A Bunch of Birthdays, May 11, 2016

There is still no cure for the common birthday. 

~John Glenn

Best wishes and happy birthday to several members of our family who are celebrating birthdays this week.  There is no other time during the entire year when more birthdays in our family are bunched together than in these next several days.

Cindy Saunders Shepard of Blanchard, Oklahoma was born on this day in 1956. She is the wife of my cousin Dane Shepard and the mother of Nathan Ross Shepard and Kaylan Shepard. Best wishes to Cindy on this very special birthday!

This first picture shows Cindy in 1999 with her and Dane's newborn daughter Kaylan. The teenager Kaylan posted this picture on Instagram last weekend on Mother's Day with the following comments, which are just as appropriate for her mom's birthday today as they were last weekend: 

"God has been so good to me. Sometimes, I wonder how I could ever be more blessed than to have a mother as strong, kind, godly, caring, and as special as you, mamma. Thank you for shining God's light in all you do, and thank you for the being my confidant and best friend. You truly are the best mother a girl could ask for. I love you, and happy Mother's Day."

Nicole Haw Shepard of Bothell, Washington was also born on this day, but in 1989. Nicole is the wife of my nephew Patrick Shepard and the mother of two of the youngest members of our family, Logan and Mason.

This second picture was taken last fall and shows Nicole with her older son Logan.

Saturday of this week also marks the birthday of three other people in our family.

Christopher Shepard. This Saturday, May 14, is the birthday of my nephew Christopher Shepard, the son of my brother Darrell Shepard and his wife Mary. He and Jessica Bell live in Seattle, Washington with their baby Finley Shepard. Happy 32nd Birthday to Chris and best wishes to him and Jessica and their baby Finley. 

This third picture was taken a few months ago in Seattle and shows Chris and Jessica with baby Finley.

Thelma Shepard Boyd. This Saturday also marks the birthday of my aunt Thelma Shepard Boyd who was born exactly 80 years ago in Two Buttes, Colorado. She lives today in Blue Springs, Missouri, not far from her daughter Kim Boyd Clark and other family. 

Thelma is the youngest and last remaining child of my Grandparents William and Bura Davis Shepard. Best wishes to Thelma for reaching this important milestone and for being such an important and respected part of our family.

Courtney Boyd Slaughter. And finally, this Saturday is also the birthday of Courtney Boyd Slaughter of San Diego, daughter of Darren Boyd. Courtney is one of the Grandchildren of Thelma Boyd and lives in San Diego with husband Cody Slaughter and their two daughters Carsyn and Camryn.

This final picture is a composite image and shows prim and proper Thelma on the left 60 some years ago, and her cool and casual Granddaughter Courtney Slaughter on the right in a recent picture. It is hard to imagine two images that accentuate any more the differences between life in the 1950's and life today. Their hair, their dress, their posture, their looks, and so much more shows how different life was in the mid 20th century from what it is today in the early 21st century. Yet they are granddaughter and grandmother, of the same family and ancestry, born on the same day of the year, 54 years apart. Happy birthday to both of them! 

Best wishes to all these folks: Cindy, Nicole, Christopher, Thelma and Courtney. May their birthdays all be happy!
- - -
Steve Shepard

Springtime Celebrations, March 23, 2016

Spring is nature's way of saying,

"Let's party!"

~Robin Williams

Greetings to all on this first week of Spring, 2016! 

Birthday Wishes to Gary Shepard. Happy Birthday today to my brother Gary of Oak Harbor, Washington. He is the first of the 6 children who were born to Eugene and Maida Gower Shepard. Gary was born in San Diego the year after his parents were married there in 1945. He is also the first of the grandchildren of William and Bura Shepard to be born in California.

Gary and his wife Cindy enjoy the quiet life in their peaceful forested community just outside the town of Oak Harbor, which is not too far from where our mom Maida Shepard lives in Anacortes, Washington. At least their neighborhood is usually quiet. Last week their property became just a little less forested when a windstorm brought down one of the tall trees around their home. Their house was not hit but both their cars were damaged, Gary's car being a total loss. It was not the kind of birthday present he was looking for!

