Confessions of a Nitpicker, Oct 4

The bond that links

your true family

is not one of blood,

but of respect and joy

in each other's life.

~Richard Bach

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

I sometimes find myself being a nitpicker. Is that a trait commonly found in our family? Is there something in our genes that I can blame it on?

In my small part of our larger family (see picture of our son Nathan and his wife Chenda), we have a tendency to relish those times when one of us misspeaks, which is a form of nitpicking. We point out the mistake with a certain glee. For example: "Aha! You just said 'soot', when you meant to say 'shoot'!" 

Truth be told, however, with a daughter-in-law whose first language is not English, we have toned down the gleefulness a bit, thereby showing a little compassion. But the proclivity to nitpick is clearly still there and rears its ugly head on occasion.

That explains why a particular blog caught my attention one morning not long ago. It has the catchy name "Throw Grammar From the Train - Notes From a Recovering Nitpicker." (You can find the link to that blog on the front page of this blog, down the right hand column a ways where several links are listed.) The nitpicker who wittily writes that blog is focused on minor grammatical errors that she finds irksome. If you too are a nitpicker, you will enjoy reading it.

The nitpicker's life is not easy for someone who does family research. Annoying misspellings of family names are very common, even by those who should know better.

The first time I came across this problem (at least for a nitpicker it's a problem) was when I researched my GGgrandfather William Shepard (1835-1862) (see the picture on the left of his grandson and namesake, in about 1935). In the county history book of Wabash, Indiana the elder William is listed among the Civil War Veterans with his name misspelled William "Sheppard". In Evansville, Indiana where he is buried, the cemetery office has his name as William "Shephard". If you go to his headstone in that very same cemetery, you will find his name spelled William "Shepard" (correct at last!). Misspellings like that are among my pet peeves.

The other day I got an email from cousin Becky Davis of Bartlesville, OK. She asked me about the spelling of one of our Davis ancestors, born about 1755. Becky: "Steve, do you know the correct spelling of 'Maramaduke' Davis? [with 3 a's] Or is it 'Marmaduke' Davis?" [with 2 a's]  

The middle man in the 1925 picture on the right is Marmaduke's Ggrandson Charles E. Davis, next to his sons James Brooks and John.

Becky's email continued: My niece is progressing nicely on the history book of our family and we need to be sure the names are spelled correctly. The first spelling is what I have in my notes, but it doesn't sound right."

Becky is a nitpicker after my own heart. I don't know about Nancy Bushong, the niece Becky referred to. But if she has asked for help in spell checking her book, there must be some nitpickiness in her.

Like any good nitpicker, after reading Becky's email, I felt the need to find the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God. So I went immediately to ancestry.com and searched for GGGGGG grandpappy Davis. I found 18 different historical references to him. 15 of those references have his name spelled "Marmaduke" (just like the cartoon dog). But there were 3 misspellings, none of which matched Becky's misspelling:

-Marmiduke Davis (in the 1830 U.S. Census)
-Mrmeduke Davies (in the 1840 U.S. Census; last name also misspelled!)
-Marmaduk Davis (in the 1850 U.S. Census)

How is one suppose to do credible family research when Census takers make mistakes like that!? It's enough to make a grown nitpicker cry.

Okay, okay, maybe I am taking this thing a little too far. Even I must confess that, when all is said and done, there is more to family life than getting the details exactly right. The greatest meaning lies not in right spelling, pronunciation or grammar, but in the right spirit. The quote at the top of this post suggests as much.

But surely spelling counts for something, doesn't it?
- - 
Steve

Points of Pride, Sept 28

The measure of a woman's character
is not what she gets from her ancestors,
but what she leaves her descendants.
~author unknown

Hello Shepard family and friends,

Greetings to all of you from warm and sunny San Diego where somehow the word has not reached us that fall has arrived. It has been warmer this week than it has been all summer. My last two posts were celebrations of our family's move to the West Coast 70 years ago. In this post I want to celebrate family events as current as tomorrow's newspaper.

