Happy Valentine's Day! February 14, 2019

The greatest thing

you'll ever learn
is just to love,
and be loved in return.
-eden ahbez

Happy Valentine's Day! Today is one of the happiest and most family-friendly days of the entire year. It is a day all about love, which is what our families -- when we are at our best -- are all about. My wish for all of you is that you will feel the love of friends and family this year like never before. And that you will share the love as well!

Grandmother Nola Gower (left) celebrating 

with Gloria Harrell Watson in the 1990s

Show Me The Love. For the last several years I have given a "Show Me The Love Award" on Valentine's Day to a person in our family, from the present or the past, who has exemplified love in a remarkable way. Our family is a mixed bag, of course, as are all families. Our family tree includes some infamous people who were less than reputable. I have told some of their stories in this blog. They have been worth telling simply to remind us that families are not always full of wonderful people. Fortunately we have many family members, past and present, who do show us in a unique way what family love and devotion are all about. For them we will always be eternally grateful. Their stories are a joy to tell and will continue to be a staple for my posts here in The Shepard's Crook.

In the Valentine's Day posts for the last several years I have made a point of honoring people in our family tree who exemplified love. They have included people such as Gloria Harrell Watson (pictured above, whose 66th birthday would have been yesterday), and well as my mother Maida Shepard. Previous recipients have also included lesser known people from long ago like my 3x Great Grandfather Richard Gray who showed incredible family love and devotion during the Civil War. The stories of their exemplary love need to be told and retold.

Nathan Ross Shepard and Kara Ward

A Uniquely Qualified Choice. This year's "Show Me The Love Award" goes to one of the younger members of our family: Nathan Ross Shepard. He is the 23 year old son of my cousin Dane Shepard and his wife Cindy of Blanchard, Oklahoma and a graduate of Florida College in Temple Terrace, Florida. Nathan and his fiancé Kara are getting married tomorrow, making him a uniquely qualified choice for this award. He wrote to me recently and said, "Oh thank you so much! It’s great to hear from you! My fiance's name is Kara Ward and she’s from Athens, Alabama. We are getting married in Webster, Florida and will be honeymooning in Orlando! We plan to visit Harry Potter world while we are there! Hope you are well otherwise!"

It has been a while since we have had a wedding in our larger family. Especially one that appears to be as conventional, beautiful and exciting as the wedding of Nathan and Kara. They even have a website about their wedding! There is little doubt that weddings are changing dramatically these days, in some ways for the better. Even so I find it very encouraging to learn of Nathan and Kara's love and their willingness to devote themselves to each other in marriage.

Congratulations to Nathan and Kara and best wishes to both of them for a bright future together. We wish them and their families the very best.
- - -
Steve Shepard

A Remarkable Week for Remembering, April 27, 2018

We have a witch in the family.
Isn't it wonderful?
- from Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer's Stone

It has been a remarkable week for remembering people in our family.

Gloria Harrell Watson. Yesterday, on beautiful clear day, we laid to rest my cousin Gloria Harrell Watson (1953-2016) in Greenwood Cemetery in San Diego. Her sister Paula had made the arrangements and was there with her husband Frank as we said our last goodbyes and prayed Gloria into eternity. Gloria passed away two years ago in Knoxville, Tennessee at 63 years old. She was born in San Diego and was raised there along with all her siblings and cousins. At just 18 years old she married William Watson in San Diego. She then moved with him to Tennessee where she lived the rest of her life. She had a long and successful career at healthcare company Allmeds, Inc. in Knoxville.

Gloria Harrell Watson and Grandmother Nola Shannon Gower

Thanks to our cousin Jimmie Gower, Gloria's ashes were interred in the grave next to her grandmother Nola Shannon Gower (1903-2004).  Gloria and her Grandmother were very close and had a special bond throughout Gloria's life. Their final resting place is in a lovely section of Greenwood Cemetery which on a clear day offers views of the local mountains to the east, and San Diego bay to the west. In this particular corner of Greenwood Cemetery a dozen or more graves of family members are located. It is a place rife with memories of Gowers and Shepards who have lived in San Diego in recent generations.

The first picture I am including today was taken 25 years ago and shows Gloria with her Grandmother in San Diego. The picture was taken while Gloria was visiting in San Diego from Tennessee.

Beverly Jean Russell Wilk. Today would have been the 79th Birthday of my cousin Beverly Jean Russell Wilk (1939-1974). Bev is the mother of Shannon Wilk who lives with her daughter Emma Beverly Jean in Atchison, Kansas. Bev only lived to be 35 years old because of a brain aneurysm that tragically cut her life short back in 1974 when she was a wife and a mother of two young children. Beverly's grave is just a few steps away from Gloria's in San Diego.

