Birthday Day: May 14, 2010

There are only two lasting bequests

we can give our children -

one is roots, and the other, wings.

- Hodding S. Carter

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Today there are no less than three birthdays in our family. I don't think there is another day in the year with that many birthdays among the descendants of Will and Bura Shepard. 

My aunt Thelma (Shepard) Boyd, daughter of Will and Bura Shepard, is celebrating a birthday today in Gallup, New Mexico, where she and Terry Boyd live. Which birthday she is having I am not at liberty to divulge (without dire consequences), as her note below will explain.

In [my sister] Pauline's last years, she used to tell me, "Don't get old." I would tell her that I only had one other choice! 

Yes, I'm doing very well. I'm still working and loving my job. Terry is okay. Not great but medium. Our weather has been so crazy this year. A week ago Sunday it snowed all day long and got down to 20 degrees. Monday I went for my walk after work, and didn't even need a sweater. A week ago the wind and dirt blew so bad they closed I-40 on the Arizona side and traffic backed up bumper to bumper for 30 miles. It's beautiful now. (Just don't be telling my birth year or you're in trouble, Dude.) 

Today is also the birthday of Thelma's granddaughter Courtney Boyd of Lakeside, California. Courtney is the oldest child of Darren and Vicki Boyd. Happy Birthday to Courtney and her grandmother Thelma. Terry and Thelma are pictured in the first photo. On the original it says "May, 1958, Tucson, Arizona". They were married in August of that year.

And finally this day is also the birthday of Christopher Shepard, son of Darrell and Mary Shepard of Kirkland, Washington. This second picture shows Christopher with his grandmother Maida and aunt Cindy Shepard. For those of you who may not know, the irony and the humor of the occasion was because those with cigarettes in their mouths were NOT the smokers.

Mary gave me the following update on Chris:

Christopher is doing very well! He is attending Lake Washington Tech taking courses to become a Medical Assistant. He is doing very well in his classes! After he gets his certificate, he may pursue a career in psychology. He is still working full time at Remington Place in Lake City. His current 'passion' is nutrition and working out at the gym. He is leading a very healthy lifestyle. He has been dating a girl from Manchester, England for the past several months who is currently an au pair for a couple in nearby Woodinville. They spend a lot of time hiking, working out and staying very active. 

Last week we were all deeply saddened by the sudden death of Rachel's puppy, Maddi. She was with Bryan at work when she was struck by a car and later died.  Maddi was so beautiful and sweet and was more like Rachel's child, than a pet.  Our entire family is in mourning. We intend to hold a memorial for her and spread her ashes in a couple of weeks. So, Chris is spending a lot of time this week comforting his sister.

Best wishes to all three birthday people today! And our best to Rachel and Bryan on the loss of their puppy.

- - -

Steve

A Mother's Birthday: May 11

Like branches on a tree, 

our lives may grow 

in different directions,

yet our roots remain as one. 

~Anonymous

Hello Shepard family and friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

- - -

Steve

History Assignment: Cinco de Mayo

The bond that links

your true family

is not one of blood,

but of respect and joy

in each other's life.

~Richard Bach 

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings from San Diego on this great North American holiday, Cinco de Mayo. 

I got an email from my niece Linda Shepard the other day asking me about the Baby Boomer Generation. (See the picture of Linda, taken last summer by her aunt Barbara.)

Actually she sent me a text message on my cell phone, telling me to get to my computer "a.s.a.p.!" to read the email she had sent. Evidently she was worried I might have a life beyond my computer that would keep me from these important family emails. (She knows me pretty well.)

So I rushed to my computer to read her email. In it she explained that she had been given an assignment in her High School history class. History class? I was not sure I liked where this was going. She further explained that she needed to get the opinion of family members MY age about the Baby Boomer generation.

I was beginning to feel older and older the more I read. I had always thought that we Baby Boomers were a pretty current bunch, and suddenly I was feeling like an ancient relic. Like a Giant Sequoia. Or a dinosaur. It was something of a wake up call. All this from a lovely, bright 16 year old, who probably intended no harm whatsoever to my self image.

