Happy Father's Day Weekend! June 18, 2022

I believe that what we become

depends on what our fathers

teach us at odd moments,

when they aren't trying to teach us.

~Umberto Eco

On this weekend of Father's Day, I am sharing with you a post from 6 years ago. A lot has happened in our family and in our respective lives in the past few years ago. The challenges we have faced and the difficulties we have encountered were many. This post reminds us of the importance of being a part of our family. The fathers in our family are still to be thanked and honored for what they do for us. Thank God for fathers past and present! 

I am mindful of, and grateful for, two men in particular: my own father and the father of our grandchildren. My dad Eugene Shepard died in 2003 but lived a wonderful life and left a great legacy of family love and devotion. Our son Nathan is an outstanding father who makes us very proud on this weekend to honor all the men who hold our family together.

This first picture shows my dad Eugene Shepard and our son Nathan Shepard in 1996 in Anacortes, Washington. They are just two of the many fathers that are a part of our diverse and changing family.

Below is a slide show honoring all the fathers past and present in our Shepard, Gower, Harris and other families. Pictured are young fathers, old fathers, dads from long ago and dads who are very new to the task. At least one is a father of five kids, while others are fathers of just one or two. Some are steady and hard working, others are just thrilled at the very idea of being dads. Some have been at it for many years and now revel in the joy of "grandfatherhood", while others are still learning how to be the best dad they can. Some do a great job of being step dads, while others face unique and daunting parental challenges.  

My brother Gary of Oak Harbor, Washington has been a father since 1968, while my late cousin Hershell Gower of Bullhead City, Arizona, who died during Covid two years ago, had been a father since 1967. That's 49 years! Congratulations to them.

All the fathers pictured here are to be thanked for their hard work and the loving guidance they give their kids. Click on the arrow below to start the Father's Day video.



Happy Father's Day to all of you who have taken on the great task of being a dad!
- - -
Steve Shepard

Halloween 2018, October 31, 2018

Ancestors are important...

Without them we are nothing.

~Hank Ketchum

Greetings to all of you on this spooky week of Halloween! This week when we celebrate the dark, scary side of life, it would seem to be the perfect time for me to continue my series looking at infamous characters of our family tree. But no. Something else will take priority.

Maida Gower Shepard and Eugene Shepard

about 1945

All Saints Day. This is also the week of my mother's birthday. Thursday, November 1 she will turn 94 years old, which makes her the senior member of our family. It has always been the great misfortune of my mother Maida Gower Shepard to have been born the day after Halloween. At least she has expressed that sentiment to me on numerous occasions in years passed. On the other hand, she was born on All Saints' Day. Since my mom has always been a saint in my book, November 1 is the perfect day for her to have been born.

She was born in Stone County, Arkansas, near the town of Mountain View. Her parents Leroy Gower and Nola Shannon Gower were both originally from Sylamore, a community a few miles west of Mountain View. They married in 1921 when Leroy was 22 and Nola had just turned 18. Their firstborn was a son, Hendrix Gower. Then in the fall of 1924 Maida came along. Work was hard to come by for Leroy, so when their daughter Maida was a year old, barely old enough to travel, they moved to Okemah, Oklahoma where Leroy found work and where they lived for 17 years. During that time they added another daughter, Vicki, to their family.

Maida and oldest son Gary Shepard, 2011

In 1942 the Gowers moved to San Diego, which is where Maida met Gene Shepard. In 1945 they married and began a joyful 58 year marriage. San Diego is also where they raised their 6 children, and where they lived for 36 years. When Gene retired they moved to Anacortes in Skagit County, Washington. Mom has lived in the family home on Wildwood Lane for the last 40 years.

These days she stays home most of the time with several family members helping to care for her in these sunset years of her life, including her oldest son Gary (pictured above with mom). Her memory is failing, but she still loves to visit with people and to attend church when she is up to it. Best wishes to Mom as she celebrates 94 years!

Creepy Family Fun. Mom is one of the many family members who find themselves in the following music video that I put together to celebrate Halloween. Some of the pictures in this video you have seen before while some of them are new to this Halloween video. Some images are from many years ago, while some were taken in recent days. This video includes creepy family members from California, Washington, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and even Pennsylvania. Happy Halloween to everyone!