Bev's daughter Shannon posted this on Facebook just today: "Happy Birthday to my mom. She would have been 79 years old today. She was taken from me early in my life, and though I have no memory of her, she is always in my heart. My very own Angel who watches over me and her granddaughter. Love you mommy."

Beverly Russell Wilk with uncle Eugene Shepard

Eugene Shepard. Tomorrow I will be remembering my maternal grandmother Nola Shannon Gower, and my father Eugene Shepard, who were both born on April 28. My dad was born 97 years ago in Beaver County, Oklahoma, where he was raised. He graduated from Two Buttes (Colorado) High School when his family lived there in the 1930s. After serving in the Navy in WW2 he stayed in San Diego, married Maida Gower and with her raised a family of 6 kids. After retiring from the Naval Supply Depot in the late 1970s, he and Maida moved to Anacortes, Washington where he died 15 years ago this summer.

The second picture in this post was taken about 1944 in San Diego. It shows my father, Navyman Eugene Shepard, holding his 5 year old niece Beverly Jean Russell. Dad was stationed at the time in Los Alamitos, California, and was probably home on leave visiting his family. Bev was the only granddaughter of the Shepards at the time and was the darling of the family. She and her family had only lived in San Diego for a couple of years, having moved from Colorado in 1940.

Nola Shannon Gower. My Grandmother Nola Gower was born 115 years ago near Mountain View, Arkansas. She married Leroy Gower in Arkansas in 1921, and then moved to Okemah, Oklahoma where she and husband Leroy lived for 17 years until they moved to San Diego. The first picture above shows Nola Gower in her home on Lynne Street in San Diego, where she lived for almost 50 years.

The memories of this week have been important and powerful for members of both our Shepard and the Gower families. They bring to mind some of the best of the folks who have made our family what it is today. I thank God for the memories of all these loved ones.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Happy Valentines Day! February 14, 2017

How did it happen that their lips came together?

How does it happen that birds sing, 

that snow melts, that the rose unfolds?

A kiss, and all was said.

~Victor Hugo

Happy Valentine's Day today! This is a day for wonderful celebrations of love when we lift up the joy of a simple kiss. This particular holiday could not be more appropriate for our Shepard family these days, because these are difficult times. I'm not talking about political drama. I am talking about life in our family in recent months.

The last year has been one of the most difficult years ever for us Shepards. All families go through periods of difficulty, times when things are tough, and when family relationships experience some strain. All of us can remember occasions when a particular family member was having a hard time, or when someone lost their job, or when a divorce occurred, or when some other stressful situation created strain on the entire family.

But this past year our family has been shaken like never before. My mom has developed some memory issues which have required some reordering of our family life, and it has been difficult as we have sought to adjust. It has led to some challenging conflicts within our ranks. For these reasons it seems appropriate to share the following video. We need this. It is about love and affection, which seem to be in short supply right now.

The video below includes some images you have seen before, but most of them are pictures you have probably never seen. The new pictures include a young couple in Texas, some youngsters smooching in Seattle, a grandmother in Oklahoma, lovers embracing in Paris, and much more. All these images show family members doing what they do best: loving one another. Thanks to all of you who made these pictures available and who had the joy of taking them!

As Time Goes By. Let this video be our reminder that Valentines Day holds the key to our future as a family. After all, choosing to love is our only hope. This YouTube video is set to the music of Queen Latifah and Rod Stewart, singing "As Time Goes By."

 



Show me the love. For the last couple of years I have given a "Show Me The Love" award on Valentine's Day to a member of our family from our past who exemplified love in their life. Yesterday was a day of remembrance for one of our family members who is no longer with us, my cousin Gloria Harrell Watson, who died 11 months ago. Gloria grew up in San Diego with the other 11 grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Gower. But she lived her adult life in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she died last March. 

Back in the late 1990s -- some 20 years ago -- when our Grandmother Nola Gower was in her 90s, she had knee replacement surgery. Gloria came to San Diego from Tennessee to be with Grandmother through her surgery. It was an act of love with which I was impressed. So this year the "Show Me The Love" award goes to Gloria, for her generosity of time and expense to travel all that way to be with Grandma Gower in her time of need. It was just one more act of kindness that led to her family's decision to bury Gloria in Greenwood Cemetery in San Diego alongside Grandma Gower.
- - -
Steve Shepard

"Family Life: Full of Ups and Downs", February 7, 2017

Family life is full of ups and downs,

success and failure

and all kinds of characters...