We Baby Boomers are quite a responsible bunch, so I dutifully answered her questions as quickly as I could. Although in the process I began to wonder if perhaps she had put off this assignment until the last minute, thereby necessitating my response "a.s.a.p.!" Is "cramming" as common among students these days as it was "back in the day"?  

The questions she asked were actually rather thought provoking, for someone of MY generation. They had to do with the Vietnam War, pot smoking, religious changes, diversity and a host of other matters. She and her teacher (probably the CHILD of a Baby Boomer) knew how to get Boomers' attention.  

The second picture from 1952 shows the first three Baby Boomers born among the descendants of Will and Bura Shepard: my brother Gary (in the middle, born 1946), me (1948) and my sister Linda Shepard (1950) -- the one after whom my niece Linda is named.

Answering Linda's questions got me to wondering where I really am, historically, in my particular part of our family. Here are the facts: 47 descendants of Will and Bura Shepard have been born over the last 95 years, 42 of whom are alive today. Add spouses of those 42 and you get 57 people. Of those 57, I am number 8. Only 7 people in my entire part of the family are older than I am. 49 are younger. I am feeling less and less current all the time. 

It took me the better part of a day to get my part of her assignment turned in to her on time, but for us Baby Boomers, I think that qualifies as "a.s.a.p."
- - -

Steve

May Day: 99 and Counting!

In work,

do what you enjoy. 

In family life, 

be completely present.

~Lao Tzu 

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you on this first day of May, 2010. Happy 99th Birthday TODAY to Mildred (Beck) Davis, the oldest living member of the family of Bura (Davis) Shepard. Mildred, who lives in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, was married to Jesse Davis, Bura's brother.

Mildred's son Bud Davis (see them both in the picture above) emailed me about their early birthday celebration:

We had a wonderful time together and brought away many good memories.  Just sitting in the living room with Mom and family nearby, even without saying anything.... the unspoken warmth of those you love.... able to communicate without words.... all of the stories as we remembered the good ole times... watching the little ones interact with Mom, and her smile at seeing them... all this and more made it a magical time.

All five of my sisters were there - Jessie, Charlotte, Nordeen, Becky and Kathy. We marvel that we are still blessed to be there with Mom on her 99th birthday. Many grandchildren and Ggrands were there to see her. Mom does not like a lot of attention or fanfare so we have to be careful about too big a production. Her most frequent question was: "Did you have enough to eat and do you have a place to sleep?"

One conversation included trying to recall Jesse Davis' favorite color. Several in the room in unison said "red". Becky asked Mom if she remembered the red dress that dad bought for her at Nellie's Dress Shoppe in Boise City, Oklahoma where we grew up. After thinking a moment, Mom said with a gleam in her eye, "I remember I made him take it back!" Dad liked to surprise Mom with a gift and apparently it was not the right size... or maybe she just did not want him spending their hard earned money on her. Mom continues to be blessed with almost no pain. We are planning her next birthday already, the big 100.

The picture above shows Jesse and Mildred Davis and their 6 children in 1954. This picture is from their family history booklet compiled in 1993. The picture below, shows Jesse Davis and his sister Bura (Davis) Shepard in 1965.

More 20th Century Brookses. Last week I mentioned that James Brooks Davis had two 20th century descendants who were given the name "Brooks". One of JBD's granddaughters, Becky Davis, informed me that I failed to mention two other 20th century Brookses. George Brooks (Bud) Davis has a son named Jeffrey Brooks Davis, and a grandson named Trey Brooks Davis. The name Brooks has been in our family for at least 300 years now, and it appears that it will continue for many more years to come.