- - -
Steve Shepard

"Misfits From the Start", September 29, 2016

Humans are things of shreds and patches,

borrowed unequally from good and bad ancestors,

and misfits from the start. 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Happy Birthday, Alexandria! Today, September 29, is the 5th birthday of Alexandria Cotten, of San Antonio, Texas, the younger daughter of Heather and Sean Cotten, and the granddaughter of my cousin Paula Harrell Tuzzolino. Lexi is another one of the GG Grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. 


This first picture was taken earlier this year and shows Lexi in a pleasant pastoral setting sharing a flower with her big sister Tori.

As I mentioned in my last post, September 29 is the anniversary of the wedding of Leroy and Nola Gower, in 1921 in Stone County, Arkansas. So their Great Great Grandaughter Lexi Cotten was born on their 90th wedding anniversary. Happy Birthday to Lexi and best wishes to her family.

Happy Birthday Cathrina! Today we celebrate another Texas milestone. It is the birthday of Cathrina Helms Clark. She and husband Jerry Clark live in Lubbock, Texas. Lubbock is where their base of operations is in their visits and love for the ten grandchildren they share between the two of them.

This second picture shows Cathrina celebrating with friends earlier this year. It wasn't her birthday celebration, but she was certainly in a festive mood.

Happy Birthday Kellan! This Saturday, October 1, is the birthday of Kellan Christopher Shepard who will celebrate his second birthday! Best wishes to Kellan and his mom Rachel Shepard, and his Grandparents Darrell and Mary Shepard, all of whom live in Bothell, Washington. 

Kellan is one of the youngest Great Grandchildren of my mother Maida Gower Shepard, the senior member of our family. This makes Kellan another of the Great Great Grandchldren of Leroy and Nola Gower.

This third picture shows Kellan with his grandfather, my brother Darrell Shepard.

Best wishes to all three of these families, from the heart of Texas to the Great Northwest. May their celebrations fill their homes with joy and thanksgiving.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Remembering the Past, Celebrating the Future, September 23, 2016

The past gives you an identity
and the future holds the promise of salvation. 

Both are illusions.

~Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now)

95 years ago this month my Gower Grandparents were married. On September 29, 1921 Leroy Gower and Nola Shannon said their vows and began a relationship that would result in a wonderful family that today is spread over a large part of the US. They were married in the town of Timbo, in Stone County, Arkansas while living in the nearby town of New Nata, 9 miles west of Mountain View, Arkansas. At the time Leroy was 22 and Nola was just 18.

The first picture shows Leroy and Nola at their 50th anniversary celebration which took place in 1971. The location was the family home of their son-in-law and daughter, Eugene and Maida Gower Shepard, on Armstrong Street in San Diego. 

After marrying in Arkansas they lived 4 short years there, before moving to Okemah, Oklahoma with their first two children, Hendrix who was 3, and Maida who was a year old. In Oklahoma their 3rd child Vicki (Melva) was born. In 1942, during the second World War, they moved to San Diego where their family flourished and grew and where they lived most of the rest of their lives. 

Today less than a dozen of Nola and Leroy's descendants live in the San Diego area, while the rest of them are found in Western Washington, Texas, Arizona, Southern California and Indiana. Their oldest living descendant is my mother Maida Gower Shepard of Anacortes, Washington, while their youngest descendant is Finley Shepard of Seattle (see recent picture above). In between those two is a diverse clan of several dozen people with the last names Gower, Shepard, Johnston, Harrell, Tuzzolino, Aquiningoc, Sauvage, Bearden and Cotten.

Living in San Diego gives me a chance to visit important places in the life of our larger family in year's past. This third picture shows a beautiful building in Balboa Park that for many years was the home of the Balboa Park Baptist Church. It has undergone some renovation over the years but it still has the Angel Gabriel on top, the only part of it still owned by the Church. Leroy and Nola attended that church for many years in the middle years of the 20th century. Leroy was a leader of the congregation, while Nola was very dedicated to it in many other ways. The only time I remember being in the church was that very memorable occasion in December, 1974, when Grandpa Leroy's funeral took place there.

Among the youngest descendants of Leroy and Nola are the two mentioned below whose birthdays are this week. 

Happy Birthday Karver. Yesterday, September 22, was the second birthday of Karver Ryan Bearden, one of just two Great Great Great Grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. He is the baby boy of Lyndsey Aquiningoc of Granbury, Texas, and Colton Bearden. Here is Karver's lineage: Lyndsey Aquiningoc / Kerri Shepard Aquiningoc / Gary Shepard / Maida Gower Shepard / Leroy and Nola Gower.

Mom Lyndsey posted this on Facebook yesterday: This day 2 years ago was the most amazing experience in my life! The love that I have for this boy gets stronger and stronger every day. Its hard to believe that he is 2 today! Happy birthday Karver! I love you more than I can ever explain. 

Happy Birthday Victoria. Today, September 23 is the 9th birthday of Victoria Cotten, the older daughter of Sean and Heather Robson Cotten. Tori is one of the 16 Great Great Grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. Tori and her family live in Austin, Texas. Here is Tori's lineage: Heather Robson Cotten / Paula Harrell Tuzzolino / Vicki Gower Johnston / Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower.

Looking back, we celebrate with gratitude and joy the lives of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower and the wonderful foundation they provided for all of us, their descendants. At the same time we honor these two young ones, and celebrate with them and their families.
- - -
Steve Shepard

A Tangled Web We Weave, Aug 10, 2016

Oh, what a tangled web we weave...

~Walter Scott

Happy Birthday Heather Robson Cotten. Today, August 10, is the birthday of Heather Robson Cotten, daughter of Paula Tuzzolino and granddaughter of Vicki Gower Johnston. Heather is also one of the 14 Great Grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower.

Heather and husband Sean Cotten and their two daughters live in Austin, Texas. This first picture shows Heather with her family as they celebrated a family birthday last month. 

Heather said this on Facebook yesterday: My last day in my 30's and although it seems unfathomable that I'm turning 40, it has been a great decade! I was blessed with two beautiful children, graduated from college, started my career and flourished with an amazing company, celebrated many anniversaries with my amazing husband, took several vacations with my life long friends, grown closer to God, I'm in the best shape of my life and so much more! Bring it on 40's! I can't wait to see what milestones, adventures and blessings the next decade will bring!

Happy Birthday and best wishes to Heather and her family.

Happy Birthday Jeremy Ortiz. Friday, August 12, is the birthday of Jeremy Ortiz, son of Kim Boyd Clark and grandson of Thelma Shepard Boyd. He is one of the 21 Great Grandchildren of William and Bura Davis Shepard. 

Jeremy, his wife Desiree and their 5 children live in El Cajon, California just east of San Diego. This second picture, taken earlier this summer, shows Jeremy with his oldest son Damian.

Birthday greetings to Jeremy and best wishes to him and his family!

A Tangled Web. Why do the the two birthday people this week find themselves in this post of The Shepard's Crook? They probably don't know each other, they live several states apart, and were even born in different parts of the country. 

It's all about the Grandmothers.

Heather and Jeremy are Grandchildren of two of the senior members of our family: Vicki Gower Johnston of Chandler, Arizona and Thelma Shepard Boyd of Blue Springs, Missouri. 

Here's the untangling of the web: 71 years ago Melva Gower (now Vicki Johnston) and Thelma Shepard (last name now Boyd) were grade-school children who lived not far from each other in San Diego. 8 year old Thelma lived with her family on Albatross Street in the Hillcrest section of the city and was in 3rd grade. 11 year old Melva (Vicki) lived not far away on Arizona Street in North Park and was in 5th grade at Garfield Elementary. 

The two girls did not know each other until the spring of 1945 when Vicki's big sister, 20 year old Maida Gower, married Thelma's big brother, Navy-man Eugene Shepard. It was on a Thursday afternoon in late May, in a small intimate house wedding behind the El Cajon Blvd Church of Christ, that the Shepards and Gowers were forever united when Maida Gower and Eugene Shepard said their vows.

The girls Vicki and Thelma were probably in school when the wedding occurred, or they would have gladly attended. In the months and years following the wedding they must have had opportunities to meet during family gatherings or other events. Over the past 71 years both women have grown their own families and flourished in their own ways. Indeed four generations of descendants have been born, among whom are Heather and Jeremy. 

The third composite image shows Thelma on the left in 1953 with her nephew Dane Shepard, and Vicki on the right in 1955 with her son Michael.

I am pleased to claim Vicki and Thelma as aunts of mine, women who today are among the oldest members of the Gowers and the Shepards. They are both proud progenitors of large families, who are each represented well by Heather and by Jeremy, the two whose birthdays we celebrate.

