An Extended Sense of History, June 26, 2013

The greatest thing you'll ever learn

is just to love and be loved in return.

Eden Ahbez

Happy Anniversary! Congratulations to our son Nathan and his wife Chenda Sou Shepard who celebrated 4 years of marriage this past weekend. They were married on Father's Day, 2009 in a small private ceremony overlooking the Pacific Ocean near the Old Lighthouse in San Diego. Today they live in Alameda, California with their children. 

The first picture, taken earlier this month, shows Nathan and Chenda (on the right) with Cindy and me and their three children Logan, Preslea and William.

Grandpa Gower's Birthday. Yesterday was the anniversary of the birth of my grandfather Leroy Ertin Gower, who was born June 25, 1899, in Mountain View, Arkansas. Leroy and my grandmother Nola Shannon Gower were married for 53 years when he died in 1974 in San Diego.


Leroy and Nola are the parents of a family numbering 44 direct descendants, most of whom are still alive today. No wait, that should be 45 descendants, with the birth earlier this month of their first GGG grandchild Kambree Kay Bowman in Weatherford, Texas. 

Among Leroy and Nola's surviving descendants are their two daughters: my mother Maida Gower Shepard and my aunt Vicky Gower Johnston, both of whom live in the Puget Sound area of Western Washington. Their son Hank died in 2004.

The second picture shows Leroy Gower as a young man and may have been taken in San Diego in the 1940s, not long after they moved from Oklahoma to the West Coast. My mother thinks this picture might be one taken at the Baptist Church in Balboa Park in San Diego where the Gowers were committed members for many years and where Leroy was a deacon for many of those years. 

The group picture below was taken at the Shepard home on Armstrong Street in San Diego in 1972. It shows Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower on the far right just 2 years before Leroy died. Also in the picture, left to right, are Jackie and Gary Shepard, Maida and Eugene Shepard, Kerri Shepard in Maida's lap, and Russ Shepard in Eugene's lap.

Thinking about my grandpa Gower causes me to ponder the notion that in some way, my life extends as far back as my grandparents' lives did. I have this sense that, by extension, I have "lived", in some way, ever since the time of their births. Now obviously that is not literally true. But it is true in a psychological sense.

Let me put it this way: I knew very well, and was known very well by, four different grandparents (including my grandpa Gower) whose lives reached back to the late 19th century. I spent time with all four of them, fortunately a good amount of time since we all lived in the same city for the first 20 years of my life. They loved me and I loved them. They rejoiced when I was born (presumably!) and I rejoiced when I could spend an occasional weekend with them. They told me stories of their early lives -- some humorous, some painful, many faith based, and some simply historical. They shared with me who they were in years past. And I took it all in eagerly, like a sponge, like most grandchildren who know and love their grandparents. 

A familial bond was created between my grandparents and me (and to varying degrees with all my siblings and cousins), a bond that was about as strong as one could expect to have. As a result, my personal grasp of history seems to reach all the way back to the years they lived. In the case of my four grandparents, that would be 1903, 1899, 1896, and even 1888, the birth year of my oldest grandparent William Shepard.

So when I consider history or hear about events that took place a hundred years or so ago, what comes to my mind is whether or not it falls within the years since my grandparents were born. If it does, it seems to be more within my grasp, within my extended lifetime, so to speak. Grandpa Gower is one who helps me to have that extended sense of history that reaches back over a hundred years. Next year it will be 40 years since he died, but I remember him well and am grateful for the impact he made on my life.

Today is the birthday of Kyle Sauvage, who was born 105 years after his GG Grampa Leroy Gower, almost to the day. Kyle is the younger son of my niece Kelly Shepard Sauvage and her husband James. Until recently, Kyle was the youngest member of our family living in the Weatherford, Texas area. When his cousin Mandi gave birth recently, Kyle got bumped to second place.

This last picture shows Kyle on the right with his brother Nate when they attended an NBA game earlier this year. 
- - -
Steve Shepard

Sweet Baby Kambree, June 19, 2013

A new baby is like

the beginning of all things.

Eda J. Le Shan

Anacortes Family Reunion 2013. The family reunion in Anacortes, Washington on Saturday, August 10, is fast approaching. It is less than two months away! All members and friends of the Shepard and Gower families are invited to attend. If you do plan to be there, please let one of our Anacortes family members know, so we can "set a place at the table" for you.

Congratulations to my great niece Mandi Aquiningoc and her boyfriend Steven Bowman on the birth of Kambree Kay Bowman this past Friday evening at Campbell Memorial Hospital in Weatherford, Texas.

Mandi's sister Lyndsey sent me a message to say: Mandi and sweet baby Kambree are doing great. She just got to bring her home tonight [Saturday]! I couldn't be any more exited about being an auntie. I'm also the Godmother which makes me very happy! I hope yall are doing great. I miss yall like crazy and wanna make a visit to yall sometime soon!