"It Took Only 70 Years To Get This Good Looking." The first picture was taken last Saturday at the 70th birthday celebration we had for Gary at their church in Anacortes. It was a party that included family, neighbors and church friends. In this picture is Gary flanked by his mom Maida on the right, and his sister Barbara on the left.

The second picture was taken 35 years ago today, on March 23, 1981, on the day Gary turned 35 years old. On the left is our grandmother Nola Shannon Gower, in whose San Diego home on Lynne Street this picture was taken. Grandma was not quite 80 years old, and had been a widow for about 3 years. Next to her is Gary alongside his wife Cindy. At this particular time the two of them made their home in San Diego and had not yet celebrated their second wedding anniversary. In Cindy's lap is our young son Nathan Shepard (not to be confused with his second cousin Nathan Shepard pictured below). On the right is me in the big hair, matched by the big glasses.

Birthday wishes to Kaylan Shepard. Congratulations to Kaylan Shepard. Kaylan turned 17 years old this past weekend. She is the younger child of my cousin Dane and his wife Cindy Shepard of Blanchard, Oklahoma. Kaylan is the last of the 21 Great Grandchildren of William and Bura Shepard, and is the final descendant of theirs to be born in the 20th century. Originally from Anaheim, California, Kaylan has lived in Oklahoma now for most of her life.

Kaylan: Thank you for wishing me a happy birthday! My junior year has been extremely busy with school, volleyball, art, and college (I am taking a dual enrollment course at a community college nearby). Also, I just recently won first in a volleyball tournament. My birthday this year was the best yet because I had several friends from out of town come and visit. The weekend was a great adventure! Thank you for thinking of me, and I hope you have a wonderful day.

This third image shows Kaylan with her brother Nathan Shepard, in a picture posted on Facebook by their proud mother just last weekend.
- - -
Steve Shepard

A Wealth of Celebrations! May 14, 2015

The year you were born

marks only your entry into the world. 

Other years where you prove your worth,

they are the ones worth celebrating. 

~Jarod Kintz

Tomorrow is the birthday of our grandson Logan A. Shepard of San Diego (not to be confused with his second cousin Logan J. Shepard, of Bothell, Washington). San Diego Logan is the middle child of Nathan and Chenda Shepard and the brother of Preslea and William. He is also the 7th Great Grandchild of Maida Gower Shepard. And he is one of the Great Great Grandchildren of William and Bura Shepard and Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower.

The following is a photo presentation celebrating Logan's 4th birthday tomorrow!


     

Speaking of the late William and Bura Shepard, have I mentioned that their 100th Wedding Anniversary is coming up June 2? The webpage honoring them on this 100th anniversary continues to have information added to it as the weeks go by. You can visit it now to honor Will and Bura and to celebrate this special milestone.

Today is the birthday of Christopher Shepard, also of the Seattle, Washington area, and uncle of the aforementioned Logan J. Shepard. 

This day also marks the birthday of Thelma Shepard of Blue Springs, Missouri and Thelma's grand daughter Courtney Boyd of San Diego.

In addition, on Monday of this week Jacinta Shepard (New Castle, Oklahoma) and Nicole Haw Shepard (Bothell, Washington) had birthdays. Later this week Darren Boyd (San Diego), Ashlyn Ortiz (San Diego), Jason Shepard (Weather- ford, Texas), and the late Elmer Shepard will all turn the page on one more year. 

A wealth of celebrations! Included is a collage of all those with birthdays in our family this week.

This is the most intensive birthday time in the entire year for our extended family: 10 birthdays in a 10 day period (May 11-20).  Happy Birthday to all of them!
- - -
Steve Shepard

Our Most Basic Instinct, October 18, 2014

Our most basic instinct
is not for survival
but for family.

