Shepard Family Update, July 4

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello on this July 4th mid-summer holiday! I hope you are all able to enjoy this day with family and friends. Cindy and I are doing something a little different this year -- enjoying a quiet holiday at home alone. Nathan is vacationing in Southeast Asia -- of all places! -- but will be home in time for the three of us to go to Anacortes in two weeks for the family reunion.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? On this July 4th holiday it is interesting to note that our family has been almost entirely rooted in the U.S. since before its founding in 1776. Drive around any U.S. town or city today and you will see a large percentage of citizens who are first or second generation Americans. And the number is growing rapidly. But of all the family roots that converge into Will and Bura Shepard, the one that winds its way back to another country first is traced through Gram's (Bura Davis') mother, Caroline Spear (see pictures of her in messages dated June 6 and June 20). Her great grandfather was an Irishman named James Spear, born in County Armaugh, Ireland in 1768.

James Spear came to the U.S. as a young man -- probably not long after 1776. He married an American born woman from Delaware named Elizabeth McConnahaw, had 12 children with her (!), and eventually died in Belmont County, Ohio in 1821. He is the first person I can find among all the ancestors of Will and Bura Shepard who was born in another country. In other words, you have to go back 240 years -- before there was a United States -- to find a single ancestor in Will and Bura's family tree born in another country. To me this is pretty amazing. And we are talking here about ALL the ancestors of Will and Bura, going back four generations before them. The amount of U.S. history experienced first hand by these ancestors is staggering. It covers the entire history of our nation -- every president, every war, every milestone, every single July 4th holiday ever celebrated.

Now to be sure, there are a few gaps in the information I have on the roots of our family, especially in Grandad's (William Shepard's) paternal line before the civil war. So there may be an exception to what I'm saying, but it's unlikely. This, of course, refers only to the ancestors of Will and Bura Shepard. We each have other ancestors named Gower or Boyd or Russell, etc., who are are a different story altogether.

Family Faces: I am including two family pictures. The first is a picture that Dane sent me a while back, taken at a family gathering, probably in Valley Center (near Escondido, Calif.) at the home of Rod and Violet Ramirez. Left to right in the picture are: Gary and Cindy Shepard; Bill and Pauline Russell; Carl, Phil and Shannon Wilk; Steve, Cindy and Nathan Shepard; and Dane Shepard. I am guessing the year this picture was taken is 1983 or 84, based on Nathan, who looks to be 6 or 7. Can any of you make a better guess?

The other is a picture of 5 of Maida Shepard's grandkids in Anacortes, Washington. Taken in the summer of 2002, it shows -- starting from the bottom left -- Steven, Rachel, Patrick, Linda and Christopher Shepard. Steven and Linda are children of Russ and Pam Shepard; and Rachel, Pat and Chris are children of Darrell and Mary Shepard.

Celebrations: Congratulations to Jerry Clark and to Jane Brock on the birth of their third grandchild last Saturday! Miller Sims Cave was born to Matthew and Becky Clark Cave in Weatherford, Texas.
- - -
Steve

Shepard Family Update, June 27, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello to all of you, wherever you may be. In California, Washington, Kansas, Missouri, New York, Texas, New Mexico or Oklahoma - whew!

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? William Shepard and Bura Davis were married in Beaver County, Oklahoma, 93 years ago this month. The fact that they chose to get married on her father's 45th birthday suggests something of the warmth and close bond that the family shared.

Little did Will and Bura know at the time that the two of them would be the progenitors of a family that, over the next hundred years, would include over 82 people! (One family birth or one marriage every year or so since they were married!) Even less could they have known that their descendants would live in a world where communication can occur across thousands of miles almost instantaneously by this wonderful thing called email. But what they did know is that their love of God and one another -- a love that they gladly shared with their children and grandchildren -- was a powerful bond that gave meaning and purpose to their lives. And for that we can all be thankful to God and remember them with immense appreciation and humility.

