"I Don't Need Google", February 2, 2016

There is something about

reviewing the lessons of the past

that prepares us to face

the challenges of the future.

~L. Tom Perry

On this Ground Hog Day, I am celebrating three different but important celebrations among people within our family tree.

Cindy Ann Shepard. Today is the birthday of Cindy Ann Dillon Shepard, the wife of my brother Gary Shepard, who lives in the town of Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island, Washington. Cindy was actually born in Rhode Island, but was raised in Southern California. She and Gary were married in Orange County in 1979, and then lived in the San Diego area until they retired to Washington in 2003 where they live today. Cindy has worked for several years in nearby Mount Vernon, Washington at Schenk Packing Company. 

Gary and Cindy Shepard

This first picture shows Gary and Cindy and was taken this past Christmas at the home of Maida Shepard in Anacortes, Washington. Happy Birthday to Cindy!

William Elmer Shepard (1862-1915). Today is the birthday of my Great Grandfather William Elmer Shepard. His is one of the more remarkable stories to be found in our entire family tree, that I have written about numerous times in this blog. His father was a Civil War soldier named William Shepard who died just 5 months after William Elmer was born.

The widow and mother Mary Elizabeth Sprague Shepard rebounded by marrying an older man in Montgomery County, Indiana who already had his own family, but was kind enough to take into his household this young widow and her two sons, 3 year old William Elmer and 4 year old Frank. This united family did not blend well and by the time William Elmer was an older teenager he struck out on his own. He hightailed it out of Montgomery County, then out of the state of Indiana, and landed in Madison County, Illinois, where he met Elvira Owens and his wandering days were over. After marrying Elvira and having two children with her, he moved to Beaver County, Oklahoma where he and Elvira lived out their days. He died in 1915, also in the month of February, at just 53 years old.

We know from the stories of his son, my Granddad William Shepard, that William Elmer died from what was diagnosed at the time as stomach cancer. He was a good father, husband and church member (South Flat Church of Christ), and made a great impact on his son. He died just 4 months before his son married Bura Davis. We remember him today for the witness that he was to his family and his church.

John and Sally After 190 Years. Today is also the anniversary of two of my GGG Grandparents, John Pouty Williams (1806-1898) and Sarah (Sally) Richardson (1801-1877). They were married on this day in 1826, 190 years ago. 

John was born in Kentucky but after his father died in 1813 when young John was a child, his mother Lydia Warford Williams took their 4 children and moved them to Indiana where their family settled for several generations. In Indiana young John met Sally Richardson and even though she was 5 years older, married her when he was 19 and she was 24. Sally was originally from Virginia but had moved as a young woman to Washington County, Indiana, where she and John tied the knot. 

Headstone of Sarah (Sally) Richardson Williams

We don't know much about the wedding of John and Sally, other than it took place in Southern Indiana, on this day, the very midpoint of winter, Ground Hog Day (although the Puxtahawny Phil tradition did not even start until some years later). Indiana was still very much frontier America at that time, the state itself was still very young, Indians were still a major challenge, and travel was very primitive and difficult through this rugged, untamed landscape. 

John and Sally's marriage lasted 51 years -- an amazing length of time in those days -- and endured the build up to, the fighting of, and the rebuilding after the Civil War. Their love resulted in 9 children and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren, including Bura Davis Shepard, my grandmother. Sally died in 1877 while John lived until 1898. Grandmother Bura was born just 14 months before the death of her Great Grandfather John Pouty Williams, with the real possibility that the two of them may have actually spent some special moments together.

John and Sally Williams are yet another remarkable couple in our family tree whose lives are worth remembering, and whose love and devotion to one another is deserving of our gratitude. Their final resting place is in the beautiful Pleasant Grove Cemetery in the hills northwest of Spencer, Indiana.
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Steve Shepard

Remembering Sadie Shepard Pruett, January 29, 2016

Tradition means giving votes 

to the most obscure of all classes

-- our ancestors.

It is the democracy of the dead.

~Gilbert Keith Chesterton

This week celebrates the birthday of my Great Aunt, Sadie Shepard Pruett, the only sister of my Grandfather William Shepard. She lived from January 27, 1892 until January 29, 1980.