~Paul Pearshall

Cindy and I have returned from our South American adventure and are now back at home in San Diego. But not for long. In just a couple of weeks we will be traveling to Washington State to celebrate the 90th birthday of my mom Maida Shepard in Anacortes. I know that many of you are also making your plans to be there.

If others of you are interested in this celebration, please contact the Shepards in Anacortes, or anyone else who may have details of the event. Maida has had some serious health issues in the last week or so, but at this point it appears that the party is still on as planned. My brother Gary and his wife Cindy are taking the lead in making the plans.

The first picture was taken on our recent trip to Peru and shows Cindy and me with our traveling companions Linda and Barbara. It was taken high above the ancient Incan capital city of Cusco, Peru, in the Plaza San Cristobal. Behind us is the Church of San Cristobal and on the left is part of the spectacular view of the city that we had from this vantage point.  

Happy Birthday to Vicki Gower Johnston! Today is the 81st birthday of my aunt Vicki Gower Johnston, who lives in Oak Harbor, Washington with her husband Duke Johnston.

Vicki is the youngest child of the late Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. She was born in Oklahoma, but lived in San Diego for many years before moving to Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound of Washington State, almost 40 years ago. Vicki has four children: Paula Tuzzolino, Gloria Watson, Michael Harrell and David Harrell.

This past August, a number of her family met in Oak Harbor for a special gathering. The second picture was taken in Vicki and Duke's living room during that family gathering. It shows Vicki in the middle with her daughter Paula of Sun Lakes, Arizona over her right shoulder, and her granddaughter Heather Cotten of San Antonio, Texas over her left shoulder. Also in the picture are Vicki's great granddaughters Tori Cotten on the left, and Lexi Cotten on the right.

Happy Birthday to Korilyn Boyd! Korilyn, who turns 17 today, is one of the Great Grandchildren of William and Bura Davis Shepard. She lives in Coronado, California and attends Coronado High School.

The third picture was taken this past summer in June when Korilyn was spending some time with her extended family back in the mid-west. This particular picture shows Korilyn with her Grandmother Thelma Shepard Boyd of Blue Springs, Missouri, who is the youngest child of the late William and Bura Davis Shepard.

The fourth picture was also taken this past summer and shows many of the family who were together, including Kori and her Grandmother. 

This particular picture shows Korilyn (3rd from right) with her grandmother Thelma next to her. Just to the left of Kori is her cousin Jeremy Ortiz with his wife Desiree and their 5 children (Ciara, Ashlyn, Damian, Dominic and Isaac). In the middle, holding one of her grandsons, is Jeremy's mother Kim Boyd Clark with her husband Jeff Clark behind her. On the far left is Dane Shepard behind his niece Tamara, his son Nathan and daughter Kaylan. On the far right is Dane's wife Cindy Shepard.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Happy Mother's Day Tomorrow, May 10, 2014

I remember my mother's prayers;

they have always followed me.

They have clung to me all my life.

~Abraham Lincoln

Happy Mother's Day tomorrow to all moms in our midst! May it be a special occasion to remember the importance of moms who have passed away as well as a time to honor those who are with us.

Special Mother's Day and Birthday wishes this weekend go to Cindy Saunders Shepard of New Castle, Oklahoma, and to Nicole Haw Shepard of Bothell, Washington. Tomorrow both of them are celebrating their birthday AND Mother's Day at the same time. The first picture shows Cindy with her children Nathan and Kaylan. Cindy's husband is my cousin Dane Shepard.

Nicole and husband Patrick Shepard, who live in Bothell, Washington, are the parents of little Logan Joseph Shepard, who was born last July. Unless someone else wants to claim the honor, I think Nicole is also the most recent mother in our entire family! The second picture shows Nicole with little Logan.

Nicole: This weekend is my birthday and my first Mother's Day! We are doing very well! Logan is healthy and becoming such a happy little guy, it's so much fun! :) We are having a bday/Mother's Day BBQ at our house this weekend with all our family. On another note, we are expecting Baby #2 in December! We are very excited!! Another exciting year in the Shepard house! :)

On the other end of the spectrum, tomorrow is my mom Maida Shepard's 69th Mother's Day. Even though I have only been around for 66 of them, I am convinced that that is quite an accomplishment, worthy of our praise and gratitude. A lot of mothering (and grandmothering) has been done in those years!