Happy Birthday. Speaking of tomorrow, it is the birthday of Cathrina Helms Clark, wife of the esteemed Jerry Clark of Lubbock, Texas. This first picture today shows Cathrina and Jerry and was taken this summer on "The Top of The Rock" in NYC.

Cathrina: Jerry and I have been staying extremely busy and have had a great summer! Traveled to New York with my parents in June and went to San Antonio with Jerry and Susan's business and stayed at a wonderful resort. We went to Myrtle Beach, S.C. with Amanda and Chris, Susan and Andrew to celebrate 30th and 60th birthdays. Had a wonderful trip! Made me miss the Carolina Beaches. We managed a weekend trip to see Amanda and Chris and also a weekend trip to see my grandchildren. Jerry went to visit Becky, Matthew, Emmerson, Miller and Brooks and is planning a trip for my birthday to Estes Park, Colorado. Terry (Jerry's brother) and wife Susan are coming for a visit in October. We also enjoy spending some time with our grandchildren in between trips! Oh, I can't forget that we spread rock all over our front yard this summer. A huge job!  Jerry did most of it. I did help after work. The neighbors are as happy as we are to have this done!

A First Day of School. I recently got a letter - with pictures! - from cousin Shannon Wilk of Atchison, Kansas. Her daughter Emma (see her picture on the left), one of the GGgrandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard, celebrated a special milestone a few weeks ago when she attended her first day of school. 

Shannon: "Here are some pictures. Emma looks just like me, poor kid! Her first day of school went well. I only cried a little bit. ;-) She is having a great time and really likes riding the bus. She got mad when I told her she doesn't go back to school till Monday. Too cute! I will remind her of this when she doesn't want to get up Monday morning!"

A Last Day of School. A very different milestone was reached last Friday when another GGgrandchild of Will and Bura, Lyndsey Aquiningoc of Weatherford, Texas, graduated from Kaplan College. Congratulations to Lyndsey on her last day of school. The third picture shows Lyndsey with her mother Kerri (Shepard) Aquiningoc.

Kerri said: "Another milestone in my life is happening. My daughter Lyndsey is graduating from Kaplan College. She has earned her right to be a Dental Assistant and I am so very proud of her. I know now she will make something for herself. CONGRATS Lynds. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH and I know your DAD is very proud of you too!"

Proud seems to be the operative word of this post - proud of Lyndsey for graduating, proud of Emma on starting school, and proud of Cathrina for getting within 10 years of my age with such grace and charm!
- - -
Steve

The Golden Years of the Shepard Family, September 22

The leaves of memory seemed to make
A mournful rustling in the dark.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from San Diego on this first day of fall, 2010. This is a month to celebrate the Shepard family's move to San Diego, 70 years ago this month.

It was a time of tremendous change for our small family that at the time numbered only 9 people. They had come from Two Buttes, a small town, isolated in the southeast corner of Colorado, and Beaver County, Oklahoma before that. San Diego was a bustling city that must have felt overwhelming to them. Although in 1940 it had just 200,000 people (about 1/7 the size it is today), they still must have felt some culture shock.

But whatever shock they experienced seems not to have lasted very long. Their move to Southern California began the Golden Years of the Shepard family, a time of prosperity and growth for the families of the four children of William and Bura Shepard. They all settled nicely into life in San Diego, as did most of the other transplants from elsewhere in the U.S. in those post war years. (see the first picture of 6 of the 9 who made the move: Will, Bura, Elmer, Thelma, Bev and Rex, in the glare of the Southern California sunshine, shortly after their move).

In the spirit of the times, Will and Bura had 10 more grandchildren born to them in the "Baby Boom" era (1946 to 1964). For nearly 40 years after their move, they, along with their children and grandchildren, enjoyed the good life in the San Diego area, and maintained a healthy, close knit, extended family life. As I look back in it, I had no idea what a rich experience it was to grow up in the same city with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and all my cousins.

The second picture show Bura Shepard with her daughter Pauline Russell and her servicemen sons Gene Shepard (left) and Elmer Shepard (right) in Feb, 1945.