My Granddad William Shepard was 3 years older than his sister Sadie, both of whom were born in Madison County, Illinois, just across the river from Saint Louis, Missouri. They were teenagers when their parents William Elmer Shepard and Elvira Owens Shepard, moved the family in 1905 to Beaver County, Oklahoma.

The United States Census of 1910 shows that, in the small farming community of Logan, Beaver County, Oklahoma, the William Elmer Shepard family was a close neighbor of the Charles Edward Davis family. One of the Davis granddaughters was Bura Davis, who in 1915 became the bride of Sadie's brother William Shepard. That union created a bond between the Davis and Shepard families that continues to this day.

(Side Note: on this day 167 years ago -- January 29, 1849 -- the aforementioned neighbor of the Shepards', Charles Edward Davis, was born. He was the grandfather of my grandmother Bura Davis Shepard.) 

I never knew my great aunt Sadie Shepard Pruett despite the fact that our lives overlapped by several decades. She visited her brother William Shepard and his family in San Diego in the 1940s, this second remarkable family picture having been taken on one such visit. It shows Sadie (in the dark dress in the middle) and husband Levy (middle of the top row) with other Shepard and Russell family members while visiting the border town of Tijuana in 1946. 

Though she visited family in California, Sadie never lived any farther west than rural Beaver County. In 1910, at just 18 years old, she gave up her teaching job in the local public school to marry Levy Pruett who was 12 years older than her. They had 3 daughters: Alberta, Gayle and Twila. The first picture (above) shows the beautiful young mother and wife Sadie at 23 years old with her first two daughters Alberta and Gayle. This lovely picture may actually have been taken on the occasion of the marriage of her brother William Shepard to Bura Davis.

Sadie is buried alongside her husband Levy Pruett in the Sophia Cemetery near Elmwood, Oklahoma. That cemetery is just around the corner from the South Flat Church of Christ, a congregation which was dear to the hearts of many of our Shepard and Davis family members in the early years of the 20th century.


Unfortunately there has been very little communication over the years between the descendants of Sadie Shepard Pruett and her brother William Shepard. Today, many of the Shepards live on the West Coast, while many of Sadie's descendants live in and around Oklahoma. Perhaps that lack of interaction will change as generations go by and as the internet makes possible greater communication between distant relatives.

Seeking Valentine's Day Pictures. As I mentioned last week, I am putting together a family photo presentation for Valentine's Day. If you have a "kissing picture" including family members, you are welcome to send it to me for inclusion in this fun photo slide show.
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Steve Shepard

Prelude to a Kiss, January 20, 2016

If you hear a song in blue,

Like a flower crying for the dew,

That was my heart serenading you,

My prelude to a kiss.

~Craig Lucas

Valentine's Day is Coming Soon. In a few short weeks we will celebrate Valentine's Day. I plan to compile a musical photo presentation to celebrate love in our family. I invite you to send me a photo of members of your family kissing, to be included in that presentation. 

It could be a dad's peck on a baby's cheek, a warm smooch on an unsuspecting ear, a familial peck on a grandparent's forehead, a warm kiss in a loving embrace, an old photo, a recent snapshot, etc. I think you get the idea. The possibilities are endless. Are you up to the task? Pucker up and give it your best shot. Have some fun. Be creative and send me your photo in an email before Valentine's Day.

Birthday Wishes to Dane and Nathan! Tomorrow, January 21, is the birthday of my cousin Dane Shepard and his son Nathan Ross Shepard who were born on the same day of the year. One would think that would be a highly unusual occurrence, since the odds of it happening are 1 in 365. It happened to Dane and Nathan, when the latter was born in 1996. Oddly enough it also happened to my brother Russ when his son Steven was born on Russ' birthday in 1990: twice in the Shepard family in 6 years! What are the odds of that happening?

Dane lives in New Castle, Oklahoma with his wife Cindy and daughter Kaylan, while their son Nathan will celebrate his 20th birthday tomorrow while in college in Florida. This first picture shows Dane and wife Cindy in a recent photo that Dane graciously sent me recently.

Dane: Yes, it's that time of year again for Nathan and me. We have had a very eventful year which has kept us busier than ever. Turning 65 is a milestone. You definitely know you are a senior citizen when you join Medicare and are eligible for senior discounts when you fly. I haven't slowed down at all and I'm grateful for the continued health to keep up with Nathan and Kaylan, and the rest of our extended family here. Cindy and I certainly enjoy the progress they are making.