The following is a family photo presentation that celebrates Mother's Day and honors all the moms in our family - the youngest, the oldest, some who are no longer with us, and all those in between!

 

- - -
Steve Shepard

Celebrating With Cousins, January 17, 2014

Your children are the greatest gift God will give to you.

Be a person in whom they can have faith.

When you are old, nothing else you've done

will have mattered as much.

~Lisa Wingate

Happy Anniversary. Tomorrow, Jan 18, is the 7th wedding anniversary of my cousin Kim Boyd Clark and her husband Jeff Clark, who live in Blue Springs, Missouri. Best wishes to both of them for a happy anniversary. 

The first picture shows Jeff and Kim and their family and was taken this past Christmas in Blue Springs. On the lower left is Kim's mother Thelma Shepard Boyd with Jeff and Kim behind her. Also pictured are their children and grandchildren, including Casey, Scott, Amanda, Justin, Desiree, Jeremy, Ciara, Ashlyn, Damian, Isaac and Dominic.

Kim: "Our house has gotten so quiet since Jeremy and family have moved to their own house. Bitter sweet. But we still have more excitement coming with our Amanda and Justin Davis getting married February 22, a get away wedding in Las Vegas. Lol I hope he is not a shirt tail relative. We will travel out there for the weekend. 

"Jeff's son Casey and his wife Amanda are expecting their first baby July 28. We will then have 6 grandbabies. Yay! We love being grandparents and spoiling them is so fun."

Even IF Kim's future son-in-law (named Davis) is a shirt tail relative (although it appears he is NOT), it would not be the first time this has happened in our family. In a blog post a few years ago I mentioned that several cousins in our family have tied the knot with few, if any, negative consequences (as far as I can tell!). 

Dane and Nathan. This coming Tuesday, January 21, is the birthday of my cousin Dane Shepard and his son Nathan Ross Shepard. Dane and Nathan live in New Castle, Oklahoma with wife and mom Cindy Shepard and daughter and sister Kaylan. Nathan is a first year student at Florida College. 

The first picture shows the entire shady shaded family in a recent Christmas photo. From left to right are Nathan, Cindy, Kaylan and Dane Shepard. Best wishes to Nathan and Dane for a happy birthday!
- - -
Steve Shepard

Happy Mother's Day Tomorrow, May 11, 2013

I believe in love at first sight

because I've been loving my mother

since I opened my eyes.

~author unknown

Hello Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from San Diego, where Cindy and I have returned after an extended time away. The last month was a marvelous experience, especially the time we spent in Ireland, where we were privileged to visit the land of our ancestors. It was only the first of what I hope will be several genealogical journeys to a country where our roots go very deep. Select this link to see some pictures of our recent trip.

If nothing else, this trip, and the research I did prior to going, helped me to see that the family we are today reflects more of our Irish heritage that I would have imagined. Which is to say that family history is not just a study of what our ancestors were like. Just as importantly it explains a great deal about who we are today.

Happy Mother's Day this weekend to all mothers in our family! Whoever that special person is in your life who is your mother, or who has been like a mother to you, let them know of your love and gratitude. 

The first picture shows my mother Maida Shepard when she and daughter Barbara (on the right) were here in California for a visit in March of this year. In the back, photobombing, is our son Nathan.

Also in the first picture are his and Chenda's two sons, Logan (upper left) and William Shepard (eating his hat), who is Maida's youngest great grandchild. One of the family members NOT pictured here is Preslea Shepard, whose birthday we were celebrating on this occasion at Fairyland, Oakland, California

Congratulations to Lloyd Gower of Las Vegas, Nevada, who is the son of my cousin Hershell Gower. Lloyd is one of the Ggrandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. 

He and fiance Tammy Turman (see second picture) were married this past Tuesday in Eastern Mississippi, where Tammy lives. Best wishes and much happiness to Lloyd and Tammy!

Happy Birthday today to Nicole Haw Shepard of Bothell Washington! Nicole is the wife of my nephew Patrick Shepard. This weekend of Mother's Day will be a very special one for Nicole who will become a mother with their first baby in just a few short months! Best wishes to Nicole and to Patrick! (see picture)

Happy Birthday also today to Cindy Saunders Shepard of Newcastle, Oklahoma. She is the wife of Dane Shepard and the mother of Nathan and Kaylan. Best wishes to Cindy for a Happy Birthday, and a Happy Mother's Day, all in the same weekend!

Family Reunion This Summer. Are you making your plans for our family reunion this summer? It will be Saturday, August 10, 2013 in Anacortes, Washington at the home of Maida Shepard. All Shepard, Gower, Davis and any other family members or friends are invited to join us.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Thank You Lord For Loving Mothers, May 11, 2012

The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.
~William Goldsmith Brown

Hello Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you on this weekend of Mother's Day, especially my mother Maida Shepard of Anacortes, Washington. Cindy and I are celebrating this special weekend in Northern California with our son Nathan and his wife Chenda, the mother of our grandchildren Preslea and Logan.

Today is the birthday of Cindy Saunders Shepard of Newcastle, Oklahoma, the wife of my cousin Dane Shepard. This Cindy is, of course, one of the THREE Cindy Shepards in our family, the others being the spouse of my brother Gary, and my own wife.

Dane: Cindy continues to be a band, bowling and camp mom along with church activities and helping out her mother and handicapped sister. I don't know what I would do without her. She is ready for a real getaway vacation as we haven't had one in three years. She keeps a watchful eye on weather reports and tracks storms for us. Thankfully, we've had no problems to report so far. I'm reminded of a verse from a hymn in honor of loving mothers:   

Thank you, Lord, for loving mothers, 
godly hearts and hands to serve; 
priced above the precious rubies, 
having virtues all observe.  

Children rise and call them blessed; 
husbands give them praises due.  
Who can tell of their adornment, 
inward beauty, pure and true?

The first picture I am including shows Cindy with her family --  her two children Nathan and Kaylan, and her husband Dane -- in a picture that was taken just a few months ago. Happy Birthday and Happy Mother's Day to Cindy!

This coming Monday, May 14, is the birthday of three different descen- dants of Will and Bura Davis Shepard: their daughter Thelma Shepard Boyd, and two of their Ggrandchildren: Christopher Shepard, and Courtney Boyd.

Thelma, who lives today in Gallup, New Mexico is the last surviving child of Will and Bura Shepard, and the last surviving member of the family of 9 who migrated to San Diego back in 1940. I am especially grateful for Thelma who is my best source of first hand information on our Shepard family and its history. She and Terry are the parents of Darren Boyd and Kim Boyd Clark.

One of the grandchildren of Terry and Thelma Boyd is Courtney Boyd whose birthday -- just like her grandmother -- is this coming Monday. Courtney, who turns 22, lives in the San Diego suburb of Santee, California with her family. The second picture shows a blond and smiling Courtney on the left next to her sister Kori, her brother Brandyn, and her dad Darren.

Christopher Shepard, who turns 28 on Monday, is the son of Darrell and Mary Medina Shepard and lives in Kirkland, Washington. The third picture, taken in March, shows Chris with his girlfriend Jessica.

Best wishes to all these birthday folks and to all the mom's among us on Mother's Day!

- - -

Steve

What's In A Name? May 7, 2011

I remember my mother's prayers
and they have always followed me.
They have clung to me all my life.
~Abraham Lincoln

Hello Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you on this day before Mother's Day. Happy Birthday this coming Wednesday to Jacinta Saunders Shepard of Newcastle, Oklahoma. This "Cindy Shepard" is the mother of Nathan and Kaylan Shepard and the wife of Dane Shepard. A special Mother's Day wish to Cindy and all mothers in our families! Below is an updated Mother's Day photoshow celebrating our moms.