Trivia Question Answered: Last week I asked a trivia question: How many GGGGGGGG (8 Greats) grandparents does each of us have in our family tree? The answer is pretty amazing. Each one of us has 1,024 GGGGGGGG grandparents in our family trees. (Good luck trying to find the names of all them!) What an incredible gene pool from which we are each a unique creation. Special commendation goes to Nathan Shepard of San Francisco for being the first to give the correct answer. Honorable mention goes to Steven Paul Shepard of Anacortes, Washington, for working the hardest to find the answer.

- - -

Steve

April 26: Safeguarding Motherhood

God gave us memories 

that we might have roses 

in December.  

~J.M. Barrie

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you on this week of remembering some special loved ones. Tomorrow would have been the 71st birthday of Beverly Russell, had she not suffered a fatal brain aneurysm in 1974.

Bev's daughter Shannon Wilk lives in Atchison, Kansas with her young daughter Emma. The first picture shows Shannon in the arms of her mother Beverly in late 1973. Next to Bev is Shannon's grandmother Pauline (Shepard) Russell and her Ggrandmother Bura (Davis) Shepard. 

Shannon wrote me recently: Emma is doing great. Growing like a weed. She will be starting kindergarten this year. She is getting to be a computer nerd. Plays on it at school and at (papa) Frank's. Can't get her off the thing! 

I remember my mother's birthday every year, though I usually remember it quietly to myself. I try to tell Emma everything I can about grandma, but having no memory of her is hard. Uncle Rex and Aunt Margie kept the picture of mom for me - the one above grandad's TV. It has now been above Emma's bed since the day she came home. Emma and I get a kick out of how much we both look like her.

Does anyone have any memories of my mother they would like to share with me and Emma? I would be most grateful. Did she like to dance? Emma and I dance all the time. We love music and Emma gets her little booty just-a-shaking! What was her favorite color? Favorite food? Did she like sports, etc.?

Sometimes it's hard to feel whole when half of me I do not know. But what I do have of my mom and what I do know, I keep a part of our lives. My father as well. Emma was only two when my dad passed in 2007. But she knows grandpa Phil, and points him out in all the pictures. We were out at the lake one day and a butterfly was following us - seriously - and Emma said that it was grandpa Phil, that he wanted to walk with us. The things children say...

I encourage those who have memories of Bev to share them with Shannon and Emma. Please email me if you need her email address.

Other April Memories. This Wednesday would have been the 89th birthday of my father Eugene Shepard, who passed away in the summer of 2003. Wednesday also happens to be the birthday of my maternal grandmother Nola Gower who died in 2004 at 102. They are both gone but are still remembered fondly.

The picture above was taken at the home of Gary and Cindy Shepard in Ramona, California in 1997 and shows Nola Gower on the left, next to Eugene and Maida (Gower) Shepard.

Birthday wishes to Susan Clark Cox and Amanda Clark Farrell, twin daughters of Jerry Clark and Jane Clark Brock. Susan and Amanda both turned 30 yesterday! Happy birthday to both of them!

The third picture, taken back in 1991, shows Susan and Amanda. These days Susan is in cahoots with dad Jerry in their business in Lubbock, Texas, and Amanda lives with husband Chris Farrell in Frisco -- not the one in Northern California, but the one in north Texas.

Safeguarding Motherhood. On Easter Sunday I posted a picture of Kelly and James Sauvage and their two boys (see the picture). I said that the boys were wearing Pittsburgh Steeler jerseys. Kelly insisted that I set the record straight: "The two boys and I are wearing Charger jerseys. James is the only one in a Steelers jersey. I mean come on... what kind of mother do you think I am?!"

Later this week I'll give the answer to last week's trivia question. (How many GGGGGGGG grandparents do each of us have?) It's not too late to make your guess.
- - -
Steve

April 21: Our Brooks Connection

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

Every table had an argument going.

~George Carlin

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,


I never met my Ggrandfather James Brooks Davis - he died 20 years before I was born. But I do remember my grandmother Bura (Davis) Shepard talking about her father. She always referred to him by all 3 names, as if his middle name Brooks had special significance, but I never heard her say what that significance was. Perhaps she never knew. 