Nathan continues to do well getting his business degree with an emphasis in behavioral science. He is in his third year at Florida College and plans to remain in Florida to attend USF for graduate work. He has managed to balance being in two performing groups, working part time, and dating while keeping up with his studies. Thanks for your continued work with an ever expanding family legacy. "Roots and wings" go well together. ...Gratefully, Dane

Nathan: Hey there! Thank you for the birthday wishes! It has been a little while since the family reunion in OK! I hope you are doing well! I will actually be at school in Florida for my birthday however my parents will be coming down the following week. I would like to give a warm hello to all the Shepard family and best hopes for a good year!

Happy Anniversary Havilah and Kevin. This Saturday, Jan 23, 2016, is the 6th wedding anniversary of Havilah and Kevin Wardle. Havilah is the daughter of my cousin Joan Shepard of Dixon, California and Art Colgain of Salt Lake City, Utah. She is also the niece of the aforementioned Dane and Cindy Shepard. Best wishes to Havilah and Kevin for a wonderful anniversary celebration.

Happy 90th Birthday Bernice Johnson Beckham! Also, best wishes go out today to Bernice Johnson Beckham of Mountain View, Arkansas who turns 90 years old today. Bernice is the first cousin of my mother Maida Gower Shepard. 

Bernice and Maida are among the last surviving grandchildren of my Great Grandparents Samuel Pickens Shannon and his wife Finetta Clementine Dearien. Bernice, who has lived her whole life in Mountain View, Stone County, Arkansas, is an important connection to that part of our Shannon and Gower families that have roots in the hills of Northern Arkansas that go back almost 200 years.
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Steve Shepard

A Relentless Hope, January 13, 2016

Success is to be measured

not so much by the position one has reached in life

as by the obstacles which have been overcome.

~Booker T. Washington

Happy Anniversary to Jeff and Kim Clark! This coming Monday, January 18 is the 9th wedding anniversary of Kim Boyd Ortiz-Clark and Jeff Clark. Kim is a cousin of mine and one of the Grandchildren of William and Bura Shepard. 

Kim and husband Jeff were married in La Jolla, California in 2007 but have lived their entire married life in Blue Springs, Missouri. Best wishes to Kim and Jeff for a wonderful anniversary!

Remembering Samuel and Finetta Shannon. On this day in 1881, two of my Great Grandparents were married in Stone County, Arkansas. They are one more couple in our family tree who chose to marry in the dead of winter. It was undoubtedly cold in the hills of Northern Arkansas on that Thursday, January 13, when my Great Grandfather Samuel Pickens Shannon and Great Grandmother Finetta Clementine Dearien tied the knot. At the time their families were living in the small farming communities of  Sylamore and Timbo, 13 miles west of Mountain View, Arkansas.

I never knew either one of them personally. Sam died before I was born. And although Finetta lived until 1960, I lived in California and never had the opportunity to meet her. But we do know quite a bit about the lives of both of them. The historical record is kind to us in this regard. Both Finetta and Sam had amazing, yet tragic childhoods in their own ways.

Tragic Childhoods. Sam was the 7th of the 9 children of David and Peggy Shannon. Of those 9 children, 2 died in their first year. The other 7 lived in rural Louisiana during the Civil War. Their father died in that conflict when Sam was just 5 years old, leaving mother Peggy and her 7 children in poverty in the post war South, a terrible fate in itself. Fortunately Peggy's brothers from Stone County, Arkansas came to the rescue and moved Peggy and her fatherless children, to live near them in Northern Arkansas. Though Sam's mother was a young Civil War widow, at least he had the stability of a larger family that cared for him, his mother, and his siblings.

Finetta's childhood was also very difficult, but for different reasons. Born in Stone County, Arkansas she was the child of an abusive stepfather Gus Dearien who had molested his own stepdaughter, Finetta's mother Roena Norton. In those days Finetta was considered "illegitimate", which carried a burdensome stigma. She was raised in the hills south of Mountain View, Arkansas by her biological father and her Grandmother Liza Mitchell Dearien.