What's In A Name? With our daughter-in-law Chenda soon to become a mother once again, we have been thinking a lot about names. As a result I have been pondering outstanding names in our family tree.

What makes an outstanding name, you ask? Admittedly it is a very subjective matter. For me an outstanding name is one that rolls off the tongue easily (is phonetically pleasing), or one that has some depth of meaning to it (is rich with history), or one that strikes me as strong, intelligent, handsomely masculine or beautifully feminine. (See what I mean about subjective?) Of the 1,393 people presently in our family tree, the following are my choices for the Top 10 outstanding names.

10 - Mary Questionable Gillespie (1756-1789) - her grandmother was from Questionable, Ireland. Both "Q" names may be questionable, however.

9 - James Brooks Davis (1870-1928) - my grandmother Davis always spoke her father's name with great respect.

8 - Rebecca Floride Calhoun (1745-1814) - among our Gower/Shannon/Pickens ancestors; hopefully her middle name is pronounced "floor-a-day" or "floor-a-dee," not "floor-ride".

7 - Nathan William Shepard (b. 1977) - I confess: I am prejudiced here. What can I say? It's Biblical and it includes William Shepard.

6 - Thomas Laurens Van Buskirk (1668-1748) - my 9G Grandpa; son of a Danish immigrant; The Donald can only WISH he had such a rich, distinguished name. 

5 - Julius Theophilus Vessels (1871-1942) - See Acts 1:1; his mother was Narcissus; father was Julius Ceasar. He was from Limestone, Alabama.

4 - Preslea Maida Shepard (b. 2010) - I admit it: I am shamelessly prejudiced with this choice. But every part has real meaning.

3 - Robert Columbus Shannon (1893-1923) - Grandma Gower's brother. With a name like this, it would be criminal to call him "Bob."

2 - Benjamin Harrison Davis (1888-1963) - his namesake, a popular hoosier politician, was elected our 23rd President just 3 months after BHD's birth. Great choice by his parents Charles and Melinda! I never knew our Davis people were so political. (See picture of our Benjamin Harrison, alongside President Harrison.)

1 - Kyle Christian Sauvage (b. 2004) - a superb combination of sounds and strength; handsomely masculine; even a wonderfully bit oxymoronic.

What do you think? I am sure each of you has your own favorite outstanding family name. Who would you include? I'd like to hear from you and share your choices in a future post. 

Kids Say the Darn- dest Things. My niece Kelly Sauvage of Weather- ford, Texas, (mother of Kyle Sauvage, mentioned above) told the following story on Facebook. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

"I was at 'Yogurt Story' with my boys tonight when two girls walked in wearing prom dresses. One of them was showing a whole lot of cleavage. My 8 year old son Nate, who will say anything to anyone, says, "Excuse me, you may want to pull that up!"

The second picture shows Kelly and Nate in the summer of 2008 at our last Shepard Family Reunion in Anacortes, Washington.

Our next family reunion will be in Anacortes once again, on Saturday, August 13. If you plan to attend, please notify me or one of the Shepards in Anacortes. The meal preparers are making plans, and we want to make sure everyone will be well fed! Select this link for all the reunion details.
- - -
Steve

A 24th And A 27th; Aug 23

Everybody needs their memories. 

They keep the wolf of insignificance 

from the door.

~Saul Bellow

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Russ and Pam

Greetings to all of you from sunny San Diego where warm summer weather finally arrived this past week. This has been one of the mildest summers this city has seen in many years.

Happy Anniversary today to Russ and Pam Shepard who are celebrating 24 years of marriage. Russ is Eugene and Maida Shepard's youngest son. Russ and Pam (Engan) were married back in the summer of 1986 in a garden wedding at the Shepard home in Anacortes, Washington. They now have 2 children, Steven and Linda.

Russ, Linda, Steve, and Pam Shepard

The first picture (above) was taken of this young couple in 1987 when they were visiting the Puyallup Fair near Tacoma, still a major event in Western Washington.

Fast forward 22 years to the second picture which shows Russ and Pam with their kids Linda and Steven, in a more recent picture, taken just last fall in front of that same Shepard home in Anacortes. Also in this same picture is Russ' brother Darrell Shepard, aka Shepdawg (partially hidden), on the right. 

Jeremy, Scott and Amanda Ortiz, 1992, San Diego

Happy Birthday Amanda! Happy 27th Birthday this coming Wednes- day, Aug 25, to Amanda Ortiz, who lives in Gallup, New Mexico. Amanda is yet another of the Ggrandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard, and is the daughter of Kim Clark, who, with her husband Jeff, lives in Blue Springs, Missouri.

The third picture is an old one and shows Amanda with her brothers Jeremy and Scott. This was taken at the Shepard Family Reunion in San Diego back in 1992. On the right is their father Gabe Ortiz.

A Grave Concern in Oklahoma. I received word just a few days ago from cousin Dane Shepard that his wife Cindy's father, Ross Saunders, was injured in a fall this past week and is not expected to live. Some of us met him last summer when we attended the Family Reunion in Oklahoma. Our prayers and best wishes are with Cindy and her entire family in this very difficult time.
- - -
Steve

A Mother's Birthday: May 11

Like branches on a tree, 

our lives may grow 

in different directions,

yet our roots remain as one. 

~Anonymous

Hello Shepard family and friends,

Greetings from Southern California on this beautiful Tuesday in May, two days after Mother's Day.

Today is the birthday of one of the three Cindy Shepards in our family. This Cindy lives in Newcastle, Oklahoma with her husband Dane Shepard and her children Nathan and Kaylan. Cindy (Saunders) Shepard's birthday falls on Mother's Day occasionally, although this year it is just 2 days away. 

Dane emailed me on Mother's Day to say: "We have been in and out of town for most of the past week. We've been assisting Cindy's parents. We took her mother to Shreveport to visit her brother who is in the hospital. Cindy stays quite busy with home-school, being a bowling mom, Bible class teacher, a jewelry business woman, and chauffeur for her parents and sister. She manages to keep a positive attitude but needs a break now and then. We recently visited a scenic area called Turner Falls (Oklahoma) and had an enjoyable time. (see photo above)"

I hope you had the pleasure of your mother's company on Mother's Day this past Sunday, as I did. The second picture I am including today shows my mom Maida Shepard of Anacortes, Washington, who is the mother in our family with the oldest child among all the descendants of Will and Bura Shepard. Her oldest son is my older brother Gary Shepard of Oak Harbor, Washington.

Also pictured is Chenda Shepard of San Francisco, California who is the mother in our family with the youngest child among all the descendants of Will and Bura Shepard. In this picture, taken just yesterday, is baby Preslea Maida Shepard (6 weeks old) with her mother and Ggrandmother.

Thanks to my sister Barbara for submitting the quote at the top of this post. If you have a memorable or favorite quote relating to family, please email it my way. I would be glad to share it in on this blog.

- - -

Steve

Shepard Family Update, Nov 21, 2008

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Hello from San Diego, California where Cindy and I have just moved. We are still figuring out what to do in our retirement, but for now it will mean having our primary residence here in the city where we grew up. Cindy says, "Retirement is a hoot!" Our email addresses will remain the same, as will our cell phones, for now.

It is the week before Thanksgiving and I am grateful for several things: I am thankful that Mary Shepard's surgery earlier this week in Seattle was successful. Darrell reports that the doctor felt everything went as well as could be expected. More will be known next week, but for now the news is good.

I am also thankful that Dane Shepard is willing to host our next family reunion in Oklahoma next summer. He is still waiting to hearing from us, if we have a preference among the possible days he is suggesting for the reunion, which are June 20, 27 or July 18 -- all Saturdays in 2009.

I am also grateful that Dane has spent time recently scanning some old family pictures, and passing them on. Both pictures I am including today I received from him recently.