Speaking of email, one of my purposes in sending the weekly messages is to share family pictures with all of you. Not just so that you can enjoy them, but so that you can save them and share them with others. Every family photograph any of us has will continue to deteriorate, but the quality of digital images will never deteriorate. They will be the same or better when our grand children's grand children (and beyond) view them. So please feel free to save all the pictures I send onto your own computer. If you don't know how to save the pictures, ask one of the young people in your midst -- they probably do!

If you have other old or new family photos to share with the rest of us, please send them my way. Share the wealth! It is a great way to celebrate the family we are, to keep the memories alive, and to leave something valuable for those family members yet to be born.

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first is a picture of Gram and Grandad on their wedding day in Beaver County Oklahoma in 1915, next to a picture of them at their 60th anniversary celebration in San Diego in 1975. They only celebrated one more anniversary together, since Grandad passed away in 1976. Gram died 10 years later and lived her last years with Maida and Gene Shepard in Anacortes, Washington.

The other is a picture of "the Yaya's" on their latest adventure. It was taken just last week at the Bandelier Indian ruins, a national monument in New Mexico. Pictured, left to right, are Cindy Shepard, Paula Harris, Barbara Shepard and Maida Shepard. Not pictured is Jane Clark who was planning to attend but had to cancel out at the last minute. Her father fell and was hospitalized with a broken hip (thankfully, he is out of the hospital now), AND her third grandchild was (and still is!) expected at any time. Our prayers and best wishes go out to Jane and her family. During the Yaya trip, we had a wonderful visit with Terry and Thelma Boyd of Gallup, New Mexico.

Just a few weeks away: Shepard Family Reunion, Saturday, July 19, 2008, Anacortes, Washington. Cindy and Nathan and I are looking forward to it very much. We hope you are too! If you will be UNABLE to attend, send a note or an email that can be read when we gather, so that we can hear how you and your loved ones are doing.
- - -
Steve

Shepard Family Update, June 20, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello on this day before the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer. Cindy and I are in Santa Fe, New Mexico with the Yayas, a group of women in our family who gather each year some place around the country (see the blog entry, dated May 2 for more about them). What am I doing in this august group, you ask? Depends on who you talk to. Some say I am the "yo-yo" of the group (but don't listen to them!). Others consider me "homeland security" (spoken in a serious tone).

I mentioned in last week's email that this summer I will not have quite as much time to do these messages each week. However, I DO plan to continue them on a weekly basis at least until the family reunion. That was my commitment originally. If you would like to receive them after that, please let me know. I find it valuable for us to communicate this way, even if not EVERY week. So let me know what you think. And let me know of news in your part of the family that I can share with others.

Fascinating Family Trivia: Did you know? There is a small neighborhood in the eastern part of Calgary, Canada by the name of "Shepard." It was annexed by the city of Calgary in July, 2007. "Shepard Settlement" is a tiny community in the northeastern part of Skaneateles, New York, and got its name from early settlers in the area. "Shepard's Citations" is a list of all the authorities citing a particular legal case. It got its name from Frank Shepard (1848-1900) when he began publishing these lists. Among lawyers, "Shepardizing" is a term referring to the process of consulting Shepard's Citations. (These bits of Shepard trivia came from Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia.)

I am sure you know of famous people with the last name of Shepard (e.g. Sam Shepard, Alan Shepard, Linda Mae Dawn Shepard) but there is a growing tendency for people to give their children the FIRST name "Shepard." Just a couple of examples are Shepard Smith (a well known TV newscaster on FOX), Shepard Kopp (a big name attorney in Los Angeles), and lesser known Shepard Fairey, a contemporary artist and illistrator. Do you know of others?

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first is an old, old picture of Gram's mother (the young woman on the right) Caroline ("Callie") Spear Davis (1865-1951), and Gram's grandmother, Margaret ("Maggie") Williams Spear (1845-1904). The picture was taken about 1880, probably in Spencer, Indiana (where they both were born). It is the oldest family photo that I have seen. Thanks to Dane for sending me this picture from his dad Elmer's photo collection.

The other picture is of Kim Clark and her three children, Scott, Amanda and Jeremy Ortiz, and Kim's niece Kori Lynn Boyd (in front). Scott's 23rd birthday was last week. (Has anyone EVER seen Jeremy with the bill of his cap in front!?)