About the time that Will died in 1976 the inevitable scattering began. Since then most of Will and Bura's descen- dants have moved northward to western Washing- ton, Northern California, Nevada and Utah; or eastward to Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Only a few of their descendants remain in San Diego today: Cindy and I, Darren Boyd and his family, and Jeremy Ortiz and his family.

Only three of those who first moved to San Diego in 1940 are alive today. Elmer Shepard, who now lives in Mustang, Oklahoma near his son Dane, was a 22 year old in 1940 and getting ready to enter the Air Force. Thelma (Shepard) Boyd (Will and Bura's younger daughter) and Rex Russell (Will and Bura's grandson) were both 4 year olds when they made the move. They both grew up in San Diego, but Thelma now lives in Gallup, New Mexico, while Rex lives in Red Rock, Nevada. (Thanks to Elmer and to Thelma for the reflections they gave me on the family move to San Diego so long ago.)

I was the second of the grandchildren born to Will and Bura after the Shepard family migrated to California, and consider myself a beneficiary of that move. Their willingness to uproot their family and respond to the opportunity that presented itself is something worth celebrating. I honor their courage and foresight.
- -
Steve

Celebrating A Century Long Family Journey, September 16

When a society or a civilization perishes,
one condition can always be found.
They forgot where they came from.
~Carl Sandburg

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greeting from home once again in San Diego, a city that has been home to some of our Shepard family since September, 1940.

Gayle, Alberta and parents Sadie (Shepard) and Levy Pruett

70 years ago this month William and Bura Shepard moved from Two Buttes, Colorado to San Diego. The entire Shepard clan made the move to California, except for Will's sister Sadie Shepard Pruett (see first picture). She had remained in Oklahoma with husband Levy Pruett and their children. Bura, of course, left most of her Davis family behind in Oklahoma and Colorado.

The Shepards decided to move to California at the invitation of some Colorado family friends named Suter who had moved to San Diego a few years earlier. The Suters had opened a boarding house for men who were employed in the war effort, and needed some help managing a second boarding house. Will and Bura jumped at the opportunity. At least it was gainful employment, something in short supply where they had been living in Colorado.

At first it was just Will and Bura, with their children Elmer, Eugene and Thelma (see Thelma's picture below), who made the move to the west coast. The next year, 1941, Eugene drove back to Colorado to get his older sister Pauline and her two children, Rex and Beverly (see picture below). Her husband Bill Russell, who was still recovering from a bone disease that had required amputation of one leg, joined them a little later.

Rex, Beverly and Thelma, early 1940s, San Diego

When the family settled in San Diego it concluded a century-long, westward journey of three generations of William Shepards. The first William Shepard (1835-1862), our earliest known Shepard ancestor, moved 300 miles westward from his birthplace in Belmont County, Ohio, to Wabash, Indiana around 1850. His son William Elmer Shepard (1862-1915), moved 990 miles further west from Indiana, via Madison County, Illinois, to Beaver County, Oklahoma just after the turn of the 20th century. 

William Elmer's son, also named William Shepard (1888-1976), moved with his family from Illinois to Oklahoma, then moved his own wife and children 160 miles to Southeast Colorado. In 1940, they completed the last leg of the Shepard westward migration when they traveled the 1150 miles from Two Buttes, Colorado to San Diego. The Shepard family migration from Eastern Ohio in 1835 to the West Coast was complete.

The move itself must have been an adventure. My uncle Elmer Shepard, reporting through his son Dane, tells me they piled into a used four-door Dodge sedan that Will had purchased after selling his work truck in Colorado, leaving most of their belongings behind. 

In 1940 there were no Interstate Highways. And there were many more lonely stretches of barren southwest landscape than there are today. The best they could do, especially as they got close to San Diego, was Highway 8, which only a few years earlier had been paved, after being a "plank road" across the California desert. 