The Brooks Connection. From Ronald Davis' family history I learned years ago that James Brooks Davis had a Ggrandparent named Vashti Wright. (Vashti is the name of the queen of Persia in the Bible book of Esther) Recently I discovered that her maiden name was Brooks. Was she the one James Brooks Davis' parents were thinking of when they named him?

Vashti Brooks Wright was born in Bush River, South Carolina in the all-American year of 1776. After a remarkably long life for someone born in the 18th century, she died in Owen County, Indiana at 91. She had moved there from South Carolina with her family sometime in the early 1800s. Here's the interesting thing: it was also in Owen County, just 3 years after her death, that James "Brooks" Davis was born.

On the other hand, it might have been another member of Vashti's family that Charles and Melinda (Wright) Davis were thinking of when they named their first child James Brooks Davis. The name of Vashti's father, as well as one of her brothers, was -- get this -- James Brooks. The parents of the elder James Brooks were Matthew and Elizabeth (Warren) Brooks, who, according to historical records, had immigrated to the U.S. in 1731 via the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.

Here, then, are the names and dates of those in a 300 year lineage from my granddaughter Preslea Maida Shepard to Matthew Brooks, with James Brooks Davis smack dab in the middle:

Preslea Maida Shepard (b. 2010)...
Nathan William Shepard (b. 1977)...
Steven Dale Shepard (b. 1948)...
Eugene William Shepard (1921-2003)...
Bura (Davis) Shepard (1896-1986)...
James Brooks Davis (1870-1928)...
Melinda (Wright) Davis (1846-1920)...
John Lynn Wright (1819-1909)...
Vashti (Brooks) Wright (1776-1867)...
James Brooks (1747-1790)...
Matthew Brooks (1711-1755)...

The picture above on the left, taken recently, shows Preslea Shepard of San Francisco, California, the youngest in the lineage listed above, with her grandmother Cindy Shepard of San Diego, California.

20th Century Brookses. At least two 20th century members of our family were given the name Brooks, both grandsons of James Brooks Davis. One was James Brooks Millikan (1948-1958), John and Marjorie (Davis) Millikan's youngest son, whose life was cut short by bone cancer. The other is George Brooks (Bud) Davis, who lives in Washington State, and who I referred to in this blog a couple of weeks ago. The picture on the right, taken earlier this month, shows George Brooks (Bud) Davis with grandchild Moira. Bud: "Moira, six months old, is the daughter of my wife Janet's son David and wife Jenny Kaye who live in Edmond, OK."

Trivia Question for Today. The lineage listed above shows that immigrant Matthew Brooks is Preslea Shepard's GGGGGGGG grandfather. (With just a change or two, most of you can create a lineage similar to the one above that shows your connection to Matthew Brooks.)  Here is today's trivia question: how many GGGGGGGG grandparents does each person have in their family tree? (You have two parents, 4 grandparents, etc...) The first one to email me with the correct answer will get a special commendation in an upcoming post. (woo-hoo!)

In the meantime celebrate, protect and honor our beautiful world on Earth Day tomorrow.
- - -
Steve

April 14, 2010: Yet Another Spring Birthday

Spring has returned.

The earth is like a child

that knows poems.
~Rainer Maria Rilke

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings from San Diego, California where beautiful spring flowers seems to be multiplying overnight. We are presently in the midst of the big 3 day celebration of Khmer New Year - at least it is big for the thousands of Cambodians who live in the San Diego area. It is a first for Cindy and me, but a regular occurrence for our daughter-in-law Chenda. Learn more about Khmer New Year.

The first picture I am including shows baby Preslea Maida Shepard with her daddy Nathan, mom Chenda and Grandmother Cindy. This picture was taken just yesterday at a Khmer New Year celebration here in San Diego. (click the pic for a larger view)

Today is the birthday of Rachel Jane Shepard of Bothell, Washington. She is the middle child of Darrell and Mary Shepard of Kirkland, Washington, a Granddaughter of Maida and Eugene Shepard, and the 13th Ggrandchild of Will and Bura (Davis) Shepard. The second picture I am including, taken last fall, shows Rachel with her mother Mary on the left and her boyfriend Bryan Miller, standing. The third picture today shows Rachel at 3 years old at a family wedding in Anacortes, Washington.