It's difficult to imagine

anything more nourishing to the soul.

~Thomas More

Happy Birthday Paula. Today is the birthday of my cousin Paula Harrell Tuzzolino. Paula is one of the 12 grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. She and husband Frank Tuzzolino live in Sun Lakes, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. Paula and Frank live just a short ways from her mom Vicki Gower Johnston, who lives in a senior group home in Chandler, Arizona. Paula has spent much of her time this winter in Oak Harbor, Washington where she lived for many years. Best wishes to Paula for a very happy birthday! 

This first family picture was taken just 2 years ago and shows Paula and her sister Gloria Watson in Oak Harbor, Washington at the home of their mother Vicki and her late husband Duke Johnston. This picture is also an opportunity to remember Gloria who passed away just 11 months ago, and whose birthday would be next week, the day before Valentines Day.

Phillip Wilk: 1935-2007. I am also remembering Phil Wilk, who was born 82 years ago this week. He was the parent of two young children in 1974 when his wife, my cousin Beverly Russell Wilk, died unexpectedly in San Diego. It was a tragic death that rocked the Shepard, Russell and Wilk families. Originally from Leavenworth, Kansas, Phil lived over 35 years in San Diego but spent his last years in Atchison, Kansas, which is where his partner Frank, his daughter Shannon, and his granddaughter Emma still live today. Phil died in Kansas 10 years ago.

His daughter Shannon told me a few years ago: "Dad LOVED to cook. Watching the cooking shows, and trying new stuff out on us! That's where I got my love of cooking. I also remember many of his stories. Once his oldest sister Paula was getting ready to go out, when silk stockings were in fashion, the kind with the line down the back of the leg. Due to the silk shortage, she would draw a line down her legs, to look like she was wearing them. Dad  would wait till she got half way done, then jump out and scare her, and she would have to start all over again. He would always laugh when he told that one. He had one of those voices that just drew you in and you would listen, calming in a way."

This second family picture was taken in Valley Center (a suburb of San Diego) in 1983, at the home of long time family friends Rod and Violet Ramirez. In the middle in the red shirt is Phil with his children Karl and Shannon in front of him. On the left are Gary and Cindy Shepard, and Bill and Pauline Russell. Cindy and I and Nathan are on the right with my cousin Dane Shepard.

Valentine's Day Pictures, Anyone? Next week I will include a Family Photo presentation for Valentine's Day. Do you have pictures of family members kissing or hugging? I invite you to email them to me so that I can include them in the presentation.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Memorial Day Weekend, May 29, 2016

They hover as a cloud of witnesses above this Nation.

~Henry Ward Beecher

Happy Birthday today to my cousin Michael Harrell. Mike grew up in San Diego, but lives today with his wife Carole in a northern suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. Mike is the older son of Vicki Gower Johnston of Chandler, Arizona and the brother of Paula, Gloria and David.

Paula, Gloria, Michael and David, early 1960s

This first picture is an oldie from the early 1960s and shows Michael with his three siblings. From left to right are Paula, Gloria, Michael and David. This is a classic family photo that you may have seen before, but I find wonderfully appealing. It is also quite appropriate since Gloria passed away earlier this spring.

Memorial Day is a time to remember people in our family tree who served their country well, and in some cases gave their life for the cause of freedom. Among our ancestors are individuals who have served in every conflict in which our county has engaged. Over the years that I have written this blog, I have mentioned numerous ancestors who served in various wars our nation has fought. Today I would like to highlight just a few. Some of them are people whose service you may never have heard about. Others you may be very familiar with.

Henry Warford (1741-1784), Revolutionary War. Here are his descendants, beginning with his daughter: Lydia Warford Williams (1782-1829) / John Pouty Williams (1806-1898) / Margaret Williams Spear (1845-1904) / Caroline Spear Davis (1865-1951) / Bura Davis Shepard (1896-1986) / Eugene Shepard (1921-2003) / Steve Shepard.

Because of the Warford family's military service George Washington, in 1776, deeded to them 100 acres of land in southern Pennsylvania that became a village later named Warfordsburg, an historic town that exists to this day. Read more about Henry Warford and his family here.