Congratulations to Kori's parents Darren and Vicki Boyd whose 20th wedding anniversary is this coming Wednesday! In addition, Happy Birthday to Vicki this Sunday!

Remember: Four weeks from tomorrow - Shepard Family Reunion, Saturday, July 19, 2008, Anacortes, Washington. We will gather at the Anacortes Christian Church fellowship hall, 1211 M Ave, Anacortes. A delicious barbeque lunch will be prepared for us as we renew our family ties. We will also have some family picture displays, a large pictorial family tree, possibly some family entertainment, and lots of time for visiting.
- - -
Steve

Shepard Family Update, June 13, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello on this beautiful day (at least in our part of the world), as summer approaches and the family reunion draws near. This Sunday is Father's Day -- an opportunity to give thanks and show appreciation for our fathers who mean so much to us, and to lovingly remember those fathers who are no longer with us.

A personal note: I have some good news and some bad news to report. The good news is, I have taken a job for the summer as the Interim Regional Minister for the Disciples of Christ in Northern California and will be employed once again, at least temporarily. The bad news is, I have to go back to work, starting next week! ;-) Actually, I am looking forward to it. But what this means is that I will not have as much time for our other pursuits, such as family visits, these weekly emails, and other activities. Cindy and I WILL attend the family reunion, though we won't be in Washington as long as we'd like.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? Last week I mentioned that our family has a close relationship with the Kilpatrick family. We are also closely related by marriage to the Boyds, Gowers, Russells and Clarks (x2!), to name just a few of the families we are close to by marriage. But with our world the way it is today, our Shepard Family celebrations need to help us appreciate the oneness of God's entire human family. Some churches sing the following hymn (one of my favorites!) that illustrates this.

God Made From One Blood
(by Thomas H. Troeger, 1988; sung to the tune of
"Immortal Invisible God Only Wise" or "How Firm a Foundation")

God made from one blood all the families of earth,
the circles of nurture that raise us from birth,
Companions who join us to work through each stage,
Of childhood and youth and adulthood and age.

We turn to you, God, with our thanks and our tears,
For all of the families we've known through the years,
The intimate networks on whom we depend
Of parents and partners and children and friends.

Through families we've tasted the value of trust
And felt what it means to be loving and just.
Yet families have also betrayed their best goals,
Mistreating their members and bruising their souls.

Help families in all of their various forms
To face with integrity struggles and storms;
Grant peace to our homes that will nurture the bud
Of peace for the families you made from one blood.

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures on this weekend to remember fathers. The first (see above) is a picture from the spring of 1975, and shows the "father" of our family, William Shepard (Grandad), with his wife Bura (Gram), their youngest daughter Thelma, her husband Terry Boyd, and their two children Darren and Kim. (Darren -- 33 years later -- is now the father of 3.)

The other picture shows the oldest father among us, Elmer Shepard, his son Dane and daughter Joan, taken earlier this year at Dane and Cindy's home in Oklahoma City. (See the May 16th post for a picture of Jeremy Ortiz, the youngest father among us.) Happy father's day to Elmer, Dane, Darren, Jeremy and all the dads in our family!

Happy Birthday today, June 13, to Scott Ortiz, Kim Clark's youngest son, who lives in El Cajon, Ca.

Remember: Shepard Family Reunion, Saturday, July 19, 2008, Anacortes, Washington.
- - -
Steve

Shepard Family Update, June 6

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello on this beautiful June day, from our home in the mountains of California, where the air is fresh, the trees are tall and green, and weather is just about perfect.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? There has been a longstanding connection between our Shepard/Davis family and the Kilpatrick family, going back about a hundred years when the families first settled in Beaver County, Oklahoma.

When the Shepards migrated to Colorado and then to California in 1940, some of the Kilpatricks made the same move westward (and then NORTHwestward), and continued their family friendship. For example, in the 1960s, Edwin Kilpatrick was chosen to serve San Diego's Linda Vista Church of Christ as their minister, partly because of my family's influence in that congregation. And in other ways the families have remained close through the years. In recent years some of our family have attended the Davis-Kilpatrick family reunion that occurs every year or two.