Rachel: "I can't believe I'll be 23 this Wednesday, time sure flies! :) All is going well with me. Bryan and I are still living in our apartment in Bothell. I stay busy these days with work and taking care of our 5 month old puppy Maddi. :) I continue to work in the senior housing industry (going on 7 years!) and actually got a new job as an Assistant Administrator for an Assisted Living Memory Care community. It's a lot of work and responsibility but I am enjoying it. Work is pretty tiring and we've been having some crazy weather lately so I've been relaxing and of course spending time with my family. As you know we all still stay within about a 15 minute radius of each other.  

My mom is doing pretty good. For the most part she's recovering very well from her recent surgery. Patrick just got a promotion with his job and Chris continues to work and go to school full time. We are all looking forward to the following months for some nice sunny weather. :)

What a beautiful baby Nathan and Chenda have. I love the name. I'm very happy for them. Your first grand baby! That's exciting for you guys too. I enjoy the family emails and getting to see the pictures that come with them."

Historical Note: There is another Rachel Jane in our family tree besides today's birthday girl Rachel Jane Shepard. Bura (Davis) Shepard's maternal grandmother was Margaret (Maggie) Williams Spear (1845-1904) who had a sister born with the name Rachel Jane Williams (b. 1832). Often in our family children will be named purposefully after a relative. Then there are times when a child is unintentionally named after one of their ancestors. My guess is that the latter is the case here, but it is worth celebrating nonetheless. Happy Birthday, Rachel!

Select this for a photo presentation done for Rachel. 

- - -

Steve

April 8, 2010: Happy Anniversary Jerry and Cathrina

The value of the family

is not that adults produce children,

but that children produce adults. 

-Peter de Vries

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from the unusually warm city of San Francisco, where the weather turned from drizzly, cold, west coast winter to sunny springtime overnight. Our sojourn in the City by the Bay with the new parents of our beautiful grandchild Preslea Maida will end later today when we return home to San Diego.

Happy anniversary to Jerry and Cathrina (Helms) Clark of Lubbock, Texas who were married 4 years ago today. Jerry emailed me recently with the following.

"We are very busy (at work) with the end of the school year. 4 years has gone quick -- of course at my advanced age all the years do!

We are heading back to NYC with Cat's parents in June and then to Myrtle Beach with Sue, Drew, Amanda and Chris in late July celebrating my 60th and Sue and Amanda's 30th birthdays.

Cathrina is busy with selling cotton and driving her fancy, used, red race car (as my grandson Drew calls it). All 7 of our grandkids are great. Becky is expecting another and that will make 8 total."

The first picture (above) shows the happy couple Cathrina and Jerry in a recent picture. The second picture I am including shows Jerry and two other women in his life: Maida Shepard on the left, and Amanda, one of his 3 daughters, on the right.  Maida lives in Anacortes, Washington where this picture was taken in the fall of 2005, and Amanda lives in Frisco, Texas with husband Chris Farrell.

If you have been paying even a little attention to this blog for the last 2+ years, you know that Friday has been my day of choice to post messages. But that has changed recently, as you may have noticed. I will continue to post at least once a week, but the particular day of the week will probably vary. I hope this does not upset anyone's routine too much. ;-) 

- - -

Steve

Happy Easter!

Celestial spirit that doth roll
The heart's sepulchral stone away,
Be this our resurrection day,
The singing Easter of the soul -
O gentle Master of the Wise,
Teach us to say: "I will arise."
~Richard Le Gallienne

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,


Greetings on Easter Sunday, a beautiful time amid bright colors, family gatherings, joyful worship, new clothes and Easter baskets!