Benjamin Owens (1734-1808) Revolutionary War, and his Grandson Edmond Owens, Jr. (1795-1864) War of 1812. Here are their descendants, beginning with Benjamin's son: Edmond Owens, Sr.  (1762-1821) / Edmond Owens, Jr. (1795-1864) / Payton Owens (1826-1872) / Elvira Owens Shepard (1864-1931) / William Shepard (1888-1976) / Eugene Shepard (1921-2003) / Steve Shepard.

Edmond Owens, Jr. about 1850

This second picture is from the mid 19th century and shows war veteran Edmond Owens Jr. of Madison County, Illinois.

Benjamin Owens served under Frances Marion, “The Swamp Fox”, during the Revolutionary War, while his grandson Edmond Owens Jr. fought with Andrew Jackson in the famous Battle of New Orleans in January, 1815. These veterans were among the ancestors of my Great Grandmother Elvira Owens Shepard. Read more about them here.

John Williams Sr. (1782-1813), War of 1812. Here are John's descendants, starting with his son: John Pouty Williams (1806-1898) / Margaret Williams Spear (1845-1904) / Caroline Spear Davis (1865-1951) / Bura Davis Shepard (1896-1986) / Eugene Shepard (1921-2003) / Steve Shepard.

Another veteran of the War of 1812, John was from Kentucky, and died from wounds suffered during the war. He was the GG Grandfather of Bura Davis Shepard, my Grandmother. Read more about John Williams here.

Augustus Marvin Dearien (1814-1900), American Civil War. Here are his descendants, beginning with his daughter: Finetta Dearien Shannon (1861-1960) / Nola Shannon Gower (1903-2004) / Maida Gower Shepard (b. 1924) / Steve Shepard.

This soldier and the next one served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. A.M. Dearien enlisted at the very tail end of the conflict, in 1865, when he was nearly 50. He served in the Arkansas Mounted Cavalry of Clardy's Battalion. Read more about A.M. Dearien here.

Jackson William Gower (1831-1902), Civil War. Here are his descendants, beginning with his son: Leroy Gower 1854-1909) / George William Gower (1873-1944) / Leroy Ertin Gower (1899-1974) / Maida Gower Shepard (b. 1924) / Steve Shepard.

This soldier served in the 27th Regiment of the Arkansas Infantry of the Confederate Army. He survived the conflict and lived into the 20th century. He died just 3 years after the birth of his Great Grandson Leroy Gower (my Grandfather). Read more about Jackson William Gower here.

Lloyd W. Gower (1896-1918), World War I. Unfortunately this Arkansas soldier died fighting in Europe as a young single man and had no children. He was a Great Grandson of the previously mentioned Jackson William Gower, and the older brother of my Grandfather Leroy Gower. Read more about Lloyd W. Gower here.

These seven soldiers in our family's past are just a sampling of the many men and women among our ancestors recent and distant who served their county in military service. These memorable seven served their county well, and deserve our humble remembrance at this time. Each had their own unique story, the full details of which are unknown to us. Yet they are part of the rich tapestry that is our family history. We honor them though they lived before we were born. We appreciate their service and the sacrifice they made. Because of them and their heroic actions so long ago, we live today in freedom and abundance.
- - -
Steve Shepard

A Memory No One Can Steal, March 12, 2016

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal,

love leaves a memory no one can steal.

-From an Irish headstone

Birthday Wishes to Russ and Steve. Happy birthday this Sunday to my brother Russ Shepard and his son Steven Paul Shepard, who were both born on March 13; Russ in 1962 in San Diego, Steve in 1990 in Anacortes.

Steven P. Shepard with Maida Shepard

Russ is the 6th child of Maida and Eugene Shepard and was raised in San Diego, but moved to Anacortes in the 1970s and has lived there ever since. Steve, born in 1990, is the first child of Russ and Pam Shepard of Anacortes, Wa, where Steve has lived his whole life.

This first picture, taken just a few months ago in Anacortes, shows Steven on the left with his grandmother Maida Shepard.

Kerri Shepard Aquiningoc. Celebrating a birthday earlier this month is Kerri Shepard Aquiningoc of Weatherford, Texas. She was born in Walled Lake, Michigan on March 3 to my brother Gary Shepard and his wife at the time Jackie. Kerri came to California as a baby and was raised here before moving to Weatherford, Texas where she still lives today.

Eugene and Maida Shepard Family

This second picture is an oldie which includes two of the birthday folks mentioned above, Russell Shepard and Kerri Shepard Aquiningoc. 