This first picture, taken this past Sunday, shows the new baby Kambree Kay with a blue ribbon in her hair. She weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs. and 19 inches long. 

The second picture shows Mandi in the middle holding the baby, with her sister Lyndsey Aquiningoc on the left, and the new grandmother Kerri Shepard Aquiningoc on the right. 

Kambree Kay becomes the first of a new genera- tion in our family, being the first GGG grandchild of both Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower, and William and Bura Davis Shepard. My mother Maida Shepard is now a great great grandmother, my brother Gary Shepard a great grandfather, and my niece Kerri Aquiningoc a proud grandmother. 

Best wishes to Mandi and Steven and their entire family on the birth of this beautiful new baby. 

Kambree Kay has the unique distinction, of course, of being the youngest in our extended family. But she won't be for long. In about another month, another beautiful little baby is scheduled to arrive in our Shepard/Gower extended family. This one in Bothell, Washington. Stayed tuned!
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Steve Shepard

Running on Grandpa's Grave, June 12, 2013

Our fathers had their dreams;

we have ours; 

the generation that follows

will have its own.

~Olive Schreiner 

Back in mid-March our grandson Logan spent a week with Cindy and me here in San Diego. My mom Maida and sister Barbara from Washington were also with us as we enjoyed a special week together. One day during that week we decided to make our periodic visit to two places here in San Diego that carry special significance for us: Greenwood Cemetery, and the Hard Rock Cafe, two locations not often coupled in the same sentence, much less in the same afternoon.

At not quite 2 years old, Logan had a difficult time at the Hard Rock. Too confining. Too boring. Way too sedate. But the cemetery was a different story altogether. You need to understand that Logan has never met a grass field he didn't like. Turn him loose on the open green spaces of the neighborhood park and it's a new lease on life for him. His eyes light up, his demeanor changes, he is a new person. 

When we got to that solemn corner of the cemetery just off Imperial Avenue, where over a dozen of our dearly departed loved ones reside, Barb and I had a quiet moment of reflection. 

Not so for Logan. For him it was an opportunity to tear around the headstones with reckless abandon. He'd been cooped up at the Hard Rock and then in his car seat way too long. It was time to let 'er rip, so off he went. He was like a baseball player who just hit a deep line drive. Run your hardest to one base, then another. And don't stop there. Keep going. The headstones were not solemn markers, they were touchstones for his little body as he scampered from one to another.

The picture above shows him rounding "second base" (Grandpa Gower's grave) and heading for third as fast as his little legs can carry him. Which is not really very fast. For Logan, running is a cross between a waddle and a sprint. But who cares? It's all about the joy, the freedom, the unrestrained explosion of energy. I could imagine Grandpa Gower looking down on his little GG grandson and enjoying this happy graveyard romp with a smile on his face.

With Father's Day coming up this weekend, it is a time to remember fathers and grandfathers who have meant so much to us. I suggest that remembering our fathers need not be so much a solemn and reflective affair. Instead it should prompt us to approach life with all the energy and verve we can muster, like a 2 year old running on grandpa's grave.

I am grateful for my two wonderful grandfathers, and for my father Eugene Shepard (whose grave can be seen in the upper left of the first picture). In the 10 years since dad died, life has gone on and I sometimes fear that I have forgotten some important things about him. But there is no doubt about my memory of his character, his honesty, his support of me and his love for his family and the church. He was the kind of father who related to me in a way that freed me to be the person I choose to be, and I will always honor him for that.

The second picture shows my dad Eugene Shepard in Anacortes, Washington in 1979. In his lap is his grandson Nathan Shepard, Logan's father. At the time Nathan was 2, the same age that Logan is today. 

My uncle Terry Boyd, who passed away in March of this year, is one of the fathers in our family who will be remembered in a special way this weekend. Best wishes to all Terry's immediate family as they celebrate this first Father's Day after his passing.

Happy Birthday tomorrow, June 13, to Terry and Thelma Boyd's #2 grandson Scott Ortiz. Best wishes to Scott for a wonderful 28th birthday.  

  

Select the image above to see a musical photo presentation honoring the fathers in our family who have died, and celebrating those who do such a good job of being good fathers today.

Steve Shepard

100 Years Ago This Spring, June 5, 2013

History does not repeat itself;

at best it sometimes rhymes.

~Mark Twain

Hello family and friends, and greeting to all of you from Northern California on this warm day in late spring as the promise of summer is everywhere to be seen.

James Brooks and Caroline Spear Davis, my great grandparents, were a special couple who deserve to be remembered and celebrated. It was 100 years ago this spring that they migrated from Indiana to Oklahoma in a move that began a whole new chapter in the life of their family. Today the descendants of James and Callie number in the hundreds and are scattered throughout the Western U.S.