These days you can can drive those 1,150 miles entirely on freeway, and you can do it in about 24 hours, if you are hardy enough (like Jeff Clark, for example!). Back then it would have taken a couple of days, at best. Without air conditioning or many other amenities that we take for granted today.

I'll say more about this move in my next post. For now it is a time to celebrate the foresight and willingness of Will and Bura who uprooted their family and moved to the West Coast in September, 70 years ago. I am grateful they did.
- - -
Steve

Another Year Older, Sept. 9

The great tragedy of life
is not that people perish,
but that they cease to love.

~W. Somerset Maugham

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from beautiful Anacortes, Washington, where Cindy and I are visiting my mom Maida and all our kinfolk in this part of the world.

Maida, Linda, Gene, Steve and Gary, 1953

Today is the day that I, and the state of California, take our turn at growing another year older. This fine state of ours is 160 years and going strong. I am considerably younger. When I was born California was still 2 years from celebrating her centennial.

The first picture I am including today was taken in 1953 in San Diego and shows Maida and Eugene Shepard with the first 3 of what would eventually be 6 children. I am at the bottom left at 5 years old (don't you love the butterfly collar?), older brother Gary is on the lower right (looking like an angel) and Linda is in her father's arms (ever so stoic).

These days Cindy and I spend a good amount of our time traveling. One of our favorite destinations is San Francisco, the home of our son Nathan and his wife Chenda, and, of course, their baby Preslea. We just concluded a wonderful long weekend with Preslea while her mom and dad were off galavanting on a well deserved holiday weekend.

Steve and Preslea

The second picture I am including shows our granddaughter Preslea and me in a picture taken by Grannie Cindy just a few days ago. Preslea is now 5 months old and the pride and joy of her parents and us.

Happy Birthday Kelly! This coming Sunday, Sept 12, is the birthday of my niece Kelly Shepard Sauvage of Weatherford, Texas. She is wife to James, mother to Nate and Kyle, and the youngest daughter of my brother Gary Shepard. She is one of the Ggrandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard.  

30 something Kelly with sister Kerri

Kelly wrote me to say: "I stay busy with my full time job at the high school and taking care of two active boys. Nathaniel is in 2nd grade and Kyle is in 1st. Both boys have signed up to play little league again this fall. Between practices and games for them, I’m sure I’ll be running crazy. James is going to referee football again this year and work his real job, usually about 12 hours a day. Which leaves lots of time for me and the boys to hang out together. We love going to the lake, water parks and of course Chuck E Cheese. I am still a diehard Chargers and Padres fan! Like any good mother, I have made my children fans of all teams from San Diego. Kyle is my sports child and loves to watch the Padres games with me. He is looking forward to watching the Chargers play this fall and loves Phillip Rivers. Every once in a while I get together with my sister Kerri, and have a crazy, fun time or catch a “chick flick” with my friend at work."
- - -
Steve

Deep Roots and Tangled Branches, Sept 2

Genealogy is where you 

confuse the dead 

and irritate the living.

~anonymous

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from San Francisco, California where Cindy and I have already begun this long Labor Day weekend. Many people will be traveling and visiting family or friends, but we have the pleasure and responsibility of grand-baby sitting in this City by the Bay. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

Nola (Shannon) and Leroy Ertin Gower in the 1940s

I few weeks ago I referred in this blog to my maternal grandfather Leroy Ertin Gower. (See picture of him with his wife Nola Shannon Gower.) I discovered recently that Leroy has a rich Gower heritage that stretches back nearly 4 centuries in North America.

Finding family links that reach into the early 19th century and occasionally into the 18th century is not difficult. My grandfather Gower's lineage, however, can be traced back to the early 17th century in Colonial America.

Here is my Gower lineage, beginning with my granddaughter, for the last 370 years.