Taken in 1974 this image shows a gathering of all the members at the time of the family of Eugene and Maida Shepard. The picture was taken in the backyard of the San Diego home of Hendrix and Starlene Gower. In the front on the right are 12 year old Russ Shepard (in green) and 6 year old Kerri Shepard (in the long dress), who look more like brother and sister than uncle and niece. Also pictured from left to right are Kelly, Darrell, me, Cindy, Barbara, Jackie, Gary, Maida, Eugene and Jason.

Jerry Clark

Happy Birthday Jerry. Monday, March 14 is the birthday of Jerry Clark. Born in Albuquerque in the very middle of the last century, he and his wife Cathrina live today in Lubock, Texas. They enjoy life there as grandparents to about a dozen total grandkids. 

May She Rest In Peace: Gloria Harrell Watson (1953-2016). With sadness I report the untimely death of my cousin Gloria Harrell Watson. She passed away early this week in her apartment in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her mother is Vicki Gower Johnston of Chandler, Arizona, and her siblings are Paula Tuzzolino, Michael Harrell and David Harrell.

Gloria was born and raised in San Diego. She and Bill Watson were married in San Diego in December 1972, after which they moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. She is one of the 12 grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. The only other one of those 12 to have passed away is my sister Linda Shepard who died in 1971 and who at the time was the wife of Jerry Clark mentioned above.

Gloria Watson, Nola Gower, Steve Shepard

This last picture was taken in 1993 in San Diego and shows Gloria on the left with her Grandmother Nola Shannon Gower and me on the right. Gloria was visiting San Diego from Tennessee at the time, taking care of Granda Gower, who was ready to undergo knee replacement surgery (at 90 years old!).

Our prayers and best wishes go out to the family of Gloria, especially her mother Vicki and her brothers David and Michael and her sister Paula.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Happy Valentine's Day Tomorrow! February 13, 2016

Love doesn't make the world go round.

Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.

~Franklin Jones

Gloria Harrell Watson. Today is the birthday of my cousin Gloria Harrell Watson of Knoxville, Tennessee. She is the second daughter of my aunt Vicki Gower Johnston of Chandler, Arizona and is the sister of Paula Tuzzolino and Michael and David Harrell. Gloria was born and raised in San Diego, but has lived most of her life now in Tennessee. Happy Birthday on this Valentine's Weekend to Gloria!

This picture, taken last year in Oak Harbor, Washington, shows Gloria on the left with her mom Vicki and her sister Paula.

Happy Valentines Day! Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, an opportunity to celebrate love, especially within our family. The following slide show includes images of various members of our family, all of whom are kissing, one of the most common expressions of love. You will see wedding day kisses, pecks on the cheek, baby smooches and some other crazy kisses that reflect well this diverse, oddball family to which we all belong. The pictures are of kids and adults, young parents and older lovers, wedding moments, birthday celebrations and everything in between. Each picture includes at least one member of our extended family. How many of these folks can you identify?

"Kiss Me." Enjoy this homage to love within our family, to the music of the 90s band Sixpence None the Richer. 

Show-Me-The-Love Award. Each Valentine's Day I give a "Show-Me-The-Love Award" to a person in our family tree who exhibited extraordinary love in their life. This year the award goes to my 5X Great Grandmother Elizabeth Van Hook Warford (1746-1805).

Elizabeth Warford was a genuine American pioneer, whose life was intertwined with the history of our country and whose loving sacrifice was remarkable as she gave herself for her family and her expanding nation.

She was born in 1746 to Benjamin and Lydia Van Hook, of Monmouth County, New Jersey just 50 miles south of New York City. By the time Elizabeth was 18 she had made her way half way across Pennsylvania to Fulton County where she married Henry Warford, who had served in the Revolutionary War, as did Henry's brother Joseph Warford. Wikipedia says that as a result of their military service, George Washington deeded to Joseph 100 acres of land in southern Pennsylvania that the Warfords turned into a village which later was named Warfordsburg, an historic town that exists to this day.

Much of Elizabeth and Henry's married life was occupied with the Revolutionary war, but Henry spent enough time at home so that he and Elizabeth brought into the world 9 children in the 20 years they were together. Just about the time the Revolutionary War ended husband Henry died, perhaps from war wounds. In any case it created a real problem for Elizabeth who now had 8 mouths to feed and no husband to help.

Elizabeth was a genuine frontier woman. We don't know the details of how she did it, we just know that sometime after her husband Henry died in 1784, she packed up the kids -- who ranged in age from 2 and 18 -- and with help from family and friends, made her way westward across some 500 miles of rugged American landscape. She journeyed through Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio and into Kentucky where she and her family settled. They may have traveled by steamboat down the Ohio River which was something of a "superhighway" for pioneers making their way across the western frontier.

They traveled as far as Louisville, Kentucky, possibly because Louisville was the site of the Ohio River Falls, making it impossible for river boats to travel any farther. Elizabeth and her family then settled just east of Louisville in the town of Shelbyville. It was there that Elizabeth lived the last 10 or so years of her life until she died just short of her 60th birthday in 1805. She did live long enough to see her daughter Lydia Warford, in 1803, marry Kentuckian John Williams. Lydia and John are the two from whom we Shepards are descended.

It is hard to imagine the love, courage, and strength of character that it took for Elizabeth to move her family across America and begin a new life. She clearly had a strong love of the frontier, a longing to settle this new land and discover the opportunities available to those who traveled westward. Hers is a remarkable American story with great adversity as well as great accomplishment. She receives the "Show-Me-The-Love Award" for this year.

Here is Elizabeth's lineage for the last 275 years:

• Elizabeth Van Hook Warford (1742-1805) and Henry Warford (1741-1784)
• Lydia Warford Williams (1782-1829) and John Williams (1782-1813)
• John Pouty Williams (1802-1898) and Sally Richardson Williams (1801-1877)
• Margaret Williams Spear (1845-1904) and James Spear
• Caroline Spear Davis (1865-1951) and James Brooks Davis (1870-1928)
• Bura Davis Shepard (1896-1986) and William Shepard (1888-1976)
• Eugene Shepard (1921-2003) and Maida Gower Shepard (b. 1924)
• Steve Shepard (b. 1948) and Cindy Harris Shepard (b. 1948)

- - -
Steve Shepard

"Tragedy as a Source of Strength", February 7, 2016

There is a saying in Tibetan,

'Tragedy should be utilized

as a source of strength.'

~Dalai Lama XIV

Happy Birthday Paula. Today is the birthday of my cousin Paula Harrell Tuzzolino of Sun Lakes, Arizona. Born and raised in San Diego, Paula lived most of her growing up years in Southern California. She has one daughter, Heather Robson Cotten, and two Granddaughters, Tori and Lexi, who live in Austin, Texas. Paula is one of the 12 Grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower.

For many years Paula lived in Oak Harbor, Washington where she met and married Frank Tuzzolino. She and Frank spend most of their time these days in Sun Lakes, Arizona, outside Phoenix, although they still go back and forth to Oak Harbor. Last summer Paula's step dad Duke Johnston passed away in Washington, and as a result Paula's mom Vicki Gower Johnston moved to the Phoenix area to be near Paula.

This first picture was taken last summer when the family gathered in Oak Harbor for Duke's funeral. In this picture are Paula, on the left, and her sister Gloria Watson of Knoxville, Tennessee on the right.

The second picture was taken in Oak Harbor some years ago and shows Paula on the left with her daughter Heather Cotten.

Remembering Phil Wilk. Tomorrow is the 81st anniversary of the birth of Phillip Wilk, the husband of my cousin Beverly Russell, and the father and grandfather of Shannon and Emma Wilk of Atchison, Kansas. Phil passed away in 2007 in his hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas. 

When Phil and Bev were married, back in the 1960s and 1970s, it was a time when most of our Shepard and Russell family members lived in San Diego and were a close knit clan. When Beverly tragically died in 1974 of a brain aneurysm at just 34 years old, she left Phil with two young children, Karl (5 years old) and Shannon (17 months old). It was obviously a very difficult time for Phil and his children, as well as for our whole family, but Phil accepted well the task of fatherhood and is remembered today for his commitment and dedication to his family. 

This third picture shows Phil on the left, next to his mother-in-law Pauline Shepard Russell. Next to them are William and Bura Shepard, with Phil's father-in-law Bill Russell on the far right. This family picture was taken in 1975 just a year after Bev died.

This story is one more reminder that tragedy strikes every family. How a family responds to it determines the quality of the family life. We can be grateful for family members in our past, like those pictured here, and their strength of character.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Fall Celebrations, October 18, 2015

The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant.

Every table had an argument going.

~George Carlin

Happy Birthday Vicki Johnston! Today is the birthday of my aunt Vicki Gower Johnston of Oak Harbor, Washington. Born in Okemah, Oklahoma, in 1933, Vicki was raised in Oklahoma and then San Diego, which is where her family moved in 1942. Vicki and her sister Maida Gower Shepard are the senior members of the family of the late Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. 