In early 1913 when James and Callie packed up and moved westward, they did so with all 7 of their children and Callie's mentally handicapped brother, Clayton Spear.

The second picture, taken in Indiana in 1908 -- 5 years before their move -- is a remarkable old family photo of James and Callie and their 7 children. The children are Winona (far left), Marjorie (in her father's lap), Myra and Bura (in the back), Esther (sitting down in front), Jesse (in the very middle) and Lawrence (on the right).

They were not the first in their larger family to move westward to Oklahoma. Before the turn of the 20th century, James' widowed grandmother Jane Buskirk Davis had made the move, as did James' parents Charles and Melinda Davis in the early 20th century. Eventually 5 of James' 6 siblings relocated to the Sooner state. The lone exception was brother Tom Davis who lived all his life in Owen County, Indiana, where some of his descendants still live today.

Marjorie Davis Millikan (1907-2008), the youngest of James and Callie's children, wrote the following about her family's move. 

In March, 1913 the Davis family of nine boarded a train at Spencer, Owen County, Indiana and arrived in Forgan, Beaver County, Oklahoma on March 8. The trip was 800 or 900 miles, and crossed the Mississippi River at St. Louis.

Callie’s brother, Emery Clayton Spear came with them and lived with Callie and Jim most of his life. After Jim’s death, no one in her family offered to care for him since he was unable to care for himself. Callie’s son Lawrence Davis being the eldest son made the decision to admit him to the mental hospital in Fort Supply, Oklahoma. Lawrence was always troubled by his decision, weighing heavily on his heart all his life. Clayton died in 1944 at the age of 74. 

Sometime back my second cousin Jerry Davis emailed me to say that his grandparents John and Vera Davis (James' brother) "moved to Beaver County in June 1912 in two wagons and it took two weeks. They moved in with (their parents) Charles and Malinda Davis in a two room house and lived there for a period of time, but were asked to move out since John's older brother Jim was coming with his family, which included seven children."

All 10 members of James and Callie's household moved into a 2 room house with his parents? Talk about cozy! If nothing else it shows how difficult it was for these migrant ancestors of ours. The effort it took to follow their bliss and move westward and "start from scratch" was tremendous, and deserving of our gratitude and admiration.

What motivated them to move? To be with family was certainly one thing. The possibility of land ownership in the Oklahoma panhandle must have been another. Basically James and Callie were driven by the promise of a better life for them and their loved ones. For these reasons and many others, 100 years later we remember with thanksgiving their sacrifice and strength of spirit. It was courageous people like them who make us who we are today.

James and Callie were both born in Spencer, Indiana in the years following the Civil War, but are laid to rest today beneath a beautiful headstone in Sophia Cemetery in Beaver County, Oklahoma.

Looking at the big family picture over the last 2 centuries, James' grandparents Alexander and Jane Davis had migrated 300 miles to Owen County, Indiana from South East Ohio in the mid 19th century, then James and Callie migrated 900 miles to Beaver County, Oklahoma in the early 20th century. The completion of the migration across the U.S. occurred when their oldest daughter Bura and husband William Shepard moved 1,200 miles to San Diego in 1940. 

That Was Then, This is Now.  Happy Birthday to Emma Wilk tomorrow on the occasion of her 8th birthday. She is one of the GGG grandchildren of James and Callie Davis. In her family line are Bura Davis Shepard, Pauline Shepard Russell, and Beverly Russell Wilk. Emma lives with her mom Shannon Wilk in Atchison, Kansas. Best wishes to both of them, but especially to Emma for a wonderful birthday!
- - -
Steve Shepard

A Time To Love, May 29, 2013

I find television very educational.
Every time someone switches it on,
I go into another room and read a good book.
~Groucho Marx

Hello Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from Alameda, California where Cindy and I are sharing some family time with Nathan, Chenda and our grandkids.

Happy Birthday today to my cousin Mike Harrell, who lives in Zionsville near Indianapolis, Indiana with his wife Carole. Mike is the son of my aunt Vicki Gower Johnston of Oak Harbor, Washington and one of the youngest grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. The first picture shows Mike and Carole at Mount Rushmore last year. 

Mike: "We went on a ride on our motorcycles (Carole on a Honda ST1300 and me on my Honda GL1800) and saw just about every National Park west of the Mississippi. We still can't stop smiling from that one."

Happy Anniversary this Saturday to Desiree and Jeremy Ortiz who will celebrate 11 years of marriage. They were married in El Cajon, California in 2002. Jeremy is one of the great grandchildren of Will and Bura Davis Shepard. He and Desiree and their 5 children live in Blue Springs, Missouri.

