Shepard Family Update, April 24, 2009

Our family is a circle of love and strength.
With every birth and every union, the circle grows.
Every joy shared adds more love.
Every obstacle faced together
makes the circle stronger.
-author unknown

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greeting from beautiful San Diego to all of you who find yourselves within "our circle of love and strength." Spring hit us hard this past week with some 100 degree weather, but it didn't last long. And as often happens, today is cool and very pleasant.

These weekly emails are focused on the lives of William Shepard and Bura Davis Shepard, as well as their family and friends. So these messages have what seems like a fairly narrow focus. After all, Will and Bura are just part of the family tree of each one of us. For me, since they are just two of my four grandparents, they are half of my entire family tree. However, for the youngest ones in our family, since Will and Bura are just 2 of their 16 GGgrandparents, they represent only 1/8 of their family tree!

Yet even though the focus is fairly narrow, as we consider the ancestors of Will and Bura Shepard, the numbers get very large very quickly. For example, Will and Bura had 4 parents between the two of them, and 8 grandparents, 16 Ggrandparents, etc. When you add in the siblings of each generations, you can see that the number of ancestors from just Will and Bura's part of the family gets very large after going back only a few generations.

When you add in Gram's Davis siblings and their families, and Grandad's sister's (Sadie Shepard Pruett's) children and their families, you can see that our larger family tree is something that encompasses probably hundreds of people today. By the way, with so many of these folks living in the middle part of the country, we hope to see some of them at the July reunion in Oklahoma.

Remembrances. This coming Tuesday we remember the life of Eugene William Shepard on what would have been his 88th birthday. It was 6 years ago this summer that Dad died in Anacortes, Washington. His father, William Shepard (who was born in 1888), died at almost exactly 88 years old. Gene and Maida raised their 6 children in San Diego, but most of their family now live in and around Anacortes, Washington.

This coming Monday we remember the life of Beverly Russell on what would have been her 70th birthday. She died way too young at the age of 33 in San Diego of an unexpected brain aneurysm. Bev's daughter is Shannon Wilk who lives in Atchison, Kansas with her young daughter Emma Beverly Jean Wilk. The first picture I am including was taken last year and shows Shannon with Kim Clark. Both of them live not far from Kansas City, Missouri - Shannon about an hour's drive North, and Kim about a half hour's drive East.

Shannon's uncle (and Beverly's older brother) is Rex Russell who now lives in Nevada. Rex and Beverly are the first two grandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard, and their only grandchildren born in Colorado before the family moved to San Diego in 1940.

Most of us had not been in contact with Rex for quite a few years. I contacted him recently after getting his phone number from my aunt Thelma of Gallup, New Mexico. She had quite serendipitously received it from an old friend in San Diego. Rex and I had a wonderful conversation when we talked. He is doing well and living in Red Rock, Nevada, north of Reno, on a remote 10 acres, "17 miles from the nearest gas station," he said. He moved to Nevada a few years ago from Southern California and is now retired. He lives next to his son Eric and Eric's wife Ruth and their three horses and other ranch animals. Rex does not have a computer, but Eric and Ruth do, so they are now part of our online family circle.

The second picture I am including is and oldie from Christmas 1960 and shows several members of our family at the Russell home on Mandalay Place in San Diego. From left to right in the picture are: Will and Bura Shepard, then Rex Russell with his first wife Ellen, next to his mother Pauline Shepard Russell. Next to Pauline is Thelma and Terry Boyd with their 21 year old niece Beverly Russell on the far right.

Our family reunion in Newcastle, Oklahoma this summer is less than 3 months away! Be sure and make your plans and join us for this celebration of our "circle of love and strength".
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, April 17, 2009

The great gift of family life

is to be intimately acquainted with people
you might never even introduce yourself to,
had life not done it for you.
-- Kendall Hailey

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings from home in San Diego where Cindy and I have returned after being away for most of the last two weeks, visiting family and friends. I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter celebration and were able to spend it with people who are dear to you.