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first is a 1922 picture that illustrates the connection between the Shepards /Davises and the Kilpatricks. Like last week, it is a picture of Gram's father James Brooks Davis. This picture also includes her mother Callie Spear Davis, and their 5 grandchildren at the time. Three of the grandkids are Pauline Shepard (in the back), Elmer Shepard (in the middle), and Eugene Shepard (on the left). The other two are Geneva Kilpatrick (front center) and Bernard Kilpatrick (bottom right). The latter two are children of the two Davis girls who married Kilpatrick boys.

Gram was the oldest of the 7 children of James Brooks Davis and Callie Davis. Two of Gram's sisters married two Kilpatrick boys: Winona married Barney, and Myra married William. (Sisters of one family marrying brothers of another family is rare today, but in those days farming families were large and somewhat isolated. Often the best "marriage opportunities" were the kids in the next farm-family.)

Elmer, one of the children in the picture, recently turned 90. His son Dane emailed me last week regarding their celebration for his dad: "Dad's birthday went well and he said he enjoyed it a lot. I picked him up and we went out with the family for Mexican food. [My wife] Cindy's parents and two sisters with their kids joined us. Dad ate a hearty meal and then the waiters came with a sombrero for him to wear and a sopapilla with whipped cream and strawberries (which he liked), and we sang to him. Sorry, I didn't have my camera for that. We all came over to our place for dessert, cards and gifts. We gave him a digital picture frame and put some old as well as new photos on it, many of which you have sent in your e-mails."

Thanks, Dane for this update and for sending me the old family picture I am sharing!

Kudos to Patrick! The other picture is of Patrick Shepard and his father Darrell. Patrick is yet another of our family members who was born in 1990 and is graduating this spring. Patrick has been in an accelerated program at Inglemoor High School (Kenmore, Wa.) and is actually graduating a year early. He has already begun taking classes at Edmonds Community College and works full time to manage the dining room at a retirement facility in Bothell, Washington, near where his family lives. He plans to carve enough time out of his busy schedule to join us for the family reunion next month.

Also planning to be at the July family reunion is Don Kilpatrick and some of his family from Oregon. Don's brother and sister are the two Kilpatrick children in the old family picture you are seeing this week.

Remember: Shepard Family Reunion, Saturday, July 19, 2008, Anacortes, Washington. We hope you will be there too.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, May 30, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello from Anacortes, Washington while visiting with family and looking forward to the family reunion coming up in just 7 short weeks. The plans are starting to come together as arrangements are being made for a comfortable location, a fine meal, and an enjoyable program. We look forward to having a great time. If you haven't already done so, please let one of the Anacortes folks know if you will be attending.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? This coming Monday, June 2, is the graduation day for one more of our High School graduates, Lyndsey Aquiningoc, daughter of Kerri Aquiningoc and granddaughter of Gary Shepard. She is among those family youth who were born in 1990, that I referred to a few weeks ago. We celebrate with her and her family as she graduates from Weatherford High School in Weatherford, Texas. Congratulations! (see picture below)

June 2 is also the 138th anniversary of the birth of James Brooks Davis, Gram's father, and Lyndsey's great great great Grandfather. Having been gone so long, he is not well known to most of us, but Gram always spoke very highly of him. He was usually referred to by all three of his names. He died at the relatively young age of 58 (for some of us that is relatively young!), when Gram was only 32.

He was one of those "transitional" people in our family, who was adventurous enough to uproot his young family and make a major move. The family had deep roots in Spencer, Indiana. Both James Brooks Davis and his wife Callie Spear had lived in Spencer all their lives, as had Callie's mother, Maggie Williams, born in 1845. But for reasons that have been lost to history, around 1910 they decided to move the 900 or so miles to Beaver County, Oklahoma. Perhaps because it was the land of opportunity at the time. Perhaps because others in their family had already moved there or would be moving soon (see the picture below of James Brooks and his brothers AND father, taken in Oklahoma).