Eugene Shepard (1921-2003). I am also thinking this week about my father Eugene Shepard, the late brother of the the aforementioned Thelma Shepard Boyd. My dad passed away 13 years ago this past Monday in Anacortes, Washington at 82 years old.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Celebrations Around the Country, July 23, 2016

It's not how big the house is,

it's how happy the home is.

This weekend is the occasion for three different birthdays in our larger family: Tori, Shannon and Logan. May they and their individual families all have great celebrations!

Birthday Wishes to Tori! Happy 9th Birthday to Victoria Cotten of Austin, Texas. Tori is the older of the two daughters of Heather Robson Cotten and her husband Sean. She is also the granddaughter of my cousin Paula Tuzzolini. 

In case you haven't seen it yet, here's mom's birthday wishes to Tori on Facebook: Happy birthday Victoria aka Tori aka Tori bear! You are beautiful, smart, talented and a great big Sister! You made us parents for the first time and we thank God everyday he picked us to be your parents! Love you sweet girl!

This first picture was taken earlier this summer and shows Tori on the left with her mother Heather. Also pictured is Tori's little sister Lexi. Tori and Lexi are the Great Grandchildren of my aunt Victoria Gower Johnston, after whom Tori is named. Great Grandma Vicki, who lives in Chandler, Arizona is one of the senior members of our family.

Happy Birthday Shannon! Tomorrow, July 24, is the birthday of Shannon Wilk, daughter of my late cousin Beverly Russell Wilk. Shannon was born in San Diego, but lives today with daughter Emma in Atchison, Kansas. Happy 43rd birthday to Shannnon! This second picture was taken just a few weeks ago and shows Shannon with her daughter Emma.

Logan J. Shepard Turns 3! Tomorrow is also the birthday of Logan Joseph Shepard of Bothell, Washington. Logan is the older son of my nephew Patrick Shepard and his wife Nicole Haw Shepard, and the first Grandson of my brother Darrell Shepard and his wife Mary. Happy 3rd Birthday to Logan. This final picture shows a smiling Logan in his child seat and was taken earlier this summer.

Austin, Texas - Atchison, Kansas - and Bothell, Washington: The birthday kids this weekend are scattered all over, but they are all within the family and all deserving of our best wishes for wonderful celebrations!

- - -

Steve Shepard

Embedded On Our Hearts For Life, May 24, 2016

The past beats inside me like a second heart. 

~John Banville

My mom and dad, Maida Gower Shepard and Eugene Shepard, were married in San Diego on May 24, 1945. Today marks 71 years since they tied the knot all those long years ago. It was a very simple ceremony that took place on a weekday afternoon in a minister's parsonage behind the El Cajon Blvd Church. It was the beginning of a significant 58 year marriage, that ended when dad died in Washington 13 years ago. A growing family of several dozen members has resulted from that World War II love affair in Southern California.  

Maida and Eugene, 1946

The Gower family and Shepard family had only been in San Diego for a few years when Maida and Eugene said their vows. My mom's Gower family had moved to San Diego barely 2 years earlier from Oklahoma, in December, 1942. My dad's Shepard family had came to San Diego from Two Buttes, Colorado in September, 1940. These two families had a lot in common, but did not know each other until Maida and Eugene hooked up in 1944. Their wedding was the first marriage within either family since they became Californians.

In the Spring of 1945, when my mom and dad were married, one of the youngest family members was Maida's young sister Vicki. At the time "Melva", as she was known then, was an 11 year old school girl, attending Garfield Elementary in the Gowers' North Park neighborhood. As a pre-adolescent, she must have been thrilled when her 20 year old sister Maida fell in love with Navy man Eugene and then chose to marry him.

It was a time of heightened emotion on so many levels. These families were still just beginning their adjustment to life in the big city after their lives in small town America. The Second World War was winding down but not yet finished, with San Diego being critical to the war effort. Eugene and Maida had a long distance romance for most of their courtship and for the early months of their marriage. Vicki, Maida, Eugene and their parents and siblings were all experiencing tremendous transitions in their own ways.

