Shepard Family Update, May 9, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Happy Mother's Day this Sunday to all moms in our family, to whom we owe so much! The woman among us with the oldest child (I am trying to be as discreet as possible here) is Maida Shepard (son Gary); and the woman among us with the youngest child is Desiree Ortiz (son Damian). And in between are all of you whom we love and celebrate this weekend.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? Speaking of mothers, 1990 was the most "productive" year ever for mothers (and fathers!) in our Shepard family, when no less than 4 children were born: Steven Paul Shepard (Mar 13, Pam's little boy), Courtney Boyd (May 14, Vicki's little girl), Lyndsey Aquiningoc (Aug 29, Kerri's little girl) and Patrick Shepard (Dec 5, Mary's little boy). What this means, of course, is that not only was 1990 a special year, but so is 2008, the year they all turn 18! (Lord, help us!) I do not know of another single year when that many births took place in our family. Do you?

A related celebration: Courtney Boyd, one of the four born in 1990, will have her 18th birthday this coming Wednesday. Remarkably enough, that day also happens to be the birthday of two other people in our family, Courtney's grandmother Thelma Boyd in Gallup, New Mexico, and Christopher Shepard in Bothell Washington, all three of whom were born on May 14 (different years, of course). Happy Birthday to Courtney, Thelma and Chris!

Yet another related celebration: Congratulations are also extended to Courtney Boyd, daughter of Darren and Vicki of Lakeside, Ca., who will graduate from High School this spring. Any other graduations this spring that we can celebrate?

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first is a picture of three important mothers- grandmothers- great grandmothers of our Shepard family: Beryl (Swinney) Shepard (with husband Elmer), Pauline Russell (with husband Bill) and Maida Shepard (with husband Eugene). This picture was taken in San Diego about 1950, and evokes fond memories of the early years of an era that has passed for our Shepard clan. Those of us who were alive at the time can remember what it was like in the 1950s, 60s and into the 70s when Gram and Grandad, their 4 children and spouses, and the grandkids would regularly get together for family gatherings on July 4, New Year's Day, or whenever plans were made. They were happy times, when we all lived in fairly close proximity, cousins got to know each other, and Gram and Grandad were alive to enjoy the family they had spawned. But as our numbers grew, and as kids became adults with families of their own, and as people moved on to other places, those times we enjoyed so much faded into the past. And now they are just memories that come back to us when we see pictures like this one.

The other family picture shows the smiling face of soon-to-be 18 and soon-to-be high school graduate Courtney Boyd, with her younger brother and sister, Brandyn (14) and Kori Lynn (10), the children of Darren and Vicki Boyd of Lakeside, California. I received this picture in an email from them just last week with this message:

Steve...
We are very busy here. Brandyn plays year round baseball and Kori is playing Volleyball. Courtney is working part time and staying busy with friends and school. She helps out when she can. This photo was taken this past February. Courtney will be graduating on June 5th from Santana High School. Hope you are all doing well.

Remember: Shepard Family Reunion, Saturday, July 19, 2008, Anacortes, Washington. We hope YOU will be there to catch up with other family members!

Steve

Shepard Family Update, May 2, 2008

Hello Family Members and Friends,

Greetings to you all, from New Jersey to California, from Washington to the midwest to Oklahoma and Texas! I hope spring continues to be as beautiful in your part of the world as it is in ours. The California poppies along the roadsides are as bright and colorful as we have ever seen them.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? Our family history includes some names that are still common today like William, John, Mary and Sarah. But there are also, in the branches of this big tree of ours, some names that you seldom (if ever!) hear today - like Rozilla, Salatis and Salathiel (twins), Zona, Isolana, Ulysses, Udorous, Vashti and Marmaduke. I am NOT making these up! They are all first names of our relatives and you can find each of them listed in our family tree on Ancestry.com. Any of you getting some ideas for naming your next child? ;-)

Family Faces. With Mother's day coming up next weekend, I am including two family pictures, both of groups of women. The first is a picture of Grandad's only sibling, his sister Sadie J. (Shepard) Pruett (1892-1980), and two of her daughters, Gayle and Alberta. This picture appears to have been taken at Gram and Grandad's wedding in 1915. Sadie was married to Levy Pruett, with whom she had one other child, Twila, in 1929. Sadie's part of the family did not move to California when Gram and Grandad did in 1940, so they were not well known to most of us. But there must be a whole branch of our family, descended from her, that lives in the Oklahoma area and elsewhere. Do any of you know about them?