It could not have been an easy transition for the young family of 9. At the time Gram was about 15 and the oldest of the 7 Davis children, the youngest of whom was about 4. A Beaver County historical record says that they moved by train and then by wagon. It was an important move: within just a few years of arriving in Oklahoma, the teenager Bura Davis met and married a handsome 27 year old neighbor named William Shepard, and a new family had begun, the one to which we all belong.

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first is a picture of Gram's grandfather Charles Edward Davis (1849-1926) and his 4 sons, including James Brooks Davis, Gram's father. The picture was probably taken in the early 1920s. Dane asked his father Elmer recently about the people in this picture. Here's what he said...

The picture is of our great, great grandfather Davis [with the beard] and his sons. It was taken at the South Flat church of Christ building in Beaver County, out in the country several miles from any town. Grandad and Gram met at this congregation. The men, from left to right:

Zaley Davis -- the bandmaster of Booker High School and of a frontier, community band known as a "booster band." Grandad played cornet in this band. Zaley moved to Shamrock, OK and then to Lubbock, TX continuing his career in leading bands.

Benjamin Davis -- He was the youngest son and a WWI vet.

W. Morton Davis -- He was a gospel preacher and held meetings at the South Flat church. He spent his years in Texas, including Paris and Dallas. He wrote for the Firm Foundation publication for 25 years.

James (Jim) Brooks Davis -- He was the oldest of the brothers and had five daughters and two sons: Gram (Bura, the oldest), Lawrence, Myra, Jess, Wynona, Esther and Margie.

Charles Edward Davis -- He died in 1924 after his wife who died in a flu epidemic in
1918 .

And John Davis.

The other picture, taken earlier this month, is of high school graduate Lyndsey Aquiningoc, and her cousins Nate and Kyle Sauvage. The boys are children of Kelly and James Sauvage, also of Weatherford, Texas.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, May 23, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

"Aloha!" from Hawaii, where Cindy and Barbara and I are basking in the sunshine of Maui this week.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? This weekend of Memorial Day is a time to remember servicemen and women who have died, as well as family members who have passed away. Our thoughts are on Shepard family members who have died in recent years, like Eugene Shepard, Gabe Ortiz, Pauline and Bill Russell, and Margie Russell, all of whom have died in the last 10 years or so. Others who have been gone even longer still remain important to us, especially whenever we visit their headstones at Green Lawn Cemetery in San Diego or wherever they may be laid to rest. All of them -- whether well remembered or not so well known -- remind us of our valuable Shepard heritage and our ongoing family history.

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first is a picture of Havilah (Colgain) Reynolds and Pauline (Shepard) Russell, grand- niece and great-aunt. This picture was taken at the last big Shepard family reunion in Anacortes in the summer of 1994. Many of you were there for that reunion and remember what a great time we had.

Speaking of Havilah, I received an email from her just the other day in which she said...

Thank you for adding me (to the family email list). To answer your questions followyourtravel.com is my online travel store - kinda like my own expedia. And followyourtravel.biz is the business site where a person can get his or her own travel store. Helping people get paid to travel is just one of the things I do!... I'm really enjoying all the things I'm doing. What are the dates for the reunion? I will see what I can do to make it up!

To answer Havilah's question and to remind all of us... the Shepard Family Reunion will be Saturday, July 19, 2008, in Anacortes, Washington. All are welcome!

The other picture I am including is of serviceman Eugene Shepard. It is one of the more amusing pictures from our history, and reminds us that during WWII our people were not only sober and serious about life, but were able to face it all with a sense of humor.

Happy Birthday this coming week to Rex Russell in Reno, Nevada, on May 28, and to Brandyn Boyd of Lakeside, California who will be 15 on May 26.

I also received an email from Shannon Wilk this past week, who said,

It's been awhile since I have been able to get to the computer. I haven't been feeling very well, in and out of the hospital over the last month. I have "crohns", and sometimes when I have a flare up (it can last up to 2-3 months) my whole body shuts down on me and I end up having to stay in the hospital for a few days. No fun at all. And because of all this, I hate to say it, but I don't think Emma and I will be able to come to the family reunion. With all the hospital bills coming in, and I've missed some work, I just don't think the budget will allow it.

The weather is beautiful here and we are enjoying as much as we can... before it gets tooooo hot.... Other than all that things are going pretty good here. Emma's birthday is the 6th of June... I still can't believe she will be 3... getting too big too fast. Frank is doing well and enjoying the weather.... Hope all is well and hope to hear from you soon.

Smiles and Sunshine, Shannon and Emma

Our best wishes are with Shannon in this time of dealing with illness. We will miss her very much if indeed she and Emma are unable to make it to the reunion. But we certainly understand and hope only the best for her.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, May 16, 2008

Dear Family members and friends,

Hello from Anacortes, where Cindy and I are visiting the family and thinking through some of the details of the family reunion coming up July 19. Maida and Barbara have done a lot of work making plans for the special day and deserve a lot of thanks.

Fascinating Family Fact: Did you know? This coming Tuesday is the 90th Birthday of Elmer Shepard, presently the senior member of our Shepard clan. Elmer was born in 1918 in Beaver County, Oklahoma, the second child of William and Bura Shepard. He is one of our only living ties to the life of the Shepard family before they moved from Oklahoma about 80 years ago. His little sister Thelma and his nephew Rex Russell also came west with the family to California, but were born in the tiny Southeast Colorado town of Two Buttes, where the family lived for a few years before coming all the way west. Congratulations to Elmer on this great milestone of turning 90!

Very few of the Shepards we know about lived into their 90s. Grandad, and his only sister Sadie, both died in the very month of their 88th birthday. Gram and Grandad's two children who have died, Pauline and Eugene, each lived to be 82. Gram, a small, tender woman, surprised many of us by living to be 90. So our prayers and birthday greetings are with Elmer at 90, as he continues to set the pace for all of us! Our best wishes are also with Dane and Joan and all those who provide care for our favorite nanogenarian.

These days we are as concerned as ever with living as long as possible with good quality lives. One big factor in how long we each will live is our family history. For this reason I took a look at the folks in our Shepard family and found some interesting facts. Gram and Grandad had 31 ancestors whose ages we know (they are all listed on Ancestry.com). The average life span of all these relatives (Gram, Grandad, Pauline, Eugene and the other 31) is 65 years, which is above average for people of their time.

Only 3 people among them all lived at least 90 years: Gram (1896-1986) plus two of her great grandfathers: John Lynn Wright (1810-1909) who lived to be 99!, and John Pouty Williams (1806-1898), who lived to be 92. This is remarkable since the life expectancy for Americans at the end of the 1800s was about 50 years. The life expectancy for Americans born today is about 77 years.

These facts relate only to the William and Bura Shepard part of our heritage. Each of us has at least one other part of our family tree which has to be taken into consideration. The bottom line though is that generally our Shepard ancestors lived longer than the average person for their time in history, and in some cases lived exceptionally long lives! All this is quite encouraging as we each seek to live as long and full as possible.

Birthday wishes: Besides Elmer, whose birthday will be this coming Tuesday (May 20), we extend a very Happy Birthday to Jason Shepard (30-something) on Sunday (May 18). Happy Birthday also to Ashlyn Ortiz who turns 3 on Tuesday (May 19) and TODAY to (40-something) Darren Boyd!

Family Faces. I am including two family pictures. The first is a picture of Elmer with his oldest granddaughter Havilah Colgain. On the back of the photo it says that it was taken on Elmer's birthday in 1984. (Joan, can you tell us more about the circumstances surrounding this picture?)

The other picture is of birthday girl Ashlyn Ortiz and her family. Ashlyn is the one on the hip of her mother Desiree. Her father Jeremy is holding her little brother Damian. In front is her older sister Ciara, who, like her Great Great Grandfather William Shepard, is not always comfortable in front of a camera. Thanks to Grandmother Kim for this picture, taken just last month in Balboa Park in San Diego.

--

Steve

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