The quote above reminds me that not every one in every family gets along with everyone else. Even though our DNA reveals some unique similarities, it is sometimes amazing how different people within the same family can be. My experience has been that our family is usually a place where love abounds and where we enjoy one another's company. But like any group of people, on occasion within our family life we find ourselves close to people we might never otherwise choose to relate to. That is part of what makes family life such a unique gift from God. It is something that not only nourishes and comforts us, but also challenges and stretches us, and therefore enriches our experience of life. It is something akin to what has been said about good preaching: it not only comforts the afflicted; it afflicts the comforted.

Okay, enough of that. On to more practical matters. Congratulations to Nathan Shepard of Blanchard, Oklahoma. (This is Dane and Cindy's Nathan Shepard, not to be confused with Steve and Cindy's Nathan Shepard. Confused yet?) The younger Nathan Shepard won the Oklahoma state Bowling Championship for his division just a few weeks ago! The first picture I am including shows Nathan with his award from that event. His father Dane emailed me recently with the details.

Nathan and I were in Bartlesville (north of Tulsa near Kansas) for the state bowling tournament, March 28-29. It snowed about 7 inches while we were there. We accomplished a lot though. Nathan is now the new state champion in the boy's handicap division! He started bowling this past September and barely made the cut for the state finals. With great improvement and help from coaches and friends, he made it all the way. The tournament was more stressful for me than him. He earned $525 toward a college scholarship. Of course, we are happy and proud.

Dane has also been in touch with some of our Davis relatives in Oklahoma recently. They are the family of Gram (Bura Davis Shepard) and we are hopeful that several of them will be able to attend the Family Reunion in July. The second picture I am including shows Dane with his great aunt Mildred Beck Davis of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Mildred is the wife of Gram's brother Jesse Davis. She is the last surviving member of that generation of our family. Congratulations and best wishes to Mildred, whose 99th birthday will be two weeks from today.

Regarding the July 18 Family reunion: I am planning to put together a PowerPoint photo presentation for our family reunion in July in Newcastle, Oklahoma. I would like to include pictures from each of the family units among us. If you have a new or old family picture you could send to me, I would love to include it. A digital image would be best and can be emailed to me at sdshepard@gmail.com. If what you have is simply a photograph, I would be glad to receive it by regular mail and after scanning it, would sent it back promptly. My address is 2511 Northside Dr, #208, San Diego, Ca 92108.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, Good Friday, 2009

Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right.
~Phillips Brooks

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings from beautiful Tucson, Arizona where Cindy and I happen to be on this weekend of Easter, visiting some special friends. Today, "Good" Friday, is a day of great irony, but a day that carries a powerful message. If nothing else, it reminds me of something that our family members have learned time and again over the years: from great tragedy can come remarkable blessings.

When I think of the many untimely deaths among our family members (in recent years and long ago), when I think of the great hardships our family has encountered, when I think of the many obstacles they (and we) have had to endure, I am glad that there is a strong legacy of Christian faith among our people going back about as far as we can trace them.

Not all our ancestors were religious, of course, but many were. I salute them all for their strong character and their enduring spirit. It is great to know that we have a wonderful family legacy well worth celebrating on this Easter weekend 2009.

The first picture I am including (click on it to see a larger view) is actually 3 Easter snap shots taken about 20 years apart over the last half century. The first shows my sister Linda and me on Easter morning, 1953 at our home in Linda Vista in our Sunday finest (and that is about as fine as it got back then!). The second shows Nathan Shepard looking rather nonplussed with his Easter basket and inflatable Easter bunny on Easter morning 1978 at his Harris grandparents' home in San Diego. And the third shows 8 year old Rachel Shepard in Easter bonnet and gloves in 1995 at her grandparent's home in Anacortes, Washington.

Like many families we had a thing for fine clothes, church attendance, Easter baskets, and Easter eggs, both candy eggs and hard boiled. The first part of this triple photo reminds me of my family's Easter weekend ritual when I was a child. On Saturday evening we would dye our hard boiled eggs, magically turning them into "Easter Eggs", which we would then hide in various locations around the house or the front yard. Sunday morning we would then have an Easter egg hunt after which we would enjoy hardboiled eggs as an appropriate breakfast prelude to church attendance later that same morning.

One Easter, the weather was good enough that we hid eggs on and around our front porch on Rosecrans Street similar to the one which Linda and me are standing in the picture. It wasn't until sometime around May that one of the eggs, which had been hidden a little too well, made itself known by its rotting smell! The colorful shell was still intact, but the egg inside was far from edible.

On the right in the above photo triad is Rachel, whose birthday is this coming Tuesday. She lives in Kenmore, Washington with her mom and dad. This picture was taken last summer also in Anacortes, and shows Rachel with her proud father Darrell Shepard.

Have I mentioned before about our family reunion coming up this summer? ;-) All family members and friends are invited to make Saturday, July 18 a special day as we gather in Newcastle, Oklahoma from noon till 5 pm to celebrate the family bond that unites us.

Dane Shepard, who lives in nearby Blanchard, OK will be hosting the event and tells me that it appears that at least 50 people will be attending, from Washington to California to Kansas, Missouri, Texas and of course Oklahoma. If you have not yet responded, please do so by contacting Dane or Kim. Or let me know and I will pass the word to them. We are looking forward to a wonderful time of renewing family ties, seeing some new and old photos, enjoying one another's company, sharing a catered meal, and much more.

In the meantime, have a happy, colorful Easter!
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, April 3, 2009

The family - that dear octopusfrom whose tentacleswe never quite escape,nor, in our inmost hearts,ever quite wish to.
-- Dodie Smith

Dear Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from the mountains of Northern California on this first Friday of April! Cindy and I are enjoying a few days away from the city, taking care of some business, and enjoying the poppies that are springing up all over the state.

What is it about family that leads one to describe it as "a dear octopus whose tentacles we never quite escape... nor ever quite wish to"? One obvious answer is that our family are people with whom we have shared life, people who have meant so much to us through the years, people with whom we have laughed and cried, who have supported us or challenged us, who have brought us great joy and satisfaction, and sometimes disappointment.

But there is something else. Our family is generally that small community who ushered us into this world, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. They are literally where we originated. The impact of one's "family of origin" is difficult to overestimate. The family we each experienced as a child has a major impact on the values we affirm, the relationships we make, the faith we have or do not have, and the way we relate to the world. The lessons we learned about life as a child -- for good or for bad -- have a way of remaining with us as long as we live. As we develop through the years our values and our inner makeup grow and change to one degree or another. Yet those earliest experiences remain the bedrock upon which the rest of our life is built, and are the platform from which all change begins.

Our family of origin includes not only our parents and other parental figures, but to a lesser degree (but still a significant degree) our extended families, including parent's parents, and their parents, and so on. Is it any wonder that family study and research is such a fascinating thing? When we find out about our family we are finding out about ourselves.

Happy Birthday today to our son Nathan Shepard of San Francisco, California! Nathan works for Wells Fargo Bank as a Computer Analyst, and loves the city life. He happens to be miles and miles away from Cindy and me on this special day. He is in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with his fiance Chenda Sou, celebrating his 32nd Birthday. In addition to traveling to Southeast Asia to see Chenda, Nathan enjoys skiing, working out, playing hockey and caring for his cat Socket. Select this link to see an updated photo presentation of Nathan.

The first picture I am including is a picture of Nathan with his G-grandmother Bura Davis Shepard, taken in San Diego in the spring of 1980. Bura actually looks fairly chipper at 83 in this picture, even though she would begin failing soon and passed away only 6 years later, just before her 90th birthday.

Tomorrow is the birthday of Ciara Ortiz, who is the 3rd GGgrandchild of Will and Bura Shepard. She is also the firstborn of Jeremy and Desiree Ortiz of El Cajon, Ca., the granddaughter of Kim Clark, and the Great granddaughter of Thelma and Terry Boyd. Mom Desiree says, "Ciara is turning 7 on April 4th. She is such a smart and loving girl. She is a straight "A" student and we are so proud of all that she is accomplishing! We just love her so much and are so proud to call her our daughter."

The second picture I am including shows Hannah Montana fan Ciara Ortiz. Thanks to Grandmother Kim Clark for this picture that was taken a few months ago. Happy Birthday to Ciara!

Are you making your plans to attend the family reunion in Oklahoma this summer on July 18? We are hoping for a great turnout as we celebrate the family that we are. The location will be the Newcastle Community Center in Newcastle, Oklahoma which is off I-44, just 15 miles south of the airport in Oklahoma City.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, March 27, 2009

Families are the compass that guide us.
They are the inspiration to reach great heights,
and our comfort when we occasionally falter.
-- Brad Henry

Dear Shepard Family and Friends,

Hello on this last Friday of March! It is a beautiful spring day in San Diego, warm even though it is a little overcast. I hope spring is treating you as well wherever you may be.

Welcome to two new members of our online readership, sisters of Norma Lou Allen: Carolyn Kilpatrick Roberts of Bolivar, Missouri and Shirley Kilpatrick Borgstadt of Springfield, Missouri. They are both nieces of Bura Davis Shepard and are members of the Kilpatrick clan, whose family tree branches intertwine with ours.

This coming Tuesday is a milestone birthday for Joan Shepard who is the 7th grandchild of Will and Bura Shepard and the daughter of Elmer and Beryl Shepard. Joan is originally from the San Diego area, but now lives in Dixon, California. She stays busy as a full time High School teacher, as well as directing an independent studies program in Dixon. In addition she is a teaching assistant at a private school for hypnotherapy in Auburn, California. But most of all she is the proud mother of Havilah Colgain. Happy Birthday, Joan!

She wrote me recently and said, "Life is good. Spring is simply gorgeous now in the Sacramento valley. Soon, I'll plant some vegetables in the front courtyard. I keep waiting for "victory gardens" to replace front lawns in our stretch of suburbia, but so far I see herbs and a zucchini plant here and there. I enjoy our rainbow chard that sprouts up anywhere a seed lands and seems to be perennial. The plants remind me of Gram's garden in Lakeside. She loved green chard and rhubarb (I planted some in her honor), which she ate with cottage cheese. The local co-op sells quince, another home-grown food she loved. I always think of her resourcefulness, especially as I plant seeds that will last as long as I'm around."

The first picture I am including shows Joan with her daughter Havilah who lives in Utah, near her father Art Colgain. It was taken a few months ago in the Utah desert just outside Price, when Joan was there visiting.

The second picture I am including was taken about 1961 and shows Will and Bura Shepard with several of their family. This photo may have been taken at the Russell home on Mandalay Place in San Diego. It is an unusual picture, being rather dark, both in the feel of the photo as well as the actual color. The one bright spot, however, is birthday girl Joan at 7 years old, in front on the right.

From left to right in the picture is Joan's brother Dane Shepard, then a rather ominous looking Will Shepard, next to his wife Bura Davis Shepard (both of whom deserved better from the photographer!). In the beehive hairdos are Beverly Russell and her mother Pauline Shepard Russell. Next are Thelma Shepard Boyd and her partially hidden husband Terry Boyd, then Joan's parents Beryl and Elmer Shepard.

Many of us are looking forward to the Shepard Family Reunion that will take place this summer on July 18 at Newcastle, Oklahoma. It will be hosted by Dane Shepard. All family members and friends are welcome to attend.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, March 20, 2009

Family life is full of major and minor crises
the ups and downs of health, success and failure
in career, marriage, and divorce.
With all of these felt details,
life etches itself into memory and personality.
It's difficult to imagine anything
more nourishing to the soul.
-- Thomas Moore

Dear Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to y'all on this first day of spring! In our day of well heated homes, the coming of spring does not mean what it did 100 years ago. At that time many of our people lived in places where keeping warm through the winter required a major effort, making spring a very appealing time with the promise of better weather.

That was especially true of our Indiana ancestors, including Maggie (Margaret Frances) Williams (1845-1904), who was Gram's (Bura Davis') grandmother. She lived her whole life near Spencer, Indiana where the winters can be harsh. Maggie was the baby of the 9 children born to Sarah and John Pouty Williams. In the early spring of 1861, when Maggie was just 15, her 21 year old sister Callie (Caroline Matilda Williams), married a young man named William Spear. Though this wedding took place as the Civil War was beginning, it must have been a happy occasion, especially for the impressionable teenager Maggie.

Just two years later Callie -- only 23 at the time -- died while giving birth to her and William's first child (Isolena Belle Spear). The family was crushed, especially young Maggie. In the ensuing months, as her grief subsided, she fell in love with the young widower William, and two years later, in January of 1865, they were married. She was just 19, he was 34.

Over the next 17 years Maggie and William brought 8 children into the world, and might have had more if he had not died the year after their youngest arrived. But their first one was special. It was a baby girl who they decided to name Caroline Matilda, after Maggie's late sister, and William's first wife. This Callie would later become the mother of Bura Davis, and the great grandmother of those of my generation.

• See an 1880 picture of Maggie with her teenage daughter Callie
• See a 1922 picture of Callie with husband and grandchildren, including Elmer, Eugene, Pauline and a couple of Kilpatrick kids.

Among Callie Spear Davis' great grandchildren is Gary Shepard -- Maida and Eugene's oldest -- whose birthday is this coming Monday. Gary, lives in Oak Harbor, Washington with his wife Cindy, and has three children -- Kerri Aquiningoc, Jason Shepard and Kelly Sauvage -- and 4 grandchildren, all of whom live in or near Weatherford, Texas. Gary is retired and enjoys cooking, occasional weekends at their lake house, spending time with their dog Dexter, visiting his mom Maida in Anacortes, and being involved in his church in Oak Harbor. And he does not seem to miss the San Diego area at all, which is where he spent nearly his entire life until 6 years ago. Happy Birthday, Gary!

The first picture I am sending shows Gary with his oldest daughter Kerri on his lap at Christmas 1968. The picture was taken in San Diego. Gary and his wife Jackie had moved back to San Diego earlier that year after a couple of years in Michigan, where Kerri was born.

The second picture I am including was taken (39 Christmases later!) in Anacortes, Washington and shows Gary and his wife Cindy, with Cindy's daughter Samantha McGauran of Spanaway, Washington.

Be sure and make your plans for the Shepard Family Reunion this summer on Saturday, July 18 at the Newcastle Community Center, Newcastle, Oklahoma.

--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, March 13, 2009

A man can't make a place for himself in the sun

if he keeps taking refuge under the family tree.
-- Helen Keller

Dear Shepard Family and Friends,

Hello to all of you as we move through these last days of winter. It has been cold here in San Diego, but probably nothing compared to the weather some of you are having; snow in some places, and inclement weather of various sorts elsewhere. The good news is that spring begins in just another week!

Today is the birthday of Russ Shepard and his son Steven Paul Shepard who were both born on March 13, one in 1962 and the other in 1990. Russ lives in Anacortes, Washington with his wife Pam and daughter Linda and works for Dakota Creek Ship Builders in Anacortes. Steven lives with his grandma Maida Shepard in Anacortes and will be graduating this spring. Happy Birthday to both of them! Click here to see a new and improved version of a photoshow presentation of them I did a few years ago.

Steven Paul says this about himself in a recent email: My plans this summer are to attend the family reunion in Oklahoma City, and look at the Lubbock Christian University campus during the same trip. I am interested in glass design this year and more importantly graduating from Anacortes High School. I will then take a year off and earn some money to go to College. I enjoy glass design and am thinking about making that a career. I was saving money to buy a kiln for my own glass work, but the necessity of transportation was far greater, so I bought a 1999 Ford Ranger in January. We have a small youth group at Church and are having a "lock-in" this Friday night from 7pm until 8am Saturday morning. This will be my last year as a teenager. =( I am not sure what direction my life will take but I am sure that it will be positive.

Tomorrow is the birthday of (50-something) Jerry Clark who lives in Lubbock,Texas with his wife Cathrina. Jerry is the one whose 4th grandchild was born last Friday in Lubbock. Which means we are celebrating my late sister's first husband's 2nd (maybe 3rd) daughter's 2nd baby, being the 4th grandbaby. (Clear as mud, right?) While I am on the subject, I need to correct the spelling of the new baby's name. Born to Susan and Andrew Cox is Brooklyn Kale Cox (Kale with a "K" not a "C").

The first picture I am including shows Jerry Clark next to his wife Cathrina. On the left is Maida Shepard and Steven Paul Shepard, and on the right is Cindy Shepard. This picture was taken last summer in Anacortes at the family reunion.

Last week I mentioned Pam Martin, a fourth cousin who is now among the readers of these weekly emails. Some other extended family members have also been added to this email list in recent weeks. One is Marjorie Eldred, who along with her husband Clio Eldred live in Renton, Washington. The two of them just happened to visit mom's church in Anacortes a few weeks ago and made a serendipitous family connection. Marjorie's mother was Marion Kilpatrick who had two brothers who married two of Bura Davis' sisters. (Confused yet? Keep reading. It might help.)

Another recent addition to our family email list is Bud Davis, who with his wife Janet lives in Graham, Washington. Bud is also related to us through my grandmother Bura Davis. Bud's father, Jesse Davis, was Bura Davis' brother. I also should mention Norma Lou Allen of Bolivar, Missouri, another reader of these emails. She is the daughter of Bura Davis' sister Winona Davis Kilpatrick.

These family connections can be confusing, so I am including a photo that may help (or make matters even more confusing!). Taken in 1965, it shows Gram (Bura Davis Shepard) with her 4 sisters and one of her 2 brothers. Bura -- the oldest -- is in the lower right hand corner. Next to her is her brother Jesse, and next to him is their sister Winona Davis Kilpatrick. On the back row are Esther Davis Jenkins, Myra Davis Kilpatrick and Margie Davis Millikan. Not pictured is the older brother Lawrence. Margie, the youngest, was the last one to pass away, and died this past November at the age of 100.

All these folks are our reminder that our family is larger than our small part of it. To take this thought a step farther, we are related to every other person on this planet, a realization that should motivate us to view our entire world with a sense of family. And if we can do that, there may not be a single world problem that won't be affected.

Remember the Shepard Family Reunion July 18 in Newcastle, Oklahoma.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, March 6, 2009

Hello Shepard family and friends,

Greetings this morning from Southern California as we continue to "caress our history" by celebrating the family we are. I invite you to ponder the following poem which is part of a longer piece titled Family Reunion by Jeredith Merrin. It beckons us to gain perspective on our family history, to "put your arms around" it, to pay attention to it.

Almost everyone has separated
from the landscape of childhood.

most are cut off from their own
histories, each of which waits
like a child left at day care.
What if you turned back for a moment

and put your arms around yours?
Yes, you might be late for work;
no, your history doesn't smell sweet
like a toddler's head. But look

at those small round wrists,
that short-legged, comical walk.
Caress your history—who else will?
Promise to come back later.

Pay attention when it asks you
simple questions: Where are we going?
Is it scary? What happened? Can
I have more now? Who is that?

Happy Birthday to Kerri Shepard Aquiningoc who celebrated this past Tuesday! Kerri was born and raised in San Diego but now lives in Weatherford, Texas with her friend Wade and her daughters Lyndsey and Mandi. She works in Ft Worth, Texas for Hallmark Insurance Group. Kerri, Lyndsey and Mandi are part of our family who moved from California to Texas 10 years ago.

The first picture I am including today is actually a set of pictures of birthday girl Kerri. (You can click on the picture to see a larger view.) The first one was taken in 1968, the last one was taken a few months ago, and the others were at various times in between.

Another "misteak." Last week I included a picture of Darrell Shepard with Kelly Sauvage and said that Kelly was Darrell's cousin. How wrong I was, as several of you were swift to inform me (good naturedly, of course!). Kelly Shepard Sauvage of Weatherford, Texas is Darrell's niece, not his cousin. In one fell swoop I wrongly flattered Darrell and insulted Kelly! Oops. My bad.

In recent weeks I have corresponded with several members of our extended family. One of them is Pamela Williams Martin who lives in North Carolina. She stumbled across my family blog online and emailed me. She does lots of family research and it has been a joy to compare notes with her on ancestors we have in common.

Pam said this in a recent email: Our common ancestor is John Pouty Williams, who is my GGGgrandfather by way of John Fleming Williams, Joseph Preston Williams, William Harvey Williams, and Paul Edwin Williams (my dad). I was born and raised in Aurora, Illinois in the mid 1950’s, and moved to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina in the early 1980’s. I have three sons Bret, Robin, and Dallas, and one daughter Lindsey. In 2007, I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Florida Metropolitan University with a degree in Criminal Justice. A North Carolina State Certified Nurseryman since 1984, I protect and propagate threatened and endangered species of carnivorous plants. My passions are my children and grandson, genealogy, and crocheting. I feel wonderfully blessed to have found my fourth cousin Steve during my research on John Pouty Williams.

Bura Davis' (Gram's) grandmother was Margaret Francis Williams, one of the children of John Pouty Williams, mentioned above. The second picture I am including is of Will and Bura Davis Shepard (Gram and Grandad). It was taken somewhere in San Diego on Mother's Day, 1967. This is a scanned copy of one of several photographs that Kim Clark graciously let me borrow a while back, that came to her via her mother Thelma Boyd.

This just in: Congratulations to Jerry Clark and Jane Brock on the birth of grandchild number four! Brooklyn Cale Cox (little sister of big brother Drew) was born this morning to Andrew and Susan Clark Cox in Lubbock, Texas. Best wishes to them all!

Shepard Family Reunion: July 18, New Castle Community Center, Newcastle, Oklahoma. As your plans take shape, be sure to email Kim Clark or Dane Shepard and let them know if you will be attending. Or email me and I will pass the word to them.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, February 27, 2009

Some family trees
bear an enormous crop of nuts.
- Wayne H.

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings from home in San Diego where we have returned, after our time away in the snow of Northern California and the cold of Washington.

I saw this cartoon and wanted to share it with you. It reminds me of the quote I sent some months ago: "Families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts." The fact of the matter is every family has its share of nuts. The only question is who among us are the nuts and who are not? It is not always obvious, you know. Each of us has our own nomination, and they are not all the same.

I think my Grandad, Will Shepard, was something of a nut. As a grandfather he could be a very funny person and quite a tease. But he wasn't always that way, of course. Just a few weeks ago Kim Clark sent me a picture of a Sheriff's badge that belonged to Grandad, suggesting that he was some sort of authorized law enforcement official for a period of time in Baca County, Colorado back in the 1930s. (She is doing some research to find the full story.)

I don't know how the word "nut" came to mean a crazy or eccentric person anyway. I like nuts. They're sweet. They're tasty. They make great snacks. People sometimes call my state, California, "the land of fruits and nuts," as if that were a derogatory comment. In reality it is a point of pride. Be that as it may, our family does have its nuts, and I am glad it does. As I said, I like nuts.

After all, what would our family be if we didn't have a few nuts in it? They are what spice up our family life. They are what keeps our family life from being boring. They are the stuff of great family stories. And they are our reminders that, like the rest of the world, our family has great variety in our ranks. Some of us are straight as an arrow, others are wild and crazy; some have chosen a life that follows familiar patterns, others are very unique; some are definitely old school, others are paving new ground; some are very religious, others haven't seen the inside of a church in a long time. But all of us belong to the same family nonetheless.

So I think the squirrels have it right. When I look around at our family, I find myself saying the same thing they are saying, because the nuts among us seem to be everywhere. And to that I say... Thank God for the wonderful family we have been and are becoming!

Happy Birthday today to Darrell Shepard! The fact that today is Darrell's birthday has nothing to do with this discussion about nuts. Honest. It was simply coincidental.

Although when I think about it, Darrell is one of the more likable nuts among us. I know of no one who is more "nuts" about his family than Darrell. He is the 7th Grandchild of Will and Bura Shepard and lives in Kenmore, Washington with his wife Mary and their three children, Chris, Rachel and Patrick. After being a devoted father and husband, he somehow finds time for his job, his church, and to play guitar in his band! Congratulations to Darrell on this special, milestone birthday! Interestingly, Darrell, (Gary's) Cindy Shepard, and Joan Shepard were all born within just a few weeks of each other, back in early 1954.

The first picture I am including today is a picture from 1964 and shows Darrell and his younger brother and sister, Russell and Barbara Shepard. (Did mom know how to dress her kids, or what!) The three of them form the second triad born to Maida and Eugene Shepard.

The second picture I am including today was taken last summer in Anacortes, Washington and shows Darrell with two of the loveliest women in our family -- his daughter Rachel on the left and his niece Kelly Sauvage on the right. This picture was taken at the 2008 Shepard Family reunion.

The 2009 family reunion will be at the Newcastle Community Center in Newcastle, Oklahoma, this coming July 18. That is less than 5 months away. Are you making your plans?
--
Steve
One of the nuts in the family tree

Shepard Family Update, February 20, 2009

We all grow up with the weight of history on us.
Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains
as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge
hidden in every cell of our bodies.
~Shirley Abbott

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings from the chilly Northwest, where Cindy and I are visiting with mom and family. There is no snow or ice at the moment here in Anacortes, but it is cold -- that painful, penetrating, damp cold that makes Californians like us wish we had heavier coats! We are also talking through our plans to attend the family reunion this summer in Newcastle, Oklahoma (just south of Oklahoma City) on July 18. Have you made your plans yet?

In the last two posts I have shared some thoughts regarding the Owens branch of our family tree, that we are connected to through great grandmother Elvira Owens. I have one more interesting thing to share related to this part of our family. If one follows the information on the Owens lineage on Ancestry.com, it continues back at least 62 generations with names and dates, all the way back to the time of Jesus in the first century! I traced our family information all the way back to "Joseph of Arimathea", who was born in the year 1. This was the person who is mentioned in the Bible as having buried the body of Jesus. (Mark 15.43-46) What a find! I was thrilled to discover that we were related to someone who, over two thousand years ago, knew Jesus and is even mentioned in the Gospels.

It did not take me very long, however, to realize that I had been duped. This was "creative" family research, not careful, honest work. This was someone (probably several someones) trying to make the family story much more interesting that it actually is. There are no legitimate resources for the information I was finding before the 18th or 19th century. I mention this to show that sometimes people get carried away. And I suspect there was probably some religious motivation here to find some (imagined) connection to the life of Jesus. In any case, I have no reason to believe that the information I found can be trusted as factual.

It was something of a let-down, but it was also a learning experience. It helped me to see that family research is a very inexact science, unless the information is very carefully resourced, which is nearly impossible at times. It also tells me that family research is a very emotional matter, and that it is very tempting to stretch the truth to fit one's interests. Or to put it another way -- you always, always, have to be careful about any information you find on the internet.

Speaking of family research being emotional, have you seen the National Treasure movies? Nicolas Cage plays a character who is very serious about his family history. So serious, in fact, that he is willing to risk life and limb to clear up a misunderstanding about relatives long dead. You have to admire the spirit of one who feels "the weight of history" that much and takes his family connections that seriously.

Today is the birthday of Terry Boyd of Gallup, New Mexico. Terry has been a member of our family since he and Thelma were first married over 50 years ago. Happy Birthday, Terry!

The first picture I am including today is a picture of Terry with his mother-in-law Bura Davis Shepard, taken in December, 1958. The second picture I am including was taken 50 years later. It is a picture of Terry and Thelma Boyd, which I took last year when visiting them in New Mexico.
--
Steve