Preslea Maida Shepard (b. 2010)
Nathan Shepard (b. 1977) (married Chenda Sou)
Steven Shepard (b. 1948) (married Cynthia Harris)
Maida (Gower) Shepard (b. 1924) (married Eugene Shepard)

Leroy Ertin Gower (1899-1974) (married Nola Shannon)

George W. Gower (1873-1944) (married Serena Turner)

Leroy Gower (1854-1909) (married Ellen Taylor)

Jackson Gower (1831-1902) (married Mary Anderson)

Abel Gower (1800-1870) (married Rachel Rebecca Lay)

Matthew Gower (1762-1853) (married Susannah)

Thomas Gower (1741-1815) (married Mary Robertson)

John Gower (1721-1800) (married Rosemond Fielding)

Abel Gower (1690-1780) (married Mary)

*Abell Gower (1640-1689) (married Jane Hatcher)

Abell Gower (from Gloucester, England, dates and wife unknown)

A key person in this lineage is Abell Gower (second from the bottom), who was the first of this group to be born on American soil. He was born in 1640 in the town of Henrico, Virginia near Richmond, and is the earliest American birth among all my known ancestors.

The year 1640 was 135 years prior to the Revolutionary War, long before the declaration of Independence and the creation of "The United States." In 1640 the total population of Colonial America was only 26,600. (1,000 times that number of people live in California today!)

4 Generations: Leroy Gower, Maida, Gary and Jason Shepard

There are numerous historical referen- ces to this Abell Gower and his work in local and regional govern- ment. He is described in Virginia Biography this way: "Gower, Abell was a justice of Henrico County, Virginia from 1679 till his death in 1689; sheriff in 1681, and a member of the house of burgesses in 1679. He married Jane, daughter of Edward Hatcher, of Henrico. He appears to have been a son of Abell Gower of Boulton, county Gloucester, England, esquire."

This Abell Gower lived in Virginia, while the next two generations of Gowers lived in nearby North Carolina. It was Ggrandson Thomas Gower who began the westward migration into Tennessee sometime before 1800. Following the lead of other pioneers, the Gowers continued their move westward. They settled for most of the 19th century and into the 20th century in Stone County, Arkansas, which is where my mother was born in 1924. In 1925 her part of the Gower clan then moved to Okemah, Oklahoma, and then in the early 1940s, on to Southern California, where some of them still live today. A number of others, including my mother Maida and her sister Vicki (Gower) Johnston, moved to northwestern Washington in the 1970s where they still live.

The second picture (above), shows Leroy on the left with his daughter Maida, his grandson Gary Shepard and his Ggrandson Jason Shepard, now of Fort Worth, Texas. This picture was taken in San Diego in 1972, just 2 years before Leroy died.

- - -

Steve

The First of the Great Greats, Aug 29

Happiness is having

a large, loving, caring,

close-knit family.

In another city.
~George Burns

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

5 Generations: Lyndsey, Kerri, Gary, Maida, Nola

Greetings to all of you from Toronto, Canada where Cindy and I find ourselves on this last weekend of August. Actually we are in the Toronto suburb Whitby. Not to be confused with the Washington Island of Whidbey, where my brother Gary and his wife Cindy live.

O Canada. We are here in Canada visiting friends, including a couple of newlyweds, and enjoying the sites of this beautiful metropolitan city, the largest in all of Canada.

I have no indication that any of our ancestors were Canadians. I do know that some of our Davis kinfolk, in particular Bernard and Francis Kilpatrick, migrated to western Canada in the mid 20th century. Bernard, who passed away earlier this summer at the age of 88, was one of the grandchildren of James and Callie Davis. But as far as our family having roots in Canadian soil before them, I have heard of none. If any of you have more information about that, please let me know.

Mandi, Kerri and Lyndsey

The First of the GGs (and the GGGs?) Twenty years ago today, the first of the Great Great Grand children of Will and Bura Shepard, was born, Lyndsey Aquiningoc. She is probably also the first of the generation comprising the GGG Grandchildren of James Brooks and Callie Davis. Lyndsey is the first born of a first born of a first born of a 3rd born of the first born of James and Callie Davis (who were both first born themselves). Call me obtuse, but what I am saying is true!