A Relentless Hope for the Future. So on that Thursday, 135 years ago, when Finetta and Sam married, they came together with lots of painful history, but a relentless hope for the future that led them to a wonderful life with one another. They bore 9 children, the last of whom was my Grandmother Nola Shannon Gower. I remember Grandma Gower talking about the home in which she was raised: a place where hard work was valued, where dirt floors were common, where the most was made of the simplest things, where family life was respected, where long dusty walks to church and community was normal, and where allegiance to the local Baptist Church was important.

It may have been in that little Baptist Church in their local community that their wedding occurred. Samuel was 22 and Finetta was 19 when they said their vows and began a journey of love that would last 49 years. Sam died at 72 in 1930, while Finetta lived till 1960 when she died just 3 months short of her 100th birthday. They are buried next to each other in Gray Cemetery, a humble, at times hidden, family burial site off Happy Hallow Road within walking distance of Timbo.

From painful, humble beginnings, they lived a resilient life, overcoming great odds and leaving a wonderful family legacy. On this anniversary of their wedding, may God bless the memory of Sam and Finetta Shannon and their place in the history of our family.
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Steve Shepard

Watching the Stars Come Out, January 6, 2016

Happy are those who don't fear to see the sun go down,

but instead look forward to watching the stars come out.

~Mary's Motto

January 6 is celebrated throughout the Christian world as Epiphany, the day that commemorates the bright star that led the three wise men to the manger in Bethlehem. Three girls of our larger family are celebrated in today's post. Their ages, where they live, and their immediate families vary considerably, but they are all shining lights of this growing clan that unites us all.

Carsyn Slaughter. Yesterday, January 5, was the third birthday of Carsyn Slaughter, daughter of Cody Slaughter and Courtney Boyd, who is a Granddaughter of Thelma Boyd. Carsyn is one of the Great Great Grandchildren of my grandparents William and Bura Davis Shepard. Carsyn and her immediate family live outside San Diego in Alpine, California. Her proud grandfather is Darren Boyd of Coronado, California.

This first picture shows "Ninja Turtle" Carsyn being held by her dad Cody, alongside her mom Courtney and little sister Camryn, the newest member of their family, who was born last summer. "Happy Birthday!" to Carsyn and best wishes to her family.

Cindy Harris Shepard. Tomorrow, January 7, is the birthday of my wife Cindy Harris Shepard. Born in Visalia, California in the San Joaquin Valley, she came with her family to San Diego as a baby. Today Cindy and I live the retired life in San Diego and enjoy our kids and grandkids. Cindy is proud of her Native American (Chickasaw) heritage, which she can trace for at least 5 generations through her mother Paula Harris and maternal Grandmother Rosa Krause.

This second picture was taken back in November and shows Cindy in the middle with her mom Paula Harris on the right, her son Nathan on the left, and our 3 grandchildren William, Preslea and Logan Shepard scattered throughout.  

Mary Medina Shepard. This coming Sunday, January 10, is the birthday of Mary Medina Shepard, the wife of my brother Darrell Shepard. Originally from Worth, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), Mary lives today with her family in Bothell, Washington. She is the Executive Director of Emeritus Senior Living in nearby Everett, Washington, and loves to spend time with her and Darrell's four grandchildren, Logan, Mason, Kellan and Finley. As Mary puts it, "the biggest joy in life is being a Grandma!"

This third picture shows Mary with sister-in-law Cindy Shepard, taken in San Diego last spring when Mary and Darrell were visiting in Southern California and having dinner at a restaurant in Mission Beach.
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Steve Shepard

"Days of Auld Lang Syne", December 31, 2015

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and auld lang syne?

~Robert Burns

Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful new year! May 2016 bring much happiness, personal growth, and great joy.

Happy Anniversary Darrell and Mary. Happy 33rd Wedding Anniversary today, December 31, to my brother Darrell Shepard and his wife Mary Medina Shepard of Bothell, Washington. They were married in Abilene, Texas while students at Abilene Christian University. In the last third of a century their family has grown to a clan of 12 including three children and 4 grandchildren, all of whom live near them in the Seattle area. Happy Anniversary to Darrell and Mary, and best wishes for many more years to come!