The first picture shows my aunt Vicki (seated) with her daughters Gloria and Paula, and Vicki's granddaughter Heather. This picture was taken this past July at Vicki's home in Oak Harbor, Washington.

Vicki's husband Duke Johnston passed away this past summer, so Vicki is still adjusting to life without Duke at their home on Whidbey Island as she struggles with aging issues. She has 4 children Paula Tuzzolino, Gloria Watson, Michael Harrell and David Harrell.

Since this blog is just as concerned with history as it is with the present I'd like to include another picture of my aunt Vicki. This second picture was taken nearly 30 years ago and also shows Vicki (in the middle) with her daughters Gloria and Paula, with Paula's husband at the time Bruce Robson. At the bottom is Paula and Bruce's daughter Heather Robson Cotten. 

Happy Birthday, Korilyn Boyd! Today is the 18th birthday of Korilyn Boyd. She is the 20th of the 21 Great Grandchildren of William and Bura Davis Shepard. She lives across the bay from San Diego in the town of Coronado with her family, including her father Darren Boyd. Her grandmother is Thelma Shepard Boyd of Blue Springs, Missouri.

This third picture, taken earlier this month, shows Kori (on the right) with her mother Vicki and her sister Courtney. Originally from Santee, Kori is a student at Coronado High School. The birthday present she is most proud of is a tatoo on her forearm that she received today as a gift from her mom. Happy Birthday and best wishes to Kori!

Last call for Halloween pictures. If you have a family Halloween picture that you'd like me to include in an upcoming Halloween Photo Presentation, please send it my way, I would love to include it.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Summer Family Fun! September 16, 2015

Spare the rod and spoil the child – that is true.

But, beside the rod, keep an apple

to give him when he has done well.

~Martin Luther

Greeting to all of you from San Francisco where Cindy and I find ourselves today. Summer is drawing to a close! Vacations are almost over, schools have begun, and life for most of us has settled into a sense of normalcy that comes with the end of summer.

As I threatened several weeks ago I have put together a slideshow of various summer activities in the lives of our family members. It includes a whole host of summer events, from a family reunion to beach vacations, from memorable visits to scenic locations to kids activities and birthday celebrations. It includes children and seniors, Gowers and Shepards and all those related to them, as well as activities in various places around the country.

Thanks to those of you who emailed me pictures of your family's summer activities. Thanks also to those of you generous enough to make pictures of your summer activities available on Facebook. It clearly was a busy, enjoyable and event filled summer.

So here it is... this summer's capsulation of fun in our family far and near.





This slideshow should be easier to view than those I have included in the past. This one is viewable on any device you chose: desktop, mobile phone, or tablet. If you do have any problems seeing it I would appreciate it if you would let me know. Enjoy!
- - -
Steve Shepard

"Master Of My Fate, Captain of My Soul", July 14, 2015

I am the master of my fate,

the captain of my soul.

~W. H. Henley

Duke Johnston (1932-2015). It is with sadness that I report that my uncle Duke Johnston passed away this past Thursday, July 9. Duke was the husband of my aunt Vicki Gower Johnston, who lives in Oak Harbor, Washington. They have been married for over 25 years. Originally from New York, he retired from the Air Force and had practiced law on Whidbey Island for over 30 years. Duke had been struggling with cancer for many years.

The quote at the top of this post is one that Duke sought to live by. Select this link to read the full obituary for Duke at the website of Evans Funeral Chapel in Anacortes, Washington (which is where I found this wonderful digital image of Duke from back in his Air Force days).

In this time of Duke's passing, our prayers and best wishes go out to aunt Vicki and cousins Paula, Gloria, Michael and David, as well as Duke's entire family.

I have been writing The Shepard's Crook now for nearly 8 years. In that period of time I have shared with you numerous family pictures -- at last count about 1,200. Even considering the fact that that a number of those photos have been shared more than once, that is a lot of family pictures! Sharing them -- especially the old ones -- and the stories they tell has been one of the most gratifying parts of writing this blog. It has been an opportunity to keep alive for posterity the tales of our Shepard, Gower, Davis and Shannon families, tales that will be lost over time if we do not keep telling them.

Never Before Seen Photos. But there are some family pictures that I have never shared in The Shepard's Crook. For a whole variety of reasons. Some are very poor quality. Some are unflattering and simply inappropriate, such as hospital photos, or other pictures of people who are very ill. And there are some goofy photos that caught people at a strange or awkward moment. Other pictures I have not shared because they have referenced relationships that occurred before the family members involved found their life long spouse. (Who wants to have their old love interest shown for all the family to see?)