Lyndsey's mom Kerri emailed me recently to say: "Where did the years go? Lyndsey is my first born child, so bless her heart, she had to put up with me being a first time mother and not knowing what I was doing! (She didn't come with a owner's manual.) But she has managed to survive 20 years. Lyndsey has been pretty busy lately, going to Kaplan College in Fort Worth for the last 9 months to be a Dental Assistant. She just completed her Externship (no pay check) doing hands on Dental assisting 4 days a week. She really enjoyed it and said there's a few things that will take getting use to. So her hard work of Dental Assisting full time and then her waitress job at Mesquite Pit in Weatherford may pay off. I am so proud of her. She will graduate Kaplan College in September. Her goal is to Dental assist for a few years and then go back to school to be a Dental Hygienist. In her free time she loves hanging out with her friends and boyfriend and going to her Grandma's so she can wake board out on the lake."

Mandi and Lyndsey

The first picture (at the top of this post) shows a young Lyndsey on the left with her mother Kerri Aquiningoc, her grandfather Gary Shepard, her Great Grandmother Maida Shepard, and her GGgrandmother Nola Gower. This five generation picture was taken in 1994 in front of the Gower family home in San Diego. The second picture was taken in Weatherford, Texas and shows Lyndsey on the right next to her mom and her sister. The third picture shows Lyndsey on the right with her sister Mandi, mugging it up for the camera.

---

Steve

A 24th And A 27th; Aug 23

Everybody needs their memories. 

They keep the wolf of insignificance 

from the door.

~Saul Bellow

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Russ and Pam

Greetings to all of you from sunny San Diego where warm summer weather finally arrived this past week. This has been one of the mildest summers this city has seen in many years.

Happy Anniversary today to Russ and Pam Shepard who are celebrating 24 years of marriage. Russ is Eugene and Maida Shepard's youngest son. Russ and Pam (Engan) were married back in the summer of 1986 in a garden wedding at the Shepard home in Anacortes, Washington. They now have 2 children, Steven and Linda.

Russ, Linda, Steve, and Pam Shepard

The first picture (above) was taken of this young couple in 1987 when they were visiting the Puyallup Fair near Tacoma, still a major event in Western Washington.

Fast forward 22 years to the second picture which shows Russ and Pam with their kids Linda and Steven, in a more recent picture, taken just last fall in front of that same Shepard home in Anacortes. Also in this same picture is Russ' brother Darrell Shepard, aka Shepdawg (partially hidden), on the right. 

Jeremy, Scott and Amanda Ortiz, 1992, San Diego

Happy Birthday Amanda! Happy 27th Birthday this coming Wednes- day, Aug 25, to Amanda Ortiz, who lives in Gallup, New Mexico. Amanda is yet another of the Ggrandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard, and is the daughter of Kim Clark, who, with her husband Jeff, lives in Blue Springs, Missouri.

The third picture is an old one and shows Amanda with her brothers Jeremy and Scott. This was taken at the Shepard Family Reunion in San Diego back in 1992. On the right is their father Gabe Ortiz.

A Grave Concern in Oklahoma. I received word just a few days ago from cousin Dane Shepard that his wife Cindy's father, Ross Saunders, was injured in a fall this past week and is not expected to live. Some of us met him last summer when we attended the Family Reunion in Oklahoma. Our prayers and best wishes are with Cindy and her entire family in this very difficult time.
- - -
Steve

From "the Land of Red Earth", Aug 18

I started at 5 years old

at the kitchen table

with my family supporting me.

I know where I'm from

and I know exactly where I'm going.
~Celine Dion

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

I received word this week from my cousin Dane Shepard of Oklahoma, regarding happenings among our kin in his part of the world.

Dane: Here's a brief update from the land of red earth. We've been having hot and dry weather for about a month reaching into triple digit temps for a few weeks. By contrast, Thelma says they have had more rain than ever and would like a break. She also mentioned that Jeff and Kim are suffering as we are.

Mildred Beck Davis, Kaylan and Dane Shepard

We have moved Dad to a better assisted living facility. His new address is: Elmer Shepard, Arbor House, 850 Clear Springs Road, Room 105, Mustang OK 73064. This is just about 2 miles from where he lived before. He is not as strong as before and has become quite forgetful in short term memory. He is still able to get out for church services and to go out to eat.

Kaylan and I had a short but enjoyable visit in Bartlesville this July. We were treated to a wonderful dinner (that's lunch back here, although it was indeed a big meal), featuring items fresh from their garden. Anytime you go there you can expect a warm welcome.

As for Mildred, she has gone down in her health and ability to carry on a conversation but she remains sweet and still has a sense of humor about her. Bud was there and gave me a CD of pictures they had scanned. I will be sending some of the pictures your way in time.

Siblings: Charlotte Davis Taylor, Bud and Becky Davis

Becky is able to get around fairly well after her hip surgery. She recounted the night that Mildred fell a few months ago. It was late and they had gone to bed and didn't hear her calling after she fell. Finally Jessie and Becky found her but were unable to lift her so they called 911 and had some big firemen assist them. They laugh about it now. Mildred is unable to get out much.

At this time, Cindy's father is in the hospital. He's not doing well. We stay busy keeping tabs on our parents. Hopefully, the hot weather will soon pass and that will help. It's time to start school here so we're getting into the swing of home schooling again. Thanks again for the emails and family updates. Take care.

How Our World Has Changed. Every once in while I hear or read something that helps put the history of our family in perspective. 90 years ago today the 19th Amendment to the U.S Constitution was ratified and women received the right to vote in our country. It is hard to believe that before that time, women in the U.S. were denied that most basic privilege.

The oldest living person in our Shepard clan, Elmer Shepard (mentioned above) of Mustang, Texas, was born two years previous to that time. Mildred Beck Davis, pictured above, was 9 years old in 1920. Their lives have witnessed a tremendous amount of cultural change, more than most of us can imagine. 

- - -

Steve

Vive Le Difference, Aug 12

The thing about family problems

is that you never have to wait long

before the next one

puts the previous one 

into perspective. 

~Robert Brault

Hello Shepard Family and Friends,

Greetings from San Diego to all of you wherever you may be, as we journey through these dog days of summer.

Happy 30th Birthday! Today is the birthday of Jeremy Ortiz of Spring Valley, California. Jeremy is one of the Ggrandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard, and Terry and Thelma Boyd's oldest grandchild.

The picture above shows Jeremy with his Ggrandmother Bura Davis Shepard back in 1982. The picture below shows Jeremy with his mother Kim Clark earlier this year. Congratulations to Jeremy on turning 30!

Happy 17th! Happy Birthday this coming Monday, August 16, to Russ and Pam's daughter Linda Shepard of Anacortes, Washington. Linda is another one of the Ggrandchildren of Will and Bura, and is Maida Shepard's youngest grandchild. 

Linda has a job this summer as a housekeeper at the Marina Inn in Anacortes and is pretty excited about her upcoming senior year at Anacortes High School. In particular she is looking forward to English and Photography. Unfortunately she'll have to work on her birthday but then she plans to party with her friends. The third picture shows Linda, surrounded by school mates who were all celebrating "Purple Days" at their school.

On the Subject of Birthdays. Two weeks ago I made reference to the birthday of "our esteemed president Barrack Obama." It seemed like an innocent reference at the time. But I should have known better.

One of you responded and said, "Don't esteem the pres for me." Plus a few other choice words. Another reader forwarded me an email with one of those urban legends intended to belittle the man in the White House (which, alas, has always been a favorite American pastime).

These responses got my attention, of course, and were worth a few laughs. But they also illustrate how diverse our family really is. It always has been and it always will be. Not just politically, but in many other ways as well. But that is what makes family life exciting, and keeps us on our toes. As they say, "Vive le difference."

By the way, I should have been more "on my toes" when I referred to our (somewhat) esteemed President's birthday. I got the date wrong. He was actually born August 4, 1961, just a few months before our esteemed Kim Clark (see picture above).

- - -
Steve