This first picture shows Darrell and Mary with me on the right, in late 1983, just before they celebrated their first wedding anniversary. It was taken in Abilene, Texas where they were living at the time.

Remembering James and Callie Davis. Tomorrow is the wedding anniversary of my great grandparents James Brooks Davis and his wife Callie Spear Davis. They were married in Owen County, Indiana on New Year's Day, 120 years ago. Their decision to marry on the first day of the new year was understandable. A new year, a new marriage, a new beginning; it all fit together. For farming families it was also a slow time of the year work-wise. And if the weather was not too bad, family and friends from all around would be available to celebrate with them.

Their new year's day marriage so impressed their youngest daughter Marjorie Davis Millikan that she too decided to marry on that day. And not once, but twice! First in 1931 to John Millikan, the father of her children, and then 50 years later to Clyde Williams in 1981.

This second picture was taken in 1908, just a few months after their youngest child, Marjorie Davis, was born in Spencer, Indiana, and just a few years before the family moved to Beaver County, Oklahoma. This picture shows parents James and Callie Davis with baby Marjorie.

Happy Birthday Chenda! New Year's Day is also the birthday of our daughter-in-law Chenda Sou Shepard. She was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the first day of 1980. She lives in San Diego with husband Nathan Shepard and their three children Preslea, Logan and William.

This third picture was taken just last week on Christmas Day in San Diego at the home of Cindy's mom Paula Harris. Chenda is on the left holding their youngest child William Shepard. Next to Chenda in the back are Logan with Nathan, Cindy, her mom Paula and me on the far right. In front are Cindy's aunt Juanita Eeds with Preslea in front of her.
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Steve Shepard

Welcome the Future, Respect the Past, December 26, 2015

We must welcome the future;

soon it will be the past;

and we must respect the past,

remembering that it was once

all that was humanly possible.

~George Santayana

Happy Anniversary! Tomorrow, Sunday Dec 27, is Cindy's and my 47th wedding anniversary. We were married here in the San Diego area two days after Christmas in 1968 and were home for Christmas break from Abilene Christian at the time. Over those years our home has been in various places throughout California: San Diego, San Leandro, the San Fernando Valley, Los Alamitos, Palo Alto, and Dorrington.

This first picture was taken this past September when we were on vacation in Northern Ireland, a trip that was one of the highlights of 2015 for us. This particular picture was taken in Derry, Northern Ireland, a beautiful modern city, the port from which a number of our Irish ancestors sailed to America in the 19th century. Behind us in this picture are the ancient walls that surround the oldest portion of this city.

Remembering Pauline Shepard Russell (1916-2000). Monday, December 28, is the anniversary of the birth of my late aunt Pauline Shepard Russell, who was born 99 years ago in Beaver County, Oklahoma. Pauline was the oldest child of William Shepard and Bura Davis Shepard. She was the first child in their family to marry when she tied the knot with Bill Russell in 1935. They were the first to provide the Shepards with grandchildren when Rex and Beverly Russell were born to them in the late 1930s in Two Buttes, Colorado.

My aunt Pauline and her husband Bill Russell with their two children were part of the Shepard family migration to San Diego in the fall of 1940. Pauline lived the rest of her life in the San Diego area and is buried today in Greenwood Cemetery, alongside her husband Bill. The two of them have 3 direct descendants today: their granddaughter Shannon Wilk and her daughter Emma of Atchison, Kansas, and their grandson Eric Russell of Reno, Nevada.

This second picture was taken almost 25 years ago at a family reunion in Lake Wallawa, Oregon in the summer of 1991. Pauline in on the left with her husband Bill Russell. Next to them are my parents Eugene and Maida Shepard, and on the right are me and Cindy.

8 Years and Counting. It was 8 years ago on December 28 that I began this family genealogical blog. My very first family blog post on December 28, 2007 was a simple announcement about the Shepard/Gower family reunion that was coming up in the summer of 2008.

In the past 8 years in over 500 posts, I have made available over a thousand family pictures, have told countless stories about our family, and shared many posts regarding research I have done. Many of the stories I recounted from my own experience, while others I have uncovered through researching this big, diverse family of ours. Not only the Shepard, Gower, Davis, and Shannon branches, but other tributaries as well. Fortunately there are reliable online records that tell us of family that goes back several centuries in some instances, and more records are being made available online all the time.