JBD at 143. This Coming Sunday, June 2 marks the 143rd anniversary of the birthday of my great grandfather James Brooks Davis (1870-1928). I mentioned him in my last post because he and wife Callie Spear Davis were the ones who moved their family of 9 from Indiana to Oklahoma in the spring of 1913.

James Brooks Davis (see second picture from 1896) was named after his great grandfather James Brooks (1747-1790) AND after a great uncle, also named James Brooks (1784-?). JBD was born in Owen County, Indiana as was his wife Caroline Matilda Spear, and all 7 of their children. JBD's  grandparents Alexander and Jane Davis were the first of our Davis ancestors to migrate, in the early 1850s, from Ohio to Indiana.

Cambellites From Way Back. One other interesting historical note that I like to mention regarding JBD's grandparents Alexander and Jane: the records of the New Union Church of Christ in Owen County, Indiana show that Alexander and Jane were among its first participants, their membership dating from the 1850s. This indicates that our family's affiliation with the Stone-Campbell tradition (aka "the Restoration Movement") can be traced back nearly 160 years. And since Alexander and Jane may have brought their religious affiliation with them from South East Ohio -- in the region where the Restoration Movement began -- the connection may go back even further, although I have seen no documentation yet for that.

Will and Bura's Anniversary. This Sunday is also a milestone because it is the day that James and Callie Davis' oldest child (my grandmother) Bura Davis, and my grandfather William Shepard, were married in Beaver County, Oklahoma in 1915. (On the left side of this blog is a picture of my grandparents on their wedding day 98 years ago.)

Gary and Cindy's Anniversary. This Sunday is an important date for yet another reason: it is the 34th wedding anniversary of my brother Gary Shepard, and his wife Cindy A. Shepard. Gary is the oldest living grandchild of Will and Bura and (as best I can tell) the oldest living great grandchild of JB and Callie Davis. 

Gary and Cindy are originally from Southern California and were married there in 1979, but they live today in Oak Harbor, Washington where Gary enjoys the retired life (and is one of the preachers of the Goldie Road Church of Christ) while Cindy works for Schenck Packing Company. Happy Anniversary Gary and Cindy!
- - -
Steve Shepard

"More of a Love Affair", May 24, 2013

Let your religion

be less of a theory

and more of a love affair.

~G.K. Chesterton

Hello Family and Friends! 

Let me begin with a message I received this week from my cousin Dane Shepard who lives with his family in Newcastle, OK, near the destruction of this past week's horrific tornado: "We are doing well and with God's blessing we escaped the tornado as it went by 5 miles to the north... I'm grateful for all your prayers for us here and for those who lost so much."

A Fellow Blogger. I have recently come in contact with a member of our extended family who is a fellow blogger, second cousin Brent Taylor of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Brent's grandfather Jesse Davis and my grandmother Bura Davis Shepard were siblings. They were part of that wonderful family of seven kids of James and Callie Davis, two brave parents who migrated to Oklahoma from Indiana with all their children in tow, exactly 100 years ago. (That is a memorable story in itself and needs to be celebrated and remembered this spring! Stay tuned.)

The first picture, which includes Brent's grandfather and my grandmother, is one I have not shared in this blog for several years. It shows the 7 children of James and Callie Davis and was taken around 1920 in Oklahoma. From left to right are Winona, Lawrence, Esther, Marjorie, Myra, Jesse (Brent's grandfather), and Bura (my grandmother).

Brent Taylor's blog is titled "Bespoke" and I recommend it to you. Even though the byline is a wonderful Chesterton quote -- "Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair" -- his blog is an appealing collection of musings on everything from family to sports to spirituality. He is "a home builder by trade and an occasional writer when the passion stirs in me." And he does write well. I found his post about the passing of his aunt Becky Davis a few months ago not only well written, but particularly touching.

Brent has only been blogging, at least in this incarnation, since December, and my hope is that the passion to write "stirs in him" for quite sometime. I find him a positive addition to the blogosphere, and am especially interested in what he has to say since he is a part of our extended family. Kudos to his uncle Bud Davis for recommending Brent's blog to me.

A link to "Bespoke" is one more that you can find on the front page of The Shepard's Crook in the column on the left under the heading "Other Favorite Sites and Blogs".

I have never met Brent in person, even though we share a set of great grandparents, and even though our own parents (his mom, my dad) were first cousins. But my guess is that most second cousins don't know each other these days. A few years ago, fellow family researcher Nancy Bushong counted 91 great grandchildren of James and Callie Davis, Nancy's husband Jim being one of them. (As far as I know the only place in the world where they are all listed is in Nancy's 2010 book, "Davis and Beck Family History"). Of those 91, 11 are either my siblings or my first cousins, all well known to me, of course. Beyond that I cannot say that I personