Shepard Family Update, July 31, 2009

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In every conceivable manner,
the family is link to our past,
bridge to our future.
-- Alex Haley

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

This past Tuesday, as Cindy and I drove up a tree lined country lane near Spencer, Indiana, it was as if we were going back in time. Earlier that day we had left Indianapolis where we are attending the General Assembly of the Christian Church, a fellowship that I have served as a minister for over 30 years now. From Indianapolis we made our way west on I-70 and then south on Hwy 231 to Owen County. It was about an hour's drive, but it felt like going back several generations in time.

As we drove that county lane, our guide in the back seat said, "Slow down, it should be just up ahead." Our guide was Ruth Wheeler Fortner, an octogenarian from Spencer whose Ggrandfather, Charles Edward Davis, is my GGgrandfather. We had been introduced to her earlier that day, and after a short visit she had agreed to show us the way.

I slowed down as we came up over a rise and rounded a slight curve, and there it was on the right, at the corner of Rattlesnake Creek Rd. and Shepard Patrick Rd. (You read that right: Shepard Patrick Rd.) We were looking for the New Union Church of Christ, which had been the spiritual home to several dozen of our Davis kinfolk, including Bura Davis Shepard (1896-1986), for the first 14 years of her life. What we found instead was a beautiful, grassy, but empty corner lot.

The New Union Church had started in the 1850s. Among its very first members was my GGGgrandfather Robert Alexander Davis (1819-1866). The church had served families in these back woods for 100 years until it finally died in 1956. That's when the last few members -- including our guide Ruth Fortner -- closed the doors and joined the Spencer Church of Christ, 5 miles away. The Spencer church still has New Union's old membership book in which one can read name after name of Davis relatives, including Bura Davis ("received by immersion Aug 10, 1908" the record says), her mother and father, both her grandmothers, and her uncles Thomas and Mort (who was the minister of the New Union Church in 1924).

On arriving at the old Church's location, we parked the car and walked out onto that grassy corner lot. We could only imagine what the Church once looked like, because nothing of it remained, not a foundation, not the steps, not a plank or brick. I have an old picture of it from a book, a modest, white wooden structure with a chimney on the right side and two entrances in front, one for the men and one for the women, which was typical back then. But none of that was here now, it was simply a vacant, grassy expanse. The emptiness of what had once been a thriving country church reminded me of the transient nature of all life. One day there will be emptiness where we each now stand, and others will follow us to ponder our lives.

Even though we found nothing of the old church building, we did find the well-tended New Union Cemetery, which adjoins the area where the Church once stood. In the cemetery we found the final resting places of several Davis relatives. Since the church never had an indoor baptistry, nearby Rattlesnake Creek was where Bura Davis and many others were baptized during those 100 years. "Sometimes," Ruth told us, "they even had to break the ice to do baptisms. That's what they did when my mother Lucy was baptized." (Sure enough. I checked the record book: "Lucy Davis, received by immersion, Dec 11, 1916." Brrr!)

After a peaceful time at New Union, we found our way farther back into the woods (wishing I had 4 wheel drive!) to an even more secluded Pleasant Grove Cemetery, near the junction of Fish Creek Rd and Bandy Rd. Set in a quiet, sacred-feeling forest of tall green trees, it is a beautiful resting place for several other relatives, including Bura's Ggrandparents John Pouty Williams (1806-1898) and his wife Sarah Richardson Williams (1801-1877) (see picture above).

With gratitude for her help, we took Ruth back to her home in Spencer, where she has lived for nearly all of her 86 years. We then retraced our steps and found our way back to the 21st century in Indianapolis. We felt fortunate to have spent some quality time with relatives of long ago.

The closest link within our Shepard clan to our relatives in Indiana is Elmer Shepard, second child of Bura Davis Shepard, who was born in 1918 just 8 years after she moved with her family to Oklahoma. The second picture I am including today shows the two surviving children of Bura Davis and Will Shepard: Elmer Shepard and Thelma Shepard Boyd. Thelma is holding her Ggrandson Damian, son of Desiree and Jeremy Ortiz of El Cajon, California. This picture was taken at the recent family reunion in Newcastle, Oklahoma, where Damian and Elmer were recognized for being the oldest and youngest persons in attendance at 2 and 92 years old.

- - -
Steve

Shepard Family Update, July 24, 2009

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A person travels the world overin search of what they need,and returns home to find it.
-- George Moore

Hello Shepard Family and Friends.

Greetings to all of you from home in sunny San Diego, where Cindy and I have returned after last weekend's trip to Oklahoma. The Newcastle Family Reunion is over, but the memories remain. It was a grand event as 40 of our family members met outside Oklahoma City in the small throw-back town of Newcastle, Oklahoma. Most of those present were descendants of Bura Davis and Will Shepard, but we were also honored to have a dozen or so other Davis relatives (one of whom rightly reminded us that all of us Shepard descendants are also "Davis relatives").

The first picture I am including today shows the group who attended the reunion, including people with the last names of Shepard, Davis, Taylor, Sauvage, Millikan, Jenkins, Villanueva, Ortiz and Boyd. (Click on the picture to see a larger view.) Select this link to see the pictures that appeared in my PowerPoint presentation at the reunion. But be patient, there are lots of pictures, so it takes a while to load. The good news is there is a feature that allows you to download the pictures if you choose. Select this link to see a much smaller collection of some pictures that were taken last weekend.

The day began with a time of renewing family ties with people we had not seen in many years. In some cases family members were meeting for the very first time. We also shared a great meal catered by a local barbeque, and then viewed lots of old (and new) family pictures from photo albums as well as on a big screen. We also recognized special people among us, including the oldest and youngest members of the Shepard clan: 92 year old Elmer Shepard (Dane's dad), and 2 year old Damian Ortiz (Thelma's Ggrandson). Special thanks go to Dane Shepard and his cousin Kim Clark who formed the core of the planning team for the reunion.

BIRTHDAYS. Today is the birthday of Shannon Wilk of Atchison, Kansas, granddaughter of Pauline Shepard Russell. Shannon was planning to attend our reunion last week, but health concerns prevented her from coming. Best wishes to Shannon for good health and a happy birthday!

This coming Tuesday is the birthday of Barbara Shepard of Anacortes, Washington, who reaches a major milestone on July 28. Tuesday is also the birthday of Jeff Clark, husband of Kim Clark of Blue Springs, Missouri. The second picture shows these two birthday kids, taken last week at the family reunion. As you might guess from the camera in his hand, Jeff was the photographer of the group picture above.

And finally I would like to pass on some family emails I received just before the reunion.

From Eric and Ruth Russell of Red Rock, Nevada,
Hello Steve... Sorry we haven’t gotten back to you sooner. Work has been busy and dad was in the hospital two weeks ago with pneumonia. He’s doing well now. This past week was dealing with two wild fires near our houses. All is well now. I did find some photos of dad that you might enjoy. We are still trying to locate old family photos that you were asking about. We do enjoy reading your e-mails, and print them out for dad to read. Best wishes.
(Eric and Ruth graciously sent some photos of their father Rex, which I will include in an upcoming email.)
From Joan Shepard of Dixon, California,

Right now I'm concentrating to reach a deadline with my work. And I'll miss you all very much. I wanted to thank you for the inspiring comments in the family emails. Havilah and I appreciated your discussion so much. Thank you for your loving altruism. I'm also so delighted about Nathan and Chenda. My best to them. I've attached some memories for Dad. Perhaps you can read it at the reunion. Thanks so much, Steve. Have a wonderful weekend.

From Joan's daughter Halilah Reynolds, who lives just outside Salt Lake City, Utah,

I so wish that I could be there at the family reunion. I send my love to the family! Thanks for the updates, as always. Enjoy the day! -Havilah

From Bud and Janet Davis,

Please say hello to our family members for us, as we are not able to make the trip from the Tacoma, WA area. Sounds like you will have a great time at the reunion. Thank you for doing such a good job with your family email and website. It helps us hold on to memories. Great pictures of the Davis family including my dad Jesse. Jessie and Charlotte should have some pics to share and wish we could be there too. ...Bud and Janet Davis

And lastly, these insightful words from brother Darrell Shepard of Kenmore, Wa.,

I loved the quotes this week. I presume you are just being nice and upbeat regarding those quotes for the sake of the family reunion. Because quite frankly as funny as those quotes are, I think they reveal a usually unspoken truth about family dynamics. (Please don't make me sight examples or individuals, mainly because I would have to present myself as exhibit "A".) I believe when it comes to family self image, we like to present ourselves as we would like to be. Otherwise we might lose sight of how important and valuable and wonderful family relationships really are - in spite of all the quirkiness. If we hold that image of who would like to be as as a family up to ourselves and the world, we might move closer to actually being that someday.

Anyway, I will be with you all tomorrow in spirit. I hope you all have a terrific time. The family web site and the old pictures you post are a blessing to all of us. Especially my kids, and in fact all the younger members of our family. Thank you for the recent picture of Gram, me and Mary taken in 1984. My kids love that picture and it has launched many a story telling session about the "older days." It really gives them a strong sense of family and history and belonging to something bigger than themselves. It binds us all together more closely - quirks and all.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, July 17, 2009

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Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from the (not quite 5 star) Newcastle Hotel in Newcastle, Oklahoma where Cindy and I find ourselves on this day before our Family Reunion! Everything is just about ready for our celebration. We anticipate a wonderful time with family and friends, including some Davis relatives who will be joining us.

Many of you are not able to be with us because of distance or health or other commitments. Please know that we will be thinking of you and hope you will be able to attend future reunions.

A lot of work has gone into the planning and preparing for this event, especially by those who are traveling quite a distance. Special thanks go to Kim Clark, and our local host Dane Shepard. The graphic at the bottom is just one of the many things Dane created in getting ready for our gathering tomorrow.

The first picture I am including today shows two of the people who will be with us at the reunion tomorrow, both children of Will and Bura: Elmer Shepard of Oklahoma and his sister Thelma Shepard Boyd of Gallup, New Mexico. This picture was taken in the early 1950s in San Diego. Elmer has the honor of being the senior member of our Shepard family.

I set out to find an appropriate quote for this week of our family reunion, and had a very difficult time. I'd like to share with you some of what I found. First, a few quotes I rejected.

"When our relatives are at home, we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them." (George Bernard Shaw)

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in." (Robert Frost)

"Every one sees in their relatives, and especially in their cousins, a series of grotesque caricatures of themselves." (Henry Louis Mencken)

"Family is just accident. They don't mean to get on your nerves. They don't even mean to be your family, they just are. (Marsha Norman)

"A friend who is near and dear may in time become as useless as a relative." (George Ade)

Ouch! I would never use these quotes when thinking about our family! They are just too negative, if you ask me. "Grotesque caricatures"? "Useless as a relative"? Family "getting on your nerves"? These are all quotes from people who should know better. What were they thinking?

The following are a few more quotes that I also rejected. They do not reveal quite the depth of cynicism and cheap humor as the foregoing, but they still don't make the grade, as far as I am concerned.

"If you don't believe in ghosts, you've never been to a family reunion." (Ashleigh Brilliant)

"I wish I could relate to the people I am related to." (Jeff Foxworthy)

"Remember, as far as anyone knows, we're a nice, normal family." (Homer Simpson)

"Nothing is so soothing to our self-esteem as to find our bad traits in our forebears. It seems to absolve us." (Van Wyck Brooks)

"Some family trees have beautiful leaves, and some just have a bunch of nuts. Remember, it is the nuts that make the tree worth shaking." (Author Unknown)

See what I mean? I guess I'm going to have to keep looking, because it is hard to come up with the right quote when thinking about our family and our reunion. On the other hand... maybe I am missing something here. Do you suppose these quotes DO provide some valuable insight into what it means for us to be family?

Whether or not you'll be at the reunion tomorrow, celebrate our family with a sense of humor. It's the only way to go.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, July 10, 2009

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The lack of emotional security of our young people
is due to their isolation from the larger family unit.
No two people are enough
to provide emotional security for a child.
He needs to feel himself one in a world of kinfolk,
persons allied to himself by an indissoluble bond
which he cannot break,
for nature has welded him into it
before he was born.
~Pearl S. Buck

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you wherever you may be. Cindy and I are enjoying a few days with our son Nathan and his wife Chenda, in San Francisco. I am being reminded again that this is one of the most beautiful cities in the world! And that is saying a lot, coming from someone who lives in another one of the world's beautiful cities, San Diego. (Okay, okay, I may not be giving OKC, DFW, SEA or even LUB enough credit -- to say nothing of NYC -- but don't hold that against me!)

With our family reunion coming up next weekend just outside OKC in Newcastle, I am still thinking about those members of our larger Davis family who will be with us. The first picture I am including today is yet another old photo of Bura Davis Shepard and the other 6 children of James Brooks and Callie Davis (plus a couple of spouses). It looks very much like another picture I have of this same group dated 1968, taken on the steps of the South Flat Church of Christ in Beaver County, Oklahoma (click here to see that picture).

Becky Davis emailed me recently concerning this image. "Steve... Have never seen that picture before and it is a great one. I know the people in it but don't know where it was taken. Left to right: My dad Jesse, Marjorie Millikan, Nona and Myra Kilpatrick, Bura [and husband Will], Esther Jenkins [and husband Perry], and Lawrence [with wife Lou]. All 7 [Davis siblings] are there. They all look great and it must have been fun for them all to get together. Someone surely knows when they were all able to get together. Where are you coming up with all these old pictures? Keep them coming. ...Becky

Gary Millikan also emailed and reminded me that Jesse Davis (on the far left) passed away in the spring of 1969, so this may have been one of the last pictures of all 7 Davis children.

Like many of the old photos I have, I cannot remember where I got it. Most of the ones I have are from the photo collection of my mom Maida Shepard in Anacortes, Washington. But in recent months I have also received pictures from my cousin Dane, and my aunt Thelma and her daughter Kim. Unfortunately I cannot give credit to the one from whom I received this particular photo, but thanks to that person nonetheless.

The second picture I am including shows Bura Davis Shepard with one of her grandsons Darrell Shepard and his wife Mary. This picture was taken in 1984 in Anacortes, Washington where Bura lived with her son Eugene and his family for the last few years of her life, until she died in 1986.

Darrell and Mary, along with their three kids Chris, Rachel and Patrick, now live in Kenmore Washington, a suburb of Seattle. They are only part of our family who presently live in Washington State. Unfortunately the distance from Washington to Oklahoma is such that only a few of our kinfolk from the great Northwest will be with us when we gather next week in Newcastle, including Maida, Barbara, Steve and Linda Shepard of Anacortes. Those four will probably be coming the farthest distance to the reunion. Anyone coming from a greater distance?

In case you missed it before here is the location of our reunion in Newcastle, Oklahoma, which will be held from noon till 5 pm. As a final reminder, be sure to bring whatever old (or new) family photos you would like to place on our picture table at the reunion for all to see.

Dane wants me to tell everyone -- especially those of us coming from the west coast -- to be prepared, the temperature will probably be in the 90s. Best wishes to all for safe travels next week for our gathering on Saturday.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, July 3, 2009

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In each family a story is playing itself out,
and each family's story embodies its hope and despair.
-- Auguste Napier

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Best wishes to all of you for a safe and sane July 4th weekend, on our nation's 233rd birthday! We have had family members in this country for all of those years. One Yankee Doodle Dandy was Vashti Wright (the Ggrandfather of James Brooks Davis) who was born in South Carolina in 1775, the year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He was part of the westward movement that brought our ancestors in the 19th century to Indiana. Our family's history has been primarily an American story for more than two centuries.

This is not to diminish that part of our story where we have embraced, through marriage, other ethnicities such as Irish, Mexican, Colombian, Native American, and most recently Cambodian. But it is to celebrate the degree to which our roots are deeply ingrained in the American landscape.

More on Our Davis Roots. The first picture I am including today -- like last week's picture -- illustrates our Davis roots, by showing the 7 children of James and Callie Davis. In last week's picture (from 1908) the children were all between 11 years old and just a few months old. They have grown considerably by the time of this week's picture, taken 14 years later, in about 1922.

Bura Davis, the oldest, was the tall girl in last week's picture, but this week (on the far right, at 25 years old) she appears to be the shortest one of the bunch. (Was the camera tilted, giving a false impression? What do you think?) When this picture was taken, she was married to William Shepard and the mother of their first 3 children, Pauline, Elmer and Eugene.

Next to her is Jesse Davis, about 21 years old. (You gotta love the preppy hair styles on the boys!) Moving to the left, the next person is Myra Davis, about 22 years old, married to William Allen Kilpatrick at the time, and the mother of their first two, Geneva and Bernard. Behind her is Marjorie Davis, the youngest at 14 years old.

Next to Marjorie is Esther Davis, in the blouse with the interesting designs. She is about 17 years old here, and married Perry Jenkins the summer of the following year. Next to her is Lawrence, the oldest son at 24. On the far left is Winona, who was about 19 years old at this time.

If any of you have other insights into this picture, regarding date, place, circumstances, etc., I would appreciate you dropping me a line with your thoughts.

It must have been an interesting time for the James and Callie Davis family. These 7 siblings were maturing into adulthood and beginning to leave home, with three of them married, and 5 grandchildren on the scene. It is very interesting to compare this picture with one I shared with you last June. That picture (select this link to view it) appears to have been taken at the same time, and in the same setting, as this picture. It shows James and Callie Davis with their first 5 grandchildren (they would eventually have 31).

Among the people scheduled to attend the reunion in two weeks will be 2 of Bura's children (Elmer and Thelma) plus other descendants of hers (including the two boys pictured below), and at least 2 of Jesse's children (Charlotte and Jessie), perhaps other descendants of his as well. I do not have the entire list of those planning to attend, but other descendants of the 7 Davis kids may also be with us.

Happy Birthday to Kelly and James Savage's older son Nathaniel, of Weatherford, Texas, who turns 7 this coming Tuesday. I mentioned his younger brother Kyle last week, whose 5th birthday was last Friday. The second picture shows these two young San Diego Padre fans at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, just last weekend. Their family moved from San Diego to Texas several years ago, but have kept their love for the San Diego team.

Nathaniel and Kyle are two of Bura Davis and Will Shepard's GGgrandchildren. Gary Shepard is the proud grandfather of these two. Their mother Kelly said in a recent email...

"The whole family, including the four of us, [my] mom, Rick, Kerri, Lyndsey, Mandi and Jason enjoyed it very much when the Padres came to Texas to play the Rangers for the weekend and won two out of three! We braved the over 100 degrees every night. Kyle was so excited because he thought the Padres came all the way to Texas for his birthday. They put his name on the rolling score board and brought him a gift bag. Kyle turned 5 on June 26th. Loves the Padres! His favorite players are Adrian Gonzalez and Tony Gwynn Jr. He finished his first season of soccer this past Spring. He did a great job and loved to play. He can't wait to play T-ball next season!

Nathaniel ('Nate') turns 7 on 7-7. He just finished his second season of T-ball. He was on the Padres!! He has played soccer and is an orange belt in Karate. Nate loves to do anything that gives him a chance to run and get dirty. He never misses an opportunity to tell a stranger he loves them and/or give them a hug."

Best wishes for a very happy birthday this coming week!
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, June 26, 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 Members and Friends,

Greetings to each of you from hot Tucson, Arizona where Cindy and I are visiting friends for the weekend. At our family reunion July 18 -- which is fast approaching! -- we may have a number of relatives from my Grandmother Bura Davis' side of the family. Many of them live in and around Oklahoma and have been invited to join us, in particular by Dane Shepard and Kim Clark, who have gone out of their way to make contact with many of them.

The first picture I am including today shows the connections with our larger Davis family. In the picture is my great grandparents James Brooks Davis and Caroline (Callie) Spear Davis with their 7 children. It is one of the finest quality old family pictures that I have.

Standing tall in the back is the oldest child, my grandmother Bura Davis, who, 7 years after this photo was taken, would marry William Shepard, who she did not even meet until after they had moved and settled in Oklahoma. I never remember her looking any taller than she appears in this picture.

The boy on the far right is Lawrence Davis, taking the serious posture of the oldest boy. He was the second born in the family, and in 1930 would marry Loudella Jackson. Next to Bura is Myra Davis, the third child, who has her father's eeire eyes; in 1918 she would marry William Allen Kilpatrick. The boy smack dab in the middle is Jesse Davis, the middle child of the 7, who would marry Mildred Beck in 1930. (Mildred, by the way, is the last survivor of this generation in our family, and lives in Bartlesville, Oklahoma today.)

The girl nearly hidden on the far left is Winona Davis, child #5, who in 1924 would marry William Allen's brother Barney Kilpatrick. Esther, child #6, is the cute little girl in the front between her parents with her head slightly cocked. She would marry Perry Jenkins in 1923. Marjorie, the youngest of the 7, is the baby sitting in her father's lap. In 1931 she would become Mrs. John Millikan, and then 50 years after that, Mrs. A.C. Williams.

Marjorie was born in late December 1907. In the picture she cannot be any more than a few months old, indicating that this picture must have been taken in the spring or summer of 1908 -- 101 years ago! The location was probably Spencer Indiana, where the family lived at the time. A few years later they moved to Beaver County, Oklahoma.

None of the people in this picture are still living today. The last one of James and Callie's children to pass away was the youngest, Marjorie, who died just last fall in Tulsa, Oklahoma at 100.

One of the most remarkable things about this picture is how they managed to get all the children to pose so perfectly, at the same time. To get ANY 9 people to photograph well is tough enough. When 7 of the 9 are under 12 years old, it is uncanny. Some of our younger family members may need to be reminded that this picture was taken long before the age of digital photography, meaning that each shot was very important. They did not take 20 pictures and then select the best one. 100 years ago photography was still a relatively new phenomenon, which may help to explain the rapt attention given by each of the family members -- including the baby!

The indicators of the early 20th century in this photo are very apparent -- the curtains in the back, the knickers on Lawrence, the collar and blouse on Jess (try putting that on a boy today and the neighbors may call CPS!), the well worn shoes, the soft white cottons on all the girls, and the high collars on everybody.

Mother Callie, though 5 years older than her husband James, actually looks younger and is quite a beauty at 42 years old. He is the one who -- though only 37 --seems to show in his face the signs of having borne 7 children in the first 12 years of their married life.

Most of those who read this blog are descendants of Bura Davis, the tall girl in the back in the picture above. But a growing number of readers are descendants of the other Davis children, with names like Niles, Millikan, Allen, Borgstadt, Ellred, Taylor, Roberts and of course, Davis. We will be blessed to be joined at the reunion by some of these other members of our larger family.

Congratulations Newlyweds. I mentioned last week that Nathan, our son (and one of James and Callie's GGgrandsons) was recently joined by his fiance Chenda from Cambodia. But I need to report further this week that they were married last Sunday, on Father's Day! It was this father's honor to do the outdoor ceremony in San Diego, on a small bluff overlooking the Pacific ocean. Congratulations to Nathan and Chenda Shepard! The second picture I am including today is a picture of the newlyweds with Cindy and me. (I promise not to bore you EVERY week with updates. ;-)

Happy Birthday Kyle Sauvage. As a final word I want to say happy birthday to Kyle Christian Sauvage, one of James and Callie Davis' GGGgrandsons. Kyle, who turns 5 today, lives in Weatherford, Texas with his parents James and Kelly Sauvage. Kyle is the grandson of Gary Shepard and the great grandson of Maida Shepard.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, June 19, 2009

The most important thing
a father can do for his children
is to love their mother.
-Theodore Hesburgh

Dear Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you on this third weekend of June. Tomorrow we are having a memorial service for my wife Cindy's brother Joe Paul Harris who passed away a few weeks ago. There will be tears and sadness, but it will also be a time to celebrate his life. The service will be at the El Cajon Blvd Church of Christ in San Diego, a place of many memories for me and a number of family connections.

It happens to have been Will and Bura Shepard's church home for the several decades they lived here in San Diego. It was also my parents' church for the first 10 years of my life, and was where my siblings and I learned our earliest lessons about faith. I remember it well as the place I first learned how to act up in Sunday School! (I also learned the consequences of doing so.) It was also the place where I learned to recite from memory all the books of the Bible, something I can still do -- over 50 years later -- without thinking twice. (OMG, what am I admitting to!)

And on this weekend of Father's day, I am also remembering -- in a second hand sort of way -- that the El Cajon Blvd Church is where my father and mother (Eugene Shepard and Maida Gower) were married 64 years ago this past May 24th.

Father's Day. Speaking of Father's Day, best wishes to all you fathers, and fathers-to-be! The first picture I am including shows two of the fathers of our family, Elmer and Eugene Shepard. This picture was taken in San Diego about 1944, when both of them were serving in the military. Eugene (on the right), who passed away 6 years ago, is the father of my siblings and me, while Elmer -- the father of Joan and Dane -- is the oldest living father in the Shepard family.

Here are the other 11 men who are living fathers of the descendants of Will and Bura Shepard: Dane Shepard, Art Colgain, Rex Russell, Terry Boyd, Darren Boyd, Jeremy Ortiz, Gary Shepard, James Sauvage, Steve Shepard, Darrell Shepard, and Russ Shepard. Happy Father's Day to them and best wishes to all the men in our family!

If you are like me, however, this weekend is also a time to remember fathers and/or grandfathers who are no longer with us. Here is a list of all the fathers of descendants of Will and Bura who have passed away, in some instances way too young: Gabriel Ortiz, Manuel Aquiningoc, Bill Russell, Gene Shepard, and of course Grandad William Shepard. Thanks be to God for all of them and for the memories of them we hold in our hearts.

Welcome to America! As a father myself, it is my joy to offer congratulations to our son Nathan Shepard on the arrival of his fiance Chenda Sou from Cambodia this past weekend. Cindy and I were on hand when Nathan met her plane in Los Angeles last Saturday night, and welcomed her to the U.S. after an arduous overseas flight. Even though she has been living in Cambodia, she has enjoyed being on our email list for several months, so she is not unfamiliar with life among our family members. She and Nathan are now living in San Francisco where Nathan has lived and worked for the last several years. They will be married soon and are looking forward to being with us in Newcastle, Oklahoma next month for the family reunion.

Happy Birthday this coming Monday to Vicki Boyd, wife of Darren Boyd of Lakeside, California. Vicki is the mother of Courtney, Brandyn and Kori Boyd. She and Darren will celebrate 21 years of marriage this coming Thursday. Congratulations!

Our family reunion on July 18 in Newcastle, Oklahoma is just a few weeks away. Please let Dane Shepard or Kim Clark know by next Friday if you will be attending, so we can plan accordingly. And don't forget to bring whatever old (or new) family pictures you would like to put out on our display table for others to see.
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, June 12, 2009

Whatever we think of the past,
we must not be prisoners to it.President Obama
June, 2009

Hello Shepard Family and Friends!

Greetings to all of you on this fine spring day. In last week's post I mentioned that we cannot change the past, but the past can change us, in the best possible way. Akin to that idea is the one quoted above from President Obama's speech last week in Egypt. In it he warned of being prisoners to the past, by letting the past keep us from positive change. He was speaking in particular about American/Muslim relationships. But this thought also relates to our family's history.

I love studying our family, learning about our ancestors, trying to understand the decisions they made, the loyalties they formed, the love of family they showed, the faith they affirmed, the varied approaches they took to life, and the ways they responded to adversity. But in all my learning (and my memories) about family who have preceded us, I realize that there were some attitudes and approaches to life that we must not emulate.

Did you know that there are many black Americans, especially in the south, with the last name of "Shepard"? And even more with the last name of "Davis", and some with other names within our family tree. My guess is that they did not bring those names to America with them. They have those names because they received them from some slave owners named Shepard or Davis in early 19th century America, in a time when owning slaves was a common, accepted practice, and perfectly legal. (I do not know if it was our particular Shepard or Davis ancestors -- or relatives with other last names -- who were slave owners, but it is possible. Perhaps in time, after more research, we will find out.)

Obviously over time slavery has become unacceptable to people in our country and in our family. We refuse to be prisoners to our past by maintaining old attitudes about slavery in particular, or negative attitudes about Americans of color in general. The fact that we have a black president is only one indication of this. Times change. Sometimes for the better! The attitudes of our family members have evolved over the years in regard to the diversity among our fellow Americans. And it has happened because we have been careful not to be imprisoned by our past.

To take this point a bit further, attitudes among the different age groups within our our own family members continue to change. In many ways those of my generation approach life quite differently from many of our ancestors. Yet I can already see that among family members younger than me, there are even more attitude changes. I am grateful for ways that the younger members of our family resist being prisoners of their past, and are open to the future just as much, or even more, than we who precede them. I marvel at this wonderful flow of history, of which our family is one small but very important part.

Happy Birthday Scott Ortiz! Tomorrow, June 13, is the birthday of Scott Ortiz, who is the 11th Ggrandchild of Will and Bura Shepard, the younger son of Kim Clark, and grandson of Thelma and Terry Boyd. He moved to Blue Springs, Missouri a few months ago from San Diego and works in nearby Kansas City. His mom Kim tells me that he has practiced Jiu Jitsu (a type of martial arts) for several years and also enjoys boating and looks forward to going to the lake this summer. The first picture is of Scott (on the left) with Jiu Jitsu Brazilian World Champion Andre Galvao.

Scott was the last of Will and Bura's descendants to be born before the death of Bura Shepard in 1986. This means that 17 of the 44 descendants of Will and Bura have been born since they both died. When you consider that those born just prior to Bura's death were babies when she died, it is clear that nearly half of our entire family today never knew Will or Bura personally. The only thing they know about those wonderful two people is what we tell them. And there is a lot of good to tell!

The second picture I am including was taken in 1988 and shows Scott Ortiz in the bottom left in front of his mother Kim Clark. Also in the picture are Scott's older brother and sister Jeremy and Amanda, and his father Gabe Ortiz who passed away in 2002.

Remember our family reunion next month on July 18 in Newcastle, Oklahoma. At the reunion, there will be a table set up for any old or new family photos you might like to bring for people to see.

Our host Dane Shepard needs to tell the caterer by June 27 how many to feed, so please email Dane at dcflock@juno.com or email Kim Clark at jlcklc07@comcast.net and let one of them know by June 26 if you will be attending. We want to make sure there is enough food to feed everyone!
--
Steve

Shepard Family Update, June 5, 2009

Nothing we do changes the past

-- everything we do changes the future.

(Anacortes High School '09 Class Motto)

Hello Shepard Family and Friends!

Greetings to all of you as June (yes, June!) arrives and our view to this summer becomes clearer. If it is true that, "nothing we do changes the past," why should we be so concerned about history, in particular our family history? For me the answer is this: even though we cannot change the past, the past can change us. In the best possible way. That is the hope and promise of remembering and learning from those who have gone before us.

Happy Birthday Emma Wilk. Tomorrow is the 4th birthday of little Emma Beverly Jean Wilk. Emma is the daughter of Shannon Wilk of Atchison, Kansas, and is one of the select group of 8 GGgrandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard. See a picture of Emma and her mother. Happy Birthday, Emma!

Emma is part of the 4th generation of descendants of Will and Bura, which ranges from Lyndsey Aquiningoc (18 years old) to Damian Ortiz (2 years old). The previous generation of direct descendants numbers 20, so this generation, which presently numbers 8, is just getting started.

As you might expect, the descendants of Will and Bura have just about doubled in each new generation, the numbers being 2 - 4 - 12 - 20 - 8. When it is all said and done, this newest generation of 8 individuals should eventually reach a total of at least 40 descendants, perhaps even more. I may not be around when the final tally for this generation is made sometime around 2040, so someone else will need to be keeping score by then! ;-)

It is the nature of families that with each succeeding generation the branches of the family tree cast a wider scope. One couple, Will and Bura, were the husband and wife who were the genesis of this particular part of the larger family to which we belong. The first generation of their descendants were their four children, siblings of each other, a rather modest beginning for the early 20th century. The 2nd generation (to which I belong) are Will and Bura's 12 grandchildren, all of whom are either siblings or first cousins. The 3rd generation (Will and Bura's 20 Ggrandchildren) are either siblings, first cousins, or second cousins. The 4th and newest generation (Will and Bura's 8 GGgrandchildren) are either siblings, first cousins, second cousins, or third cousins. Some of those in this newest generation are quite removed from each other, and may not ever meet, but they all still share Will and Bura as their GGgrand- parents and will always have that in common.

Beryl Swinney. Next Thursday is the 86th anniversary of the birthday of Beryl Swinney Shepard. Originally from East Texas, Beryl was serving in the military in World War II when she met Elmer Shepard. They married after the war and settled in San Diego where they lived for over 30 years and raised their two children. She and Elmer then retired to East Texas, which is where she died 15 years ago. The first picture I am including, taken in the 1970s in San Diego, shows Beryl with her husband Elmer and their children Joan and Dane Shepard.

Congratulations to the OTHER Steve Shepard. Today Steven Paul Shepard of Anacortes, Washington, graduates from Anacortes High School. Steve is the 13th Ggrandchild of Will and Bura Shepard. His family, including parents Russ and Pam, Grandmother Maida, and aunt Barbara, are all -- choose one of the following... -- elated / relieved / tickled pink / exhausted / very proud. (Maybe they are all of those things!)

Congratu- lations, Steve, on all your hard work and dedication. We wish you well as you figure out where your life will go from here! If any of you have words of wisdom for Steve, he will be among those attending the family reunion July 18 in Oklahoma.

This second picture shows graduate Steve Shepard in cap and gown in front of his High School and next to the school bell. Thanks to aunt Barbara for this picture.

If you need help finding where our family reunion July 18 will be, let Google show you the exact location of the Newcastle (Oklahoma) Community Center. The reunion will be from noon till 5 pm.
--
Steve Shepard (the older one)

Shepard Family Update, May 29, 2009

A happy family is but an earlier heaven.

-- John Bowring

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Cindy and I are enjoying the week with our mothers and my sister Barbara (the "Yayas"), and seeing the sights of San Diego. Where do these octogenarians get all this energy!? What a great week it has been with friendships renewed, as well as visits to major venues like Sea Port Village, Old Town, the Zoo, and Sea World. We also visited some other less glamorous, but equally important places like Greenwood cemetery, where a dozen red roses were just about enough to grace the graves of our dearly departed.

This first picture I am including was taken earlier this past week, and shows the four Yaya's who spent the week together with me as chaperone, security, and photographer, all wrapped into one. From left to right in the picture are Barbara and Maida Shepard from Anacortes, Washington, and Paula Harris and her daughter Cindy Shepard of San Diego. Barbara, Maida, Cindy and I are looking forward to being among those attending the family reunion this summer.

Speaking of family reunion, the time is drawing near for the event July 18 in Newcastle, Oklahoma. It will be a wonderful time to meet family far and near, and young and old, some of whom you may not have seen in a long time, if ever! As I have mentioned before, I solicit any pictures of your particular family group that I can include in a photo presentation I will be sharing at the reunion.

Also at the reunion Dane Shepard will offer a special presentation, which he says will show "the 'lighter side' of the William and Bura Shepard branch of the family. Come and see the 'real story' behind some of those old photos!" I am including a sample slide from that presentation that Dane sent to me. It includes several old pictures of family members. Some of the images are rather small, so you may want to click on the picture to see a larger view. If you can identify all the people in this collage, you are doing better than me!

The final word this week is a sad one. Last week we were saddened by the unexpected death of Cindy's younger brother Joe Paul Harris of a heart attack. Like Cindy, he grew up in San Diego, but for the last 18 years he has lived in the small town of Naknek, Alaska. Our prayers and best wishes are with Cindy and her mom Paula, and their entire family in this time of loss.
--
Steve