Paula, me and Vicki

That 11 year old school girl -- now my aunt Vicki Johnston -- is today an octogenarian who lives in Chandler, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. I had the privilege of visiting her this past week in Arizona. Cindy and I had lunch with Vicki and her daughter Paula Tuzzolino who lives near her mother and is her primary caregiver. As we chatted I brought up with Vicki the subject of her sister's wedding 71 years ago. Her face immediately lit up as she recounted those happy moments of what seems like a lifetime ago. She had indeed been excited about all the events surrounding the relationship of sister Maida and soldier Eugene and then their marriage. Little sister even remembered spying mischievously on the newlyweds who lived for a time in the Gower home on Arizona Street around the corner from the church where they were married.

The years have a way of softening the thrill of young love and family joy. But there is no forgetting the happiness that comes from recalling events like this one from so long ago, events that have a way of embedding themselves on our hearts for life.

This second picture was taken last Friday in the home of Paula and her husband Frank Tuzzolino. It shows me sandwiched between daughter Paula Tuzzolino on the left and her mom Vicki Gower Johnston on the right. Thanks to Cindy for taking this picture.
- - -
Steve Shepard 

A Nightmare On My Street, October 30, 2015

'Tis now the very witching time of night,

When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out

Contagion to this world.

~William Shakespeare

Hello on this weekend of Halloween from Anacortes, Washington where Cindy and I and Grandsons William and Logan are visiting with family and celebrating some special events.

Birthday Wishes to Pam! Happy Birthday today to Pam Engan Shepard, wife of my brother Russell Shepard. Pam and Russ are the parents of Steven Paul and Linda Shepard. Pam has lived in Anacortes, Washington all her life and works there today at the Cap Sante Inn.

This first picture shows Pam and Russ this past summer at our family reunion in Bothell, Washington. Best wishes to Pam for a very Happy Birthday!

Nightmare on My Street. The following is a musical slide show capturing many halloween moments in the life of our larger family over the years. All of the folks you will see in this slide show are from our varied and diverse family. Can you identify them all? It's not as easy as you might think.




Some of the above images are classics from many years ago (one is from 60+ years ago!) while others are very recent and still others are just a few years old. These Halloween revelers are from places as diverse as California and Texas, Washington and Kansas, Pennsylvania and Missouri, and Oklahoma and Illinois. As varied as the locations are, there is one thing all these creepy critters have in common: the spirit of Halloween!

Birthday Wishes to Maida! Happy Birthday this Sunday, November 1, to my mom Maida Shepard, who will be 91 years young! She was born in Arkansas, but lived for most of her growing up years in Okemah, Oklahoma. The last 72 years of her life have been divided equally between San Diego, California (where she and husband Eugene raised their 6 children) and Anacortes, Washington (where she now lives with daughter Barb and grandson Steven).

This picture shows Maida with her 5 children: Russell, Barbara, Darrell, Gary and me. This picture was taken this past August in Bothell, Washington.
-- -
Steve Shepard

Hello From Scotland! September 29, 2015

I am a Scot.

I do not need your approval.

Great things are in my immediate future.

Watch me do exactly what you said I could not.

~ Old Scottish saying

Greetings today from Edinburgh, Scotland where Cindy and I are continuing on vacation. The first picture was taken yesterday and shows Cindy and me in St George's Square here in Edinburgh. In the background is a statue of a Lion, which is a symbol of the country of Scotland, dating back to the time of Richard I, the Lion Heart.

Many of you know about the importance of Ireland in our family history, being the ancestral home of many of those in our family tree. But did you know that many of our Irish immigrant ancestors had parents or grandparents who were from Scotland?

Among our Scots-Irish ancestors is immigrant Thomas Shannon (1686-1737). His American descendant Dexal Shannon was the one who wrote the book "Shannon" which is the closest thing to a definitive history of that part of our family that we have. Thomas Shannon's grandfather John Shannon was originally from Scotland, born here in 1601. 

In another part of our family tree is Jane Alexander McNitt (1665-1691), who immigrated from Ireland to what is now America in 1678 as a wide-eyed 13 year old girl. Her grandfather Robert Alexander (1610-1704) was born in Stirling, Scotland, just 35 miles up the road from where we are today in Edinburgh.


These are only two of those in our family tree who trace their roots to Scotland, this interesting country where Cindy and I are visiting for the first time. 