Easter Birthdays. Happy Birthday today to James Sauvage of Weatherford, Texas. James has been a member of our family ever since he and Kelly Shepard were married 10 years ago. They are the parents of Nathaniel and Kyle. (See the picture of the four of them, Kelly in the pink Charger jersey, the other 3 in Steeler jerseys.)

Kelly tells me that James "is a lifelong Steelers fan. Even after spending all those years in San Diego, he is still devoted to his team. That’s okay, we share the same disliking for the Cowboys!

"James has been working for Direct TV since July of last year. He seems to really like it and it keeps him busy. He recently received a promotion that he had been working hard for. 

"Nathaniel and Kyle have started to play baseball this Spring. James is coaching Kyle’s team…most of the time. For James, this is good because he gets to be at Kyle’s practices and games. For me on the other hand, it means I am running back and forth trying to watch both boys. James continues to referee football as much as his job will allow. Football season is over right now, but there is a semi pro team in the area that he referees for. I think he likes this best because he gets to hang out with the guys."  

Happy 8th Birthday to Ciara Ortiz!  Easter Sunday is also the birthday of Ciara Ortiz, the daughter of Jeremy and Desiree Ortiz of El Cajon, California. Ciara is the Ggranddaughter of Thelma and Terry Boyd, and a GGgrandchild of Will and Bura Shepard, and one of their youngest descendants.

The second picture I am including shows Ciara flanked by two of her favorite 3rd cousins Kyle and Nate. This picture was taken at the Shepard-Davis Family Reunion last summer in Oklahoma.


Mom Desiree says that, "Ciara is an active and silly girl. She is very out going and smart (some times too smart for her own good, lol)! Right now Ciara is playing girls SoftBall, her team is 6 and 2 right now. They will be getting ready for All Stars after spring break. Once SoftBall is over Ciara will begin playing Soccer, a game which she enjoys and is great at!

"Ciara will be 8 this Easter Sunday and is excited that her Grammy (Kim Clark) will be coming to San Diego to celebrate with her. We will all be going to spend two days at DisneyLand!"

Best wishes for wonderful birthdays to Ciara and James. To all of you... May the joy and blessing of Easter be yours!

- - -
Steve

Greetings on Good Friday!

.
All I really need [at Easter] is love,

but a little chocolate 
now and then 
doesn't hurt!
~Lucy Van Pelt 
(Charles Schultz)

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,


Greetings to all of you on this Good Friday, which begins Easter weekend, 2010. We are still in San Francisco celebrating the new daughter of our son Nathan and his wife Chenda.

Since Chenda is Khmer (the major ethnicity of Cambo- dia), we are calling little Preslea Maida our "Khmer- ican" baby (rhymes with "Amer- ican"). We are pretty sure she is the first Khmerican child among all the descendants of Will and Bura Shepard. That is only one of the reasons that Cindy and I are convinced that she is the most beautiful baby in the world. Do we sound like grandparents, or what? ;-)

We are also celebrating Nathan's birthday which is tomorrow, April 3. The first picture I am including was taken this past week and shows Nathan with his new daughter Preslea. If you did not see it after the last post, here is a photo presentation celebrating Nathan's birthday and the last two years.

I received word yesterday from cousin Bud Davis, one of Bura (Davis) Shepard's nephews, who lives in western Washington. He said that he had been thinking about his father Jesse Davis (one of Bura's brothers) who had passed away 41 years ago this past Wednesday, March 31. (See the second picture of Jess Davis on his horse, taken about 80 years ago.)


"Though it has been 41 years, he still lives on with us in so many ways.  The memories, the values he taught us, the interesting things he said and did and the faith in God he instilled in us."

Bud also mentioned that he would be in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on Easter Sunday and all next week for an early celebration of his mom Mildred Beck Davis' 99th birthday (which is May 1). Best wishes to Bud and Mildred and their whole family. 

There is so much happening in our family these days that I am posting to this blog more often than usual this week. Watch for more family news this weekend!
- - -
Steve