The other is a more recent picture of a group of women called "the Yayas". In this picture are women who are mothers to many of us: Maida Shepard, Jane Brock, and Paula Harris (Cindy's mom) on the front row, and Barbara and Cindy Shepard on the back row. They live in places as diverse as Washington State, Northern and Southern California, and Lubbock, Texas, yet they get together each year for a special week in some place around the country. This picture was taken at our home in Dorrington, California in the summer of 2004, when they chose to visit the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. (Click here to see a slide show of a different trip the Yayas took.) Comparing the two family pictures you see here, it is uncanny how much Barbara and her great Aunt Sadie look alike. Did you notice?

Plans continue to take shape for the family reunion July 19 in Anacortes, Washington. The food, the fellowship, the family ties are all just a few of the reasons it will be a wonderful event. You may have received another letter of invitation recently from Barbara and Maida which referred to the latest plans. (If you did not get a letter, be sure to send your physical address to me or one of the Anacortes folks and we will make sure you get one.)

Steve

Shepard Family Update, April 25, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello Shepard family and friends! Cindy and I are on our way to beautiful Asilomar State Park, near Monterey, California, where we will spend the weekend. We are attending the Annual Meeting of the Christian Church of Northern California. The ocean views are fantastic and the accommodations are very comfortable in this crown jewel of the California State Park system.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? This weekend is a time to remember some important people in our Shepard family who have passed away. This Sunday, April 27, we remember Beverly Russell Wilk, who was born on that day 69 years ago. Beverly, the younger child of Bill and Pauline (Shepard) Russell, died at the age of 35 in San Diego. Bev was a very upbeat, caring person, who shared her mother's love of life and deep appreciation for her family. Her daughter is Shannon Wilk, and her granddaughter is Emma Beverly Jean Wilk.

This coming Monday, April 28, we remember Eugene Shepard, who was born on that date 87 years ago. He died 5 years ago this summer in Anacortes. Monday is also the day to remember Nola Gower (Maida Shepard's mother) who was born on that date 106 years ago, and died just 4 years ago in Anacortes.

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. (Click on the picture to see a larger view.) The first is a picture of Eugene Shepard and his niece Beverly Russell. This picture was taken in the early 1950s (can anyone pinpoint the exact year?) in San Diego on the back steps of the El Cajon Blvd Church of Christ where the Russells and the Shepards attended church regularly. How Dad ended up holding a purse, I do not know. He must have given the camera to mom to take the picture, and she gave him her purse to hold. Perhaps Mom can confirm that?

The other is a picture taken in 1994 of 5 generations of family members -- from left to right: Lyndsey Aquiningoc, her mother Kerri Aquiningoc, Kerri's father Gary Shepard, Gary's mom Maida Shepard, and Maida's mom Nola Gower. This picture was taken in front of the Gower home on Lynne St in San Diego. Nola's longevity (she lived to be 102) was something her entire family took pride in.

Remember: Shepard Family Reunion, Saturday, July 19, 2008, Anacortes, Washington. Among the things we will do at the reunion is laugh and reminisce about loved ones we miss, who are gone but whose presence lingers still. Remembering them is one of the important things that binds us together as family.

I have recently added my nephew Jason Shepard to our email list. Jason is Gary's son and Maida's oldest grandson. He emailed me recently and said,

Uncle Steve... It has been a really long time. I'm living in Fort Worth, TX. I have been here for almost 8 years... wow!! I do like living here. It's definitely not San Diego! The summers here are just a little warmer. I work as a sales rep. for Pepsi Cola, I've been with them for 5yrs. I have enjoyed reading and seeing the pictures you have sent out.
As the years pass it seems we get more and more spread out and separated from one another. It is great to have opportunities like this to reconnect. Welcome, Jason, to this online community where we can affirm our life as family!

Shepard Family Update, April 18, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello from Lone Pine, California in the beautiful Owens Valley of Eastern California, a forgotten part of the state which many people have never heard of. We are "on the road again", on our way to visit friends in Tucson, Arizona.

Our family reunion is now only three months away. Can you believe it? Have you made your plans? I know that some of you will not be able to make it, but if you are able to come, please do so. Cindy and Nathan and I are looking forward to it. Be sure to let one of the Anacortes folks know when you will be flying in, so we can coordinate the trips between Anacortes and SeaTac.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? Ancestry.com is a remarkable resource for those interested in family history. Recently we have subscribed to it and have found more information about relatives of ours that I ever thought possible. They offer a 2 week free membership which, among other things, offers you the opportunity to view OUR Shepard family tree that we have recently put online. Check it out. Our family tree is titled "EShepard." If you do visit, be sure and check your own information to make sure that all is correct AND to add whatever needs to be added. (If you are receiving the emails, you are listed on Ancestry.com)

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first is a 1973 picture of Gram and Grandad and their four children: Eugene, Thelma, Pauline, and Elmer. Grandad (1888-1976), being a product of an earlier generation, was not very comfortable in front of a camera, as this picture shows. But those of us who were fortunate to have had him for a grandfather remember him as a fun loving man, and a great teller of stories from his own life, which stretched back into the late 19th century. On more than one occasion I can remember Gram having to chide him for rough housing too much with his grandkids on the living room floor.

One of my oldest memories is of the two of us, for my 7th birthday, going to see "Lady and the Tramp" at the Spreckles Theatre in San Diego. Gram stayed at my folks' home in Point Loma, promising to have tacos ready for my birthday dinner when we got home. ("Lady and the Tramp" was first released in 1955, which -- if my 59 year old memory cells can still be trusted -- is the year this happened.)

Do others of you have fond memories of Gram and Grandad? I invite you to write them down and send them to me. It would be a great way of letting others in the family know what terrific people these two were.

The other picture was taken last month in Oklahoma. It is of Dane, Joan and Elmer Shepard, along with Thelma Boyd, her daughter Kim Clark, and Kim's daughter Amanda Ortiz. They were all together in connection with getting Elmer's house in Texas ready to sell.

Dane emailed from Oklahoma last week and said,

"Joan returned to CA after spending two weeks, mostly in Henderson, TX. She was able to pack and move the things she wanted and ship them back home. We will be making more trips to check on the place as it is up for sale.

"On the weekend of March 21-24, Thelma, Kim and, Amanda joined us for a great visit (pictures attached). We enjoyed catching up. They left to take Amanda back with Kim where she will now be living. Also Kim said they planned to see Shannon at some time on the trip. Thelma was to fly back after a few days. It was encouraging to be with them and my Cindy really had a great time catching up on my history (now she knows why I act the way I do!).

"Dad was with us physically but not too much emotionally. He's been having a hard time with depression. He is now showing some signs of improving and is able to enjoy getting out for visits and going to church. Cards and letters help and would be appreciated. You can write directly to him at: Mustang Manor, 1017 W. Highway 152, Room 121, Mustang, OK 73061. It would be great to join the reunion, but Dad would not be able to go.

"I appreciate your family report. I have been encouraged to renew old friendships. I recently contacted Michael Bohannan after many years."

Thanks to Dane for that update. Remember to let me know of any others who would like to receive these messages. I will be glad to add them to our emailing list.
- -
Steve

Shepard Family Update, April 11, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Greetings from our home in Dorrington, California, in the heart of the Sierra Nevada. Dorrington is a quiet little mountain town, so small that the closest traffic light is a half hour drive down the hill. The lightest dusting of snow fell this last week as the last vestiges of winter.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? The part of our Shepard family that originates with Gram and Grandad (Will and Bura Shepard) has 4 living generations of people.

The first generation is made up of Gram and Grandad's 4 children and their spouses. The living members of that generation are Elmer Shepard and Thelma Boyd, along with Thelma's husband Terry, and Eugene's wife Maida.

The second generation is Will and Bura's grandchildren. The oldest and youngest of the 10 living people in that generation are Rex Russell and Darren Boyd. (Add spouses and you get at least 17 people in this generation.)

The oldest and youngest of the 20 people (at least 24 when you add spouses) in the third generation are Eric Russell and Kaylan Shepard.

And the oldest and youngest of the 7 young people in the fourth generation (no spouses here, yet!) are Lyndsey Aquiningoc and Damian Ortiz. There may be more than 7 members in this fourth generation, belonging to Eric Russell. Do any of you know about them?

Family Faces. Whenever our family has taken pictures of itself over the years, one interest has been in showing as many generations in one picture as possible. The first picture I am sending is an example of this. (Click on the picture to enlarge it.) Taken in Anacortes, it shows four generations: Gram (Bura Shepard), her son Eugene Shepard, his son Darrell Shepard, and his son Christopher Shepard. Christopher, born in 1984, was just a few months old at the time. The picture was taken just 2 years before Gram died at 90 years old. She lived the last several years of her life in Anacortes with son Eugene and Maida.

The other is a picture taken recently by Patrick Shepard, who writes:

This is a picture of my sister Rachel, and our mom Mary that I took in Anacortes, Washington on Christmas Day, 2007. Rachel will be 21 this month and she is doing very well. She works as a Community Relations Director for a rising Senior Living Company in Seattle and really enjoys it. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with our family. We are a very close family these days. We all still live together in Bothell, Washington and three of us work in the same company together.

Rachel's Birthday is this coming Monday. She has arrived at the magic age of 21! Best wishes and Happy Birthday to her. View a slide presentation celebrating her birthday!

Remember: Shepard Family Reunion, Saturday, July 19, 2008, Anacortes, Washington. Darrell and Mary and their family plan to be there. We hope you will be there too.

Steve

[P.S.... If you know of other family members or friends 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.]

Shepard Family Update, April 4

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello from San Francisco, where Cindy and I just celebrated our son Nathan's birthday with him yesterday. We don't feel old enough to have a son who is 31, but we are. And just think... Maida has 4 grandchildren in their 30s: Nathan, Kelly, Jason and Kerri. No wait... Maida has 4 grandchildren who are AT LEAST in their 30s. One just turned 40 last month.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? 3 members of our Shepard family ARE great grandparents, while 7 young members of our family HAVE great grandparents. Lyndsay & Mandy Aquiningoc, and Kyle & Nate Sauvage -- all of Weatherford, Texas -- are great grandchildren of Maida Shepard of Anacortes,Washington. While Ciara, Ashlyn and Damian Ortiz of El Cajon are all great grandchildren of Terry and Thelma Boyd of Gallup, New Mexico.

Family Faces. I am sending two family pictures. (Click on the pictures to enlarge them.) The first one is a picture of Linda, Gary and Steven Shepard, children of Maida and Eugene, in front of their home on Ulric St in San Diego in 1951. Linda's baby stroller belongs in the Smithsonian! Gary was ready to start Kindergarten at Kit Carson Elementary in Linda Vista at the time. And my guess is that the newpapers on the front porch were not to be recycled, but to be thrown away. Why the big smiles on us boys, but not on Linda? 26 year old Maida was probably making goofy faces as she stood behind the "Brownie", which only served to tickle Gary and me, while hardly fazing Linda, who as a child usually offered this stoic look.

The other is a picture of soccer players Kori Lynn Boyd (Darren and Vicki's daughter) and Ciara Ortiz, taken last fall in the San Diego area. Happy Birthday TODAY to little Ciara! Parents Jeremy and Desiree Ortiz, Grandmother Kim Clark, and Great Grandparents Thelma and Terry Boyd must be very proud.

Comparing these two family pictures, you can see that photography has changed tremendously in the last 57 years, but the joy of children and the meaning they give to our lives has not changed a bit.

Remember: Shepard Family Reunion, Saturday, July 19, 2008, Anacortes, Washington. A new and updated invitation by US Mail has recently been sent out. If you did not get one, be sure and let us know your physical address and we will send you one. Thanks to Barbara for sending out the invitations.

Do any of you have some interesting family facts that you would like to share in one of these family emails? Let me know, I'd be glad to include them. If you have a family picture you'd like to share, let me know that as well.
- - -

Steve

Shepard Family Update - March 28, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello from San Diego, along with nephew Patrick Shepard (of Bothell, Washington) who is enjoying a well deserved vacation in Southern California after having his nose to the grindstone of High School and after-school employment. Pat is here visiting his father Darrell's home town and seeing the sights. (I had forgotten how beautiful San Diego can be in spring time!)

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? I mentioned a few weeks ago that "William" was a very common name in our family, and has been given to at least one family member in William Shepard's lineage since at least 1835. Since I shared that with you, I have discovered that Gram (Bura Davis Shepard) had a grandmother named Margaret Francis Williams. Her Williams lineage can be traced back to -- you ready for this? -- William Williams, born 1745 in Fairfax, Virginia. (No word yet on whether his middle name was Bill!)

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first is a 1974 picture of Beryl and Elmer Shepard and their children Joan and Dane. After both of them served in WWII, Elmer and Beryl married in 1946 and raised their children in the San Diego area, near El Cajon. They built a beautiful home on Osage Trail in Winterhaven, a place of numerous family gatherings where board games were played and home made ice cream was cranked by hand. For many years Gram and Grandad lived right next door in a rented house. (Did Gram and Grandad EVER own their own home?)

It must have been in the late 1970s that Elmer retired from his work on North Island, and they moved to Beryl's hometown of Henderson, Texas. Beryl died nearly 15 years ago, and Elmer now lives in Oklahoma near his son Dane and his family. This picture was taken around the time of Joan's 20th birthday, about the time she was a student at Lubbock Christian University.

The other is a picture of Shannon Wilk and her daughter Emma Beverly Jean Wilk, who will be 3 in June. Emma is named after her grandmother Beverly Jean Russell who died in 1974. Shannon and Emma now live in Atchison, Kansas near Frank Bockach, who was her father Phil's partner for 28 years before Phil died last fall.

Thanks to Kim Clark for this picture, which was taken recently when Kim and husband Jeff visited Shannon and Emma for the first time in many years. Shannon and Emma look forward to coming to the family reunion this summer and getting reconnected with the family.

Behind every picture there is a story - many stories in fact - and these that I have just shared are only a few that come to my mind when viewing these two pictures. If I don't have all my facts exactly right, please let me know.

Happy Birthday this coming Monday to Joan (Shepard) Colgain of Dixon, California. I received word from Joan recently:

Hello, Steve! I enjoy your family emails immensely and appreciate the considerable amount of time you must spend collecting information. Recently, I've been preoccupied planning a trip to Oklahoma and Texas. I'll be helping Dane clean out Dad's house, getting it ready to sell. I'll also visit Dad and family. Thelma and Kim are flying in, too! Havilah [and husband Jason Reynolds] is in transition and does not have home email right now. Havilah was born in East Texas. We lived there for about ten years before moving back to California. This will be my first visit to Dane's new home. I attended Lubbock Christian for a year in the '70s and remember Jerry [Clark]. Small world!

Happy Birthday next Thursday to our son Nathan Shepard in San Francisco. Nate is a Computer Analyst for Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco where he has lived for about 5 years. He enjoys traveling (he'll leave for Hong Kong next week!), snow skiing, working out, his cat Socket, online gaming, and life in the big city. He enjoys family too and is making plans to be at the family reunion this July.

Remember: Shepard Family Reunion, Saturday, July 19, 2008, Anacortes, Washington. We hope YOU will be there to catch up with other family members!

Steve

Shepard Family Update, March 21, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello from San Diego on this "Good" Friday, a day of a full moon, and ironically (or not) the first day of spring! Happy birthday this coming Easter Sunday to Gary Shepard! Bit of Trivia: this is the only time in his entire life that Gary's birthday will fall on Easter Sunday. (Look it up. The last time was 1913 -- Gary is not THAT old! -- and the next time will be 2160.)



Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? One branch of our family has not been heard from for several years. The whereabouts of Rex Russell and Eric Russell, son and grandson of Pauline (Shepard) Russell, are unknown. Last I heard they were living in the Reno, Nevada area. Would anyone be willing to try and locate them? It would be great to be back in touch with them and invite them to the family reunion. Kim (Boyd) Clark told me that she visited Rex a few years ago, but has since lost touch with him.



Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first one was taken at the wedding of Rex and Margie Russell in the San Diego area March 3, 1975. Also in the picture are me and Cindy. The back of the picture says that it was taken near Lake Jennings in Lakeside. As I recall the wedding was at the Mobile Home Park where Rex and Margie lived, and was a very special event attended by quite a few family members.

The other is a picture of Gary and Cindy Shepard, taken a few weeks ago at an early celebration of Gary's Birthday. On the birthday cake you can also see candles in honor of other birthdays in February and March: Gary's wife Cindy, Darrell, Russ and Steven Paul. The picture was taken at Maida's house in Anacortes.

Gary and his wife Cindy live in Oak Harbor, Washington, a short drive from Anacortes. Five years ago when Gary retired from work with the County of San Diego, they moved from Ramona to Washington State to join the rest of the clan there. Gary enjoys the retired life in the Northwest, including walks with his dog-buddy Dexter, regular visits with Mom in Anacortes, church life in Oak Harbor, and helping Cindy get up and off to work each morning (!).

Gary, Cindy and Dexter all three will be at the Shepard family reunion this summer, July 19, in Anacortes, Washington. We hope YOU will be there too!

Note about email addresses: You may have noticed that when I send out these messages by email, the only address you actually see is mine, even though the email goes out to about 25 family members and friends. In these days of so much junk mail, the fewer places our addresses are seen the better. If you would like to have the email addresses of the others on the list, just write me and let me know. Or if you would rather NOT have your email address available to others, please let me know that as well.

Steve

Shepard Family Update, Mar 14

Dear Family members and Friends,

Hello from Northern California on this day before the Ides of March!

Birthday wishes TODAY to Jerry Clark, in Lubbock, Texas! He was born on this day in 1950. Jerry has been a successful Balfour and Taylor Publishing Company Representative in Lubbock, Texas for over 30 years. He has lived in Lubbock since the late 1960s. when he was at Lubbock Christian University. Next month he and his wife Cathrina will celebrate their second wedding anniversary. Congratulations! They will both be with us this summer at the family reunion.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? People have married into our Shepard family with very diverse ethnic origins -- Native American, Columbian, Hispanic, Irish, Norwegian, and many others. Those who marry into our family are not "direct descendants" of our Shepard ancestors, but they are very much a part of our family and contribute significantly to our life together. And most of them become parents of "direct descendants". But remember this: the Adam and Eve story reminds us that in the final analysis we are ALL blood related.

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures (You can click on the pictures to enlarge them). The first is an old one from August, 1970 and shows Linda Shepard, Jerry Clark, my wife Cindy Shepard, and me -- all of us in our early 20s. (Did we know how to dress back then, or what?) This picture was taken in front of our home on Armstrong Street in San Diego, possibly just before the rehearsal dinner for Linda and Jerry's wedding at the Linda Vista Church of Christ. Linda and Jerry were students at Lubbock Christian University at the time.

A year later Linda died in a tragic car accident, one of several untimely deaths in our family in the early 1970s. Every family member who lived at that time can attest to how difficult those deaths were, but also how they deepened us and our relationships. We have been blessed that Jerry Clark has remained a part of our family ever since Linda's death in 1971. In August of 1993, 22 years after the accident, a daughter was born in Anacortes, Washington to Linda's youngest brother Russell and his wife Pam. The name they chose to give her? Linda Shepard.

The other family picture is a December, 2006 photo of Darren and Vicki Boyd's 3 children - Courtney (in the blue charger shirt), Brandyn (sitting) and Kori Lynn (in pink). In the picture are also Kim (Boyd) Clark's 3 grandchildren - Ciara Ortiz, Ashlyn Ortiz, and Damian Ortiz (being held by Brandyn), children of Jeremy and Desiree Ortiz. All 6 live in the San Diego area. Darren and Vicki's oldest, Courtney, will graduate this spring from High School in Santee, Ca.

Remember: Shepard Family Reunion, Saturday, July 19, 2008, Anacortes, Washington. Maida and Barb and the others in Anacortes continue to make plans and look forward to being welcoming hosts for the event. We hope YOU will be there!

Steve
shepard@sierrawebworks.com

[P.S.... If you know of other family members or friends who would like to receive these messages, 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.]

Shepard Family Update, Mar 7

Dear Family members and Friends,

I hope that everyone is doing well as we make our way into March. The family reunion on July 19, in Anacortes, Washington is only about 4 months away! A tentative list of those who will attend include: Maida, Barbara, Gary and Cindy, Kerri, Mandy and Lyndsay, Kelly and Nathaniel, Steve and Cindy and Nathan, Russ and Pam, Steven Paul and Linda, Thelma and Kim, Shannon and Emma, Darrell and his family, and Jerry and Cathrina. It will be quite a group. We hope YOU will be there!

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? Our Shepard family reflects a strong, historical connection to the Churches of Christ? Not all our family members share that affiliation, but many do. At least 6 generations of Church of Christ members can be found within our family. This connection can be traced back through Bura Davis Shepard (1896-1986), whose parents AND paternal grandparents were Church of Christ members. This family affiliation goes back at least 150 years to the mid 1800s, the early years of what is called "the Restoration Movement". That is an American religious movement which actually gave birth to three present-day groups: the Churches of Christ, the Independent Christian Church, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)).

Several years ago when my Dad and I visited the Church of Christ in Spencer, Indiana, we found the 1910 baptismal record for Bura Davis who was born in Spencer and was 14 when baptized. Just 5 years later -- after her family had moved to Beaver County, Oklahoma -- she married William Shepard. The South Flat Church of Christ near Elmwood in Beaver County was the church home for several of our family for many years (and perhaps still is today), and was where my Dad (and possibly his siblings) were baptized. When the family migrated to San Diego in 1940, the El Cajon Blvd Church of Christ became the church home for many of them for several decades.

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures (click on the pictures to enlarge them.). The first is from 1951 and shows Will and Bura Shepard and 5 of their 6 grandchildren at the time. (The only other grandchild was Rex Russell.) In the picture from left to right are: Beverly, Dane (being held by Bev), Gary, Gram holding Linda, and me, in Grandad's shadow. The picture was taken in front of their home not far from the El Cajon Blvd Church of Christ in San Diego. Sundays were often a time for grandparents, parents, and children to be together at church and afterwards. This may have been one such occasion. (I cannot remember any other reason for Grandad to be wearing a tie! Can you?)

The other is a picture of part of the Anacortes clan, taken last summer. It shows Russ and Pam Shepard and their children Linda and Steven. If you compare the pictures it is uncanny how similar are the smiles of Russ and his grandfather William Shepard (the hairlines are striking similar as well!) This second picture was taken on Orcas Island, one of the beautiful vacation spots in the San Juan Islands. Anacortes is the ferry stop known as "The Gateway to the San Juans." If you will be attending the reunion this summer, these islands are a wonderful place to visit.

Happy Birthday this coming week to Russell and Steven Paul Shepard, father and son, both born on March 13 (28 years apart!).
--
Steve

[P.S.... If you know of other family members or friends who would like to receive these messages, 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.]