I know some of you may not believe this, but I really don't intentionally share pictures that embarass family members, or cast them in a negative light. I want to share pictures that make you look good, as much as you do.

But the time has come, it seems to me, to share with you some of these family pictures that have never before been seen in this blog. I am choosing to share them for the sake of historical accuracy, if for no other reason. In this post are two examples. They are pictures that I have considered including in a blog post a few times, but they simply have not been exactly what I wanted to use in that particular situation.

The picture above on the left shows my dad and his girl friend in Tijuana back in 1942, almost 75 years ago, some 3 years before mom and dad were married. This, by the way, is an example of several "Tijuana pictures", that were taken back in the 1940s when travel south of the border was charming and romantic, when it was easy to get there and back. In recent years, traveling by car to Mexico has gone from charming and romantic, to dangerous and very time consuming. 

Just to show you that I want to be fair in my sharing of never-before-seen photos, the third picture is a rather odd photo of me in the spring of 1966 at the corner of El Cajon Blvd and 54th St. in San Diego. You don't see $.22 hamburgers anymore, and public telephones are not in high demand these days. By the way, why is my head tilted a few degrees southward? Full disclosure: this picture was taken about 9 am on a Saturday morning after a young woman named Cindy Harris and I had just finished partying all night long. Enough said.

I have more never-before-seen family photos to share, but those I will save for another time. Stay tuned.
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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.
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Steve Shepard

A Favorite Day of the Year, April 28, 2014

Change it had to come

We knew it all along...

But the world looks just the same

And history ain't changed

I'll tip my hat...

Smile and grin at the change 

all around me.

~Peter Townsend

Today is one of my favorite days of the year, a day to remember three of the finest people in the recent history of our family: my father, my maternal grandmother, and a cousin. All three were San Diegans for much of their lives, but none of the three were born in California.

Beverly Russell Wilk. Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the birth of my cousin Beverly Russell Wilk, the oldest granddaughter of Will and Bura Davis Shepard, both of whom outlived her. Bev's untimely death came in 1974 at just 35 years old. Her descendants today are her daughter Shannon Wilk and her granddaughter Emma Beverly Jean Wilk of Atchison, Kansas. Most of our family members are too young to have known her, but she was a delightful person who had a beautiful disposition and loved all her family.

The first picture shows Beverly Russell with her cousin Barbara Shepard in 1961 when Bev was 22 and Barbara was just 2.

Eugene Shepard. Today is the birthday of my father Eugene William Shepard who died 11 years ago in 2003 in Anacortes, Washington. He was born in Beaver County, Oklahoma, but lived the largest part of his life in San Diego, California where all six of his and Maida's children were born. His parents and siblings moved to San Diego in 1940 where they lived for most of their lives. Dad retired in 1976 and moved with Maida to Anacortes in 1978 where he lived the last 25 years of his life. 

The second picture shows Eugene and Maida Shepard in a picture taken in the early 1970s, when they still lived in San Diego. In the early 1970s, many of us guys -- God only knows why! -- were sprouting a "frizzy 'do" such as dad has here. 

Maida and most of her and Eugene's family still live in Western Washington, although Maida has been known to find her way back to Southern California periodically for visits. 

The family picture shows her and the family in a picture taken just a week ago on Easter Sunday in San Diego where she and daughter Barbara are enjoying a visit with their California kin. On the far right is me holding our grandson Logan. Next to us is our son Nathan holding his daughter Preslea, and his wife Chenda holding their son William. On the far left is my wife Cindy next to Maida's daughter Barbara, and Jerry Clark. Maida is in the very middle with Cindy's mom Paula Harris just in front. 

Nola Shannon Gower. Today is also a day to remember my grandmother Nola Shannon Gower, who was born 111 years ago, on this day in 1903. Or was she?

Since 1940-something there has been a question about whether Nola was born in 1903 or 1902. When her sister had a birth certificate generated for Nola during World War II, the certificate said she was born in 1902, even though Nola swore she was born in 1903. There was never a question, however, about WHERE she was born and raised: Mountain View, Arkansas. She and husband Leroy relocated to Oklahoma for 17 years before moving on to San Diego in 1942 where they settled for the rest of their lives. 

The final picture of this post shows Nola on a park bench with a dog in 1990. Like many of the pictures in my library I am not positive who took it or where. The picture file says 1990. It may have been taken when she was visiting her granddaughter Gloria Watson in Knoxville, Tennessee. If so, credit for the photo should probably be given to cousin Gloria.
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Steve Shepard