The first picture is a gem, a newly scanned old photo, taken on Thanksgiving Day 55 years ago in Alpine, California, just east of San Diego. It shows 4 Shepard cousins, from left to right: Dane, Linda, Steve (me), and Gary. (Gary, please tell us what were you so happy about. You look like the cat that swallowed the canary!) Dane's parents, Elmer and Beryl, lived in Alpine for a few years in the early 1950s, an enjoyable place where the family occasionally gathered for holidays.

The second picture is of 90 year old Elmer Shepard, taken earlier this month with his son Dane, Dane's wife Cindy (Saunders), and their children Nathan and Kaylan. In an email I received from Dane, he refers not only to this picture, but also to Aunt Margie Millikan who passed away recently. He also answers the trivia question I raised last week in reference to the picture of Gram and Aunt Margie.

"In answer to your trivia question, the photographer was probably using a box camera [a "Brownie"] which had a viewing window in the upper right corner on TOP of the box which you held at waist level and looked down on. I still have one, and as a teenager I experimented with one using it for timed and multiple exposures. Dad said that when living in Two Buttes he received one when Kodak distributed box cameras to all 12 year olds. He didn't know if this was nation wide.

"I was sorry to hear of Aunt Margie passing away as I hadn't had the opportunity of locating her in Tulsa (two hours away). It would have been good to have seen her.

"I have also included a Veteran's Day picture of us with Elmer holding a picture taken in Lincoln, Neb. in 1945, right before he was discharged. Shortly after his discharge, he took the train from Omaha to Tulsa to visit with Margie and family. He had obtained a private pilot's license and took Margie and her son Jack for a plane ride."
Thanks so much, Dane, for these interesting historical notes.

Everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving this coming week, wherever you are and with whomever you will gather. Thank God for the family we are, the relationships we share, and the ties that bind us.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update - January 11

January 11, 2008

Hello Shepard Family members,

Are you making your plans for the Shepard Family Reunion, July 19, 2008 in Anacortes, Washington? It is now just about 6 months away. Maida Shepard and Barbara in Anacortes would like to have an idea of who will be coming. If you think you might make it, please send me an email and I will let them know.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? In our Shepard family there are TWO Steven Shepards, TWO Nathan Shepards, and THREE Cindy Shepards!

The Steven Shepards are Steven Paul Shepard of Anacortes, WA and me, Steven Dale Shepard of Dorrington, CA.

The Nathan Shepards are Nathan William Shepard of San Francisco and Nathan Shepard of Oklahoma City, son of Dane and Cindy Shepard. (By the way, we also have a THIRD "Nate" in our family, Nathaniel Sauvage of Weatherford, Texas, grandson of Gary Shepard.)

The Cindy Shepards are Cindy Ann Shepard ("Gary's Cindy" of Oak Harbor, WA), Cynthia Harris Shepard ("Steve's Cindy" of Dorrington, CA) and Jacinta (Saunders) Shepard ("Dane's Cindy" of Oklahoma City).

Family Faces. I am again sending two pictures: one from 1973 or 74 and one from very recently. The older picture is William and Bura Shepard with Kelly, Kerri and Jason Shepard, their great grandchildren. Can anyone tell me who the youngster on the lower right is?

The second picture is Gary Shepard with his 3 children (Kerri Aquiningoc and Kelly Sauvage of Weatherford, Texas, and Jason Shepard of Ft Worth) and Gary's four grandchildren, Mandy and Lyndsay Aquiningoc, and Kyle and Nate Sauvage.

(Please let me know of any corrections that need to be made to identifications I am making, or spelling of names or anything else! Thanks so much.)
--
Steve
shepard@sierrawebworks.com

[P.S.... If you know of other family members who would like to receive these emails, please ask them to send me an email at shepard@sierrawebworks.com -- or give me their email addresses -- and I will include them on the email list. If you have their physical address, please send that to me as well and I will make sure they receive an invitation to the reunion by US Mail. Also, please let me know if you would rather I use a different email address for you, or if you would prefer NOT to receive these emails.]