happy 20th birthday to Linda, who is the youngest granddaughter of Maida Shepard. The picture above, taken at the reunion, shows Linda with her parents Russ and Pam, and her brother Steven.

Many thanks to those who helped make this a special event (providing food, doing the setup, cooking, etc.) especially my mom, Maida Shepard, at whose home we met. Maida I. Shepard, by the way, is not to be confused with the youngest of her three G granddaughters, P. Maida Shepard.
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Steve Shepard

"In the End the World Will Break Your Heart", April 8, 2013

To be Irish is to know

that in the end

the world will break your heart.

~Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Hello Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from Tampa, Florida where Cindy and I find ourselves today. We are getting ready to board a Carnival Cruise ship that will set sail later today for a trip across the Atlantic to Europe. We are with our friends Papa George and Yaya, experienced world travelers -- and fun people -- who will help make this a memorable experience.

Happy Anniversary! Speaking of memorable, tomorrow is the 7th wedding anniversary of Jerry and Cathrina Clark of Lubbock, Texas who were married back in 2006 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Best wishes to both of them for many more happy years together.

More About the Irish. In my last post I mentioned the family of William and Margaret (Pike) Pickens, ancestors of ours who immigrated to this country from Limerick, Ireland in the early years of the 18th century. 

I told you that two of Willie and Marge's grandchildren (first cousins) married each other, illustrating how some Irish immigrants remained in family clusters and intermarried. Another anomaly of their family is that at least 3 of their children married members of one other family, by the name of Davis.

Their first child, Israel Sidney Pickens, married Martha Davis; their 3rd child, Robert Pike Pickens, married Miriam Davis; and their 4th child, Andrew Pickens, married Nancy Ann Davis. All three Davis girls were presumably children of Church friends George and Lydia Davis. (George's name was spelled "Davice" in Ireland, and became "Davis" in America.) It appears that the Pickenses and the Davises -- both immigrant families -- settled near each other in Pennsylvania, and in three instances their children hooked up with each other.

This reminds me of two of my Grandmother Bura Davis's sisters, Winona and Myra Davis, who married Kilpatrick brothers back in the early 20th century. Curiously, the last name of the women in both instances is the same -- Davis. But the 2 Davis girls married their Kilpatrick boys in Oklahoma, 200 years AFTER the 3 Pickens boys married their Davis girls in Pennsylvania. I have found no indication that these sets of Davis folks -- 200 years separated -- were related. But it certainly is a remarkable coincidence nonetheless.

George and Lydia Davis (the parents of those 3 girls who married the Pickens boys) were Irish immigrants themselves, and can be added to our growing list of immigrant ancestors, with the total now reaching 20. So we can see again that there was such a large number of Irish immigrants in Pennsylvania at this time that they tended to live near one another and in some instances even married within their families.

Two of the aforementioned Irish immigrants who had come over separately, but had met and married each other in the new world, were Israel Sidney Pickens and his wife Martha Davis. They married in Bensalem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1726, but migrated southward beyond Washington, D.C. into Virginia. Israel died in 1749; Martha died in 1774. They are both buried at Cub Creek Cemetery in Charlotte County, southwest of Richmond,Va. (see picture of the cemetery - photo by Cathy Powers).

Here then is a lineage that traces our immigrant ancestors George and Lydia Davis to the present.

George Davis married Lydia Emory, 
their daughter Martha Davis married Israel Sidney Pickens, 
their daughter Anna Pickens married Matthew Gillespie, 
their daughter Mary Gillespie married Andrew Pickens, 
their daughter Anna Pickens married David McKnight Shannon, 
their son David Reid Shannon married Peggy Ann Gray, 
their son Samuel Pickens Shannon married Finetta Dearien, 
their daughter Nola Shannon married Leroy Gower, 
their daughter Maida Gower married Eugene Shepard, 
their son Steve Shepard married Cindy Harris, 
their son Nathan Shepard married Chenda Sou, 
and their younger son is William Quincy Shepard (b. 2012)

Over the next few weeks Cindy and I, with our friends, will be at sea, or traveling around Europe, but I plan to continue these blog posts with information about our Irish heritage. There are still some remarkable family stories to share!
- - -
Steve Shepard

Family Treasures of Many Kinds, September 29, 2012

I have decided to be happy

because it is good for my health.

-Voltaire

Hello Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from Alameda, California where Cindy and I are visiting with our grandchildren and their parents.

Today is the birthday of Cathrina Helms Clark, whose husband is Jerry Clark of Lubbock, Texas.

Cathrina: We are staying plenty busy. I just recently changed jobs. I am working in the office at a middle school in Lubbock only 10 minutes from home. Finally on a similar schedule as Jerry. The first few weeks of school have been a bit of a challenge. Things are beginning to settle and I really feel blessed to have this job. Also we are expecting our 10th grand baby in January. My daughter Ashley is expecting her second daughter! So exciting that our families are growing!

The first picture, taken earlier this year, shows Cathrina and Jerry Clark.

Today is also the birthday of Alexandria Cotton, another Texan in our family. She is the daughter of Heather and Sean Cotton and the granddaughter of Paula Tuzzolino. Her Ggrandmother is Vicki Gower Johnston of Oak Harbor, Washington. Alexandria and her family live in San Antonio, Texas.

Alexandria is one year old today; her older sister Victoria was 5 years old back on July 23. Happy Birthday to these sisters and best wishes to them and their family. The second picture, taken back in the spring, shows Heather with her daughters Alexandria and Victoria.

Family History Book. A few weeks ago I mentioned my Kilpatrick relation Marjorie Eldred in this blog when I wrote about my aunt Thelma's strange birth certificate. Marjorie has written a family history book about her Vaughn - Kilpatrick family, which includes stories set in Two Buttes, Colorado, a town of importance to the history of our Shepard - Davis family. She asked me if I would mind giving her book a recommendation once again, which I am glad to do. The title of her book is Seizing the Treasure: Nuggets of Vaughn-Kilpatrick Story.

Marjorie: "I will lower the price on the book to $15.00 plus postage for anyone who orders through me. Ask them to email me at cemeingv@q.com." 

Thanks to Marjorie for her generous offer and for all her work in family research.
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Steve