I look forward to many more discoveries of ancestors that help us to understand who we really are and where we have come from. Thanks very much for the support of so many of you and for all who are readers of this blog. It has been a wonderfully rewarding experience for me and one that I hope to continue for many years. As always, I solicit your input into this effort in the form of new or old pictures as well as comments, celebrations, reflections, remembrances and any other contributions that would be appropriate to share in this venue. We are part of a great family that is worth remembering and celebrating!
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Steve Shepard

A Voice From the Past, December 23, 2015

They went into the house, 

and when they saw the child with his mother Mary, 

they knelt down and worshiped him. 

They brought out their gifts 

of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, 

and presented them to him.

~Matthew 2:11

Merry Christmas to all of you! May your holiday be filled with the joy of Christmas and the happiness of family.

On Christmas Day, 127 years ago, my Grandfather William Shepard was born in Alton, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from Saint Louis, Missouri. He was the first child of William Elmer Shepard and Elvira Owens.

This picture shows William Shepard on the far right next to his wife Bura Davis Shepard, and their 4 children Elmer, Thelma, Eugene and Pauline. This picture was taken in San Diego in 1975, the year before he died.  

I have included in this post an audio recording of my Grandfather William Shepard. You may recall that back in the spring, I shared with you a different recording of Granddad, one in which he told about his wedding to his wife Bura in 1915. That recording, as well as this one, was made in the 1970's when Granddad was well into his 80's. It was recorded by his son Elmer and daughter-in-law Beryl Swinney Shepard, with whom he and his wife Bura were living at the time. As I recall, Beryl was the one most interested in recording Granddad telling about his life and the stories he could recall. And Granddad was indeed quite the raconteur; he loved to tell stories about his life.

In this recording that is linked below, Granddad's story begins by him telling what it was like, at 16 years old (about 1905), when he moved to Beaver County, Oklahoma, which he calls "the wild and woolly west." He shares his regret at moving away from Illinois and his desire to return where he was raised.

Later in life William was a person who enjoyed venturing out and exploring new territory. This made it difficult at times for his family who found themselves without a husband and father for periods of time. He probably learned that adventurous spirit from his own father, who had left home in Indiana about 1880 as an older teenager and wandered on his own from Indiana to Illinois. That's where he met his wife Elvira Owens who became the mother of their two children.

You will also notice in this recording that when he was in his 80's Granddad was very hard of hearing. Beryl is clearly heard asking him questions, but he is oblivious to her. He was such a story-teller, however, that a little thing like deafness was not going to keep him from expressing himself and weaving his tales!




In this recording Granddad refers to a number of medical issues and the archaic ways they were dealt with in the early years of the 20th century. In particular he tells us about the death of his father William Elmer Shepard in 1915, and the death of his wife's father, James Brooks Davis, in 1928, both of whom died and are buried in Beaver County, Oklahoma. He gives some interesting, almost eerie, details of their deaths. How much is fact and how much is guesswork remains an open question. Even so, it makes for a fascinating recording as we hear this voice from the past.

For those of us who remember Granddad William Shepard it is worth it just to hear his familiar voice. For those of you who may never have known him, it is interesting and insightful to hear this voice from our family's history speak first hand about what life was like in the early years of the 20th century.
- - -
Steve Shepard

Treasuring the Small Things, December 12, 2015

The one who treasures the small things in life 

has found the path to true happiness.

~Kim Clark's Motto

Advent and Christmas is a time with special meaning for children. When I saw this holiday picture I could not pass up the opportunity to share it here in The Shepard's Crook. 

Taken earlier this month, this picture shows Santa and the four grandchildren of my brother Darrell Shepard and his wife Mary of Bothell, Washington. From left to right in the picture are Kellan Shepard (parents Rachel and Brian), Finley Shepard (parents Christopher and Jessica), and brothers Logan and Mason Shepard.

Happy First Birthday to Mason Shepard! Mason, the little one on the far right in the picture above with Santa, celebrates his first birthday today! With his big brother Logan, they are the sons of Patrick and Nicole Shepard of Bothell, Washington. 

This second image is of one-year-old Mason in a picture taken about a week ago. Thanks to Nicole for sharing this picture and for the update below.

Nicole: Mason is doing great! Can't believe he is one year old already! He is a very happy boy! Just about walking; and taking 10-15 steps at a time. He is VERY busy and into everything! Keeps us hopping! He is so much fun though. We are having a big "winter ONEderland" themed birthday party for him this weekend (today!).  It's going to be fun!

The Birth of Calvin Drinks. Congratulations to my cousin Joan Shepard and her wife Dee Shannon of Dixon, California who on Thursday celebrated the birth of their first grandchild, Calvin Robert Drinks. Calvin is the first child of Ryan and Robyn Drinks of Chico, California. Best wishes to baby Calvin, his parents, and his whole family who are thrilled to welcome this first member of the next generation in their family. This picture shows Calvin being held by his proud daddy Ryan at just a few hours old.

In Memory of Duen Ouk (1942-2015). It is surprising how often our joys and sorrows, the births and deaths, the happiness and the tears, seem to go hand in hand. It is with sadness that I report the death of the mother of our daughter-in-law Chenda Sou Shepard. Chenda, who has been in the U.S. now for almost 7 years, lives with husband Nathan and their 3 children here in San Diego. Last week on December 4, her mom Duen Ouk passed away in the family home village of Kampong Speu, Cambodia, after a long illness. 

Chenda went to Cambodia just a few weeks ago to visit her family and spend time with her ailing mother. Chenda's father died just last year, so this is a double loss in a relatively short period of time. 

This picture from 2008 shows both Chenda's parents, Duen Ouk and Penh Sou, at their home in Kampong Speu. Native Cambodians, they spent almost 35 years together, through some incredibly difficult times, among which were the desperate years of the Khmer Rouge and "the killing fields". Their family legacy includes several sons and daughters, and numerous grandchildren in Cambodia, Australia, and the United States. Among their grandchildren are our grandchildren Preslea, Logan and William Shepard. Our prayers and best wishes go out to Chenda and her whole family.
- - -
Steve Shepard

December Celebrations Begin, December 5, 2015

The flower that blooms in adversity

is the most rare and beautiful of all.

~the Emperor in "Mulan"

As December gets underway, two celebrations are in order to begin this special season, one highlights a present day young family, the other family members from a generation ago.

Happy Birthday to Patrick! Today, December 5, is the birthday of my nephew Patrick Joseph Shepard of Bothell, Wash- ington. Pat is the youngest child of my brother Darrell and his wife Mary Shepard. He was born in 1990 in Portland, Oregon, but lives today in Bothell with his wife Nicole and their young sons Logan and Mason. Pat is the Administrator of Rosewood Courte Memory Care, a health care facility in nearby Edmonds, Washington. 

This first picture shows Pat and Nicole at their home in Bothell. It was taken last summer at the family reunion that was held at their home. 

Hendrix Gower (1922-2004). This coming Tuesday is the anniversary of the birth of my uncle Hendrix (Hank) Gower, the oldest child of my grandparents Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. He passed away in San Diego 11 years ago.

Hank and his older sister, my mother Maida Gower Shepard, were the last of our Gower family members to be born in Mountain View, Arkansas. Mountain View was where our Gower ancestors had been settled for several generations before my Gower grandparents began migrating westward, first to Oklahoma in the 1920s and then to San Diego, California in 1942. Hank and his late wife Starlene Bass Gower came to California as a young couple and gave birth to two sons here, Hershell and Jimmie Gower. They were both raised in San Diego but live today in Arizona along the Colorado River.

This second picture shows my uncle Hank on the far left. It is a family picture taken in Anacortes, Washington 27 years ago in the summer of 1988. 

From left to right are Hank, then his sister Vicki Gower Wilson, who in just a few months would celebrate her 55th birthday on October 18 by marrying Duke Johnston. In the picture next to Vicki is Hank's nephew Russ Shepard and wife Pam, then Hank's other sister Maida Shepard and husband Gene Shepard. On the right are Cindy and I and our son Nathan. 

Hank and his wife Aurora were visiting in Washington at the time from California, as was Cindy and I and Nathan. All the others were living in Washington at the time.

It is a happy bunch with smiles on all the faces. Aurora was the photographer who took the picture, and did her job well by saying or doing something that elicited smiles from everyone.
- - -
Steve Shepard