Happy Birthday, Alexandria! Today, September 29, is the birthday of Alexandria Cotten, of San Antonio, Texas, one of the direct descendants of the aforementioned Scots Irish ancestors Thomas Shannon and Jane Alexander McNitt. Lexi is the younger daughter of Heather and Sean Cotten, and another one of the GG Grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower.

This second picture shows Lexi with her mother Heather Robson Cotten. Lexi's grandmother is my cousin Paula Tuzzolino and her Great Grandmother is Vicki Gower Johnston of Oak Harbor, Washington.

Happy Birthday Cathrina! Today we celebrate another Texas birthday. It is the birthday of Cathrina Helms Clark. She and husband Jerry Clark live today in Lubbock, Texas. On the right is a picture of Jerry and Cathrina with their dog while hiking in the mountains this past summer.

Happy Birthday Kellan! Happy Birthday this Thursday, October 1, to Kellan Christopher Shepard who will celebrate his first birthday! Best wishes to Kellan and his parents Rachel Shepard and Brian Miller, and his Grandparents Darrell and Mary Shepard, all of whom live in Bothell, Washington. 

This final picture, taken at our family reunion back in August, shows Kellan with mom and dad, Rachel and Brian. Kellan's Great Grandmother is my mom Maida Shepard of Anacortes, Washington.
- - -
Steve Shepard

No One's Family Is Normal, August 10, 2015

No one’s family is normal.

Normalcy is a lie

invented by advertising agencies

to make the rest of us feel inferior.

~Claire LaZebnik

Family Reunion. Our family reunion, on Saturday August 22, is fast approaching. You are welcome to join us at the home of Pat and Nicole Shepard in Bothell, Washington, starting at 2 pm.

Happy Birthday Heather. Today, August 10, is the birthday of Heather Robson Cotten, daughter of Paula Tuzzolino and granddaughter of Vicki Gower Johnston. 

Heather, one of the 14 great grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower, lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Sean and daughters Tori and Lexi. The picture on the right, taken last month in Oak Harbor, Washington, shows Heather with her Grandmother Vicki Gower Johnston.

Happy Birthday Jeremy. This coming Tuesday, August 12, is the birthday of Jeremy Ortiz, one of the 21 great grandchildren of William and Bura Davis Shepard. 

Jeremy lives in El Cajon, California with his wife Desiree and their 5 children. Jeremy's mom is Kim Boyd Clark and his grandmother is Thelma Shepard Boyd. Best wishes to Jeremy for a great birthday! This second picture shows Jeremy with one of the young twins of his and Desiree's, either Isaac or Dominic.

Getting It Right. In my last post I included a picture of Jerry Clark which was taken 45 years ago, just weeks before he and my sister Linda Shepard were married in the summer of 1970. I was mistaken about where the picture was taken. Jerry let me know that it was actually taken in the home that he and Linda would soon be moving into in Lubbock, Texas. 

Yet Another Never-Before-Seen Photo. Continuing with a series of photos that I have been sharing, I am including here one more on my list of never-before-seen family pictures, at least never before seen in this blog. 

This photo shows three very lovely women in our family: my sister Barbara Shepard, my niece Kerri Shepard, and my mom Maida Shepard. 

Numerous times in the last several years I have been tempted to share this photo with you, but I just couldn't do it. My mom on the right -- Kerri's grandmother! -- is just too sexy. It doesn't seem right for me to put this photo out there for the world to see. Dad was obviously a lucky man to have such a attractive wife, even into Grandparenthood. Yet for me even to say that fills me with a certain awkwardness I cannot define. Even so, for the sake of full disclosure I feel compelled to share this beautiful but difficult photo with you. 

Judging from the age of Kerri in this picture, who looks to be about 2 years old, it was probably taken in 1970. My sister Barbara tells me that it was taken in front of the home of my brother Gary and his wife Jackie on Eagle Rock Drive, a home they had recently purchased in Mira Mesa, which at the time was a new community of San Diego.

Summer Activity Pictures Wanted. I am planning to put together a collection of photos in a few weeks, of "the summer of '15" family activities. If you have some pictures of family activities this summer you'd like me to include please send them my way.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Our Roots in Monroe County, Ohio, July 21, 2015

A person represents each of several of his ancestors, 

and they constitute the variety of notes 

for that new piece of music 

which his life is. 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Greetings to all of you from Columbus, Ohio where Cindy and I find ourselves on this beautiful July day. We are here in Columbus to attend the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This has given us a chance to travel to Monroe County in Eastern Ohio, where we have some important family roots.

In the early 19th century my GGG Grandparents Alexander Davis (1819-1866) and Jane Buskirk (1823-1895) were born in Monroe County. In the 1840s they married here, bought some property, started a farm and began a family. What we have been looking for, in our few days here in Ohio, was some kind of historical evidence of their lives here. We found some records of property purchase by Alexander and then some property sales ($20 for a number of acres!), as well as some graves of family members.

Above on the right is a picture of the grave of Jane Buskirk Davis' Grandparents Samuel and Charity Foggin Buskirk, who also lived here in Monroe County. They migrated to this part of Ohio from Pennsylvania. He died in 1841, she in 1847. They are buried in Rutter Cemetery along Sunfish Creek, just a few miles up the creek from the town of Clarington on the Ohio River. Sam and Charity's headstone is barely readable at over 150 years old, but is one more piece of evidence clearly showing our family's roots in Monroe County, Ohio.

When Alex and Jane Davis settled in Indiana in the 1850s they were among the first members of a new church start in Owen County called the New Union Church of Christ, which was part of the Restoration Movement, also called the Stone-Campbell movement. That movement had its beginning in the area not far from Monroe County, Ohio. Did Alex and Jane bring their connection to the Stone-Campbell movement with them when they settled in Indiana? In my next blog post I will share some thoughts and findings relating to our family's connections to the Restoration Movement in Ohio in the early 1800s.

The following is a 10 generation lineage from Samuel Buskirk and Charity Foggin Buskirk down to the present.

• Samuel Blackmore Buskirk (1765-1847) who married Charity Ann Foggin (1762-1841)
• John Foggin Buskirk (1795-1873) who married Mary Terry (1807-1886)
• Jane Buskirk (1823-1895) who married Alexander Davis (1819-1866)
• Charles E. Davis (1849-1926) who married Malinda Wright (1847-1920)
• James Brooks Davis (1870-1928) who married Callie Spear (1865-1951)
• Bura Davis (1896-1986) who married William Shepard (1888-1976)
• Eugene Shepard (1921-2003) who married Maida Gower (b. 1924)
• Steven Shepard (b. 1948) who married Cindy Harris (b. 1948)
• Nathan Shepard (b. 1977) who married Chenda Sou (b. 1980)
• William Quincy Shepard (b. 2012)

Feeling the need to move westward, Alexander and Jane Davis, about 1851, packed up their two kids, Sarah and Charles, and moved to Spencer, Indiana, where their family continued to grow and where they remained settled for several generations. Indeed some of their descendants live in Spencer, Indiana even today. 


Part of that family growth was their Great Granddaughter (my Grandmother) Bura Davis Shepard, who was born in Spencer in 1896.

Victoria Cotton. Happy birthday this week to two of our extended family members. First, birthday wishes go out to Victoria (Tori) Cotton, who turns 8 this Thursday, July 23. She is the daughter of Sean and Heather Robson Cotton of Austin, Texas. Tori is the granddaughter of my cousin Paula Tuzzolini and is also the Great Granddaughter of my aunt (and her namesake) Victoria Gower Johnston of Oak Harbor, Washington. My aunt Vicki just said goodbye to her husband Duke Johnston, whose memorial service was in Oak Harbor this past week. 

Heather: Tori is a very special little girl and I am grateful that God chose us to be her parents! She is turning 8. She's a great big sister and a wonderful artist! The second picture shows Tori (on the right) with her sister Lexi.

Shannon Wilk. And best wishes to Shannon Wilk who will have a birthday on Friday of this week. Shannon is one of the Great Granddaughters of William and Bura Davis Shepard. Shannon lives in Atchison, Kansas with her daughter Emma Beverly Jean Wilk.

This final picture shows Shannon Wilk and was taken earlier this year. Happy Birthday Shannon!
- - -
Steve Shepard

Happy Independence Day! July 4, 2015

Liberty is always dangerous,

but it is the safest thing we have.

~Harry Emerson Fosdick

Happy Independence Day to all of you, wherever you may be and however you and your family may be celebrating this great summer holiday!

Wedding Bells for Shaun and Tracy! Congratulations to my cousin Shaun Gower and his bride Tracy Sanders who were married this morning at 8 a.m. at beautiful Seagrove Park, overlooking the ocean in Del Mar, California. This first picture shows the happy couple Shaun and Tracy on the occasion of this morning's wedding.

Tying the knot on Independence Day may seem unusual to some, but it was a lovely event that reflected the great joy and love that Shaun and Tracy share. Congratulations and best wishes to them both! 

It was a beautiful informal, outdoor ceremony attended by a few close family and friends, including Tracy's mom and three of her four sons. I was honored to be the one to perform the ceremony. The early morning breeze was blowing a peaceful wind that made it a solemn but joyous occasion. 


Shaun is the first of the 14 Great Grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. He is the son of Hershell and Janet Nolan Gower. Janet passed away many years ago, while Hershell lives today with his wife Shelly in Bullhead City, Arizona.

This second picture was also taken this morning and shows some of those who attended the wedding, including Nathan and William Shepard, the bride Tracy, Tracy's mom Mary Messersmith, and other attendees at the morning event. After the wedding, the group attended the closing day of the nearby San Diego County Fair at Del Mar.

Happy Anniversary Sean and Heather! This past Wednesday was the wedding anniversary of Sean and Heather Robson who were married 15 years ago. Sean and Heather and their two daughters Tori and Lexi live in South Texas.

Heather is the granddaughter of Vicki Gower Johnston who lives with her husband Duke in Oak Harbor, Washington. Heather -- like Sean Gower, mentioned above -- is one of the Great Grandchildren of the late Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower.

This third picture shows Sean and Heather with Heather's mom Paula Tuzzolino at Cranberry Park on Whidbey Island in Washington last summer, with the famous Deception Pass Bridge in the background. Best wishes and happy anniversary to Sean and Heather!
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Steve Shepard

Happy Father's Day, June 20, 2015

My father gave me the greatest gift

anyone could give another person.

He believed in me.

~Jim Valvano

Tomorrow, June 21, is the anniversary of our son and daughter-in-law, Nathan and Chenda Sou Shepard, who were married on June 21, 2009. On that day 6 years ago Father's Day, their anniversary, and the Summer Solstice all occurred on June 21, a rare occurrance that happens again this year. Nate and Chenda live in San Diego with their 3 children Preslea, Logan and William. Happy Anniversary to Nate and Chenda!

This first picture shows Nate and Chenda at their home on Dicenza Way here in San Diego. 

Tomorrow is also the day we honor all father's in our midst. And we remember those fathers who have gone before us. I want to mention two in particular: my grandfather Leroy Gower and my brother in law Joe Paul Harris. Though they have been gone for many years, these two are remembered warmly by those who knew them as father and grandfather.

Leroy Gower (1899-1974) was a turn of the century baby, born June 25, 1899. Originally from a small farming family, he was born 116 years ago near Mountain View, Arkansas. He and his wife-to-be Nola Shannon were from the same small farming community west of Mountain View and probably knew each other as children. When they married in Arkansas she was a teenager and he was just 22 years old. 

After just a few married years -- and the birth of their first two children -- he and Nola moved westward and settled in Okemah, Oklahoma. After 17 years there they moved on to San Diego where they lived most of the rest of their lives. Leroy (and Nola) had the rich opportunity to live in fairly close proximity to their 3 children and their 12 grandchildren in San Diego as they watched them grow to adulthood. 

The above picture of Leroy was taken in 1973 -- just a year before he died -- on the occasion of an unknown funeral at the Little Chapel of the Roses in Glen Abbey Cemetery in Chula Vista, California. Do any of you know who the funeral was for? It was a service attended by several Gower and Shepard family members. Leroy looks to be holding his great granddaughter Kelly Shepard.

Joe Paul Harris (1950-2009). On this weekend of Father's Day, I am also remembering Joe Paul Harris, my wife Cindy's brother, who was a midcentury baby, born June 23, 1950, 65 years ago this coming Tuesday. He died in the spring of 2009 in Naknek, Alaska where he had lived the last 20 years of his life. He and his wife Jane raised their 3 children in San Diego. This picture of Joe Paul shows him with his father Joe Harris and his first born child, Cadence Harris Martin, in 1975. 

Also On This Weekend.  In celebration of the above mentioned men, and all the fathers in our extended family, I offer the following updated Father's Day presentation with music by Michael Buble, which honors fathers in our family through the years.

  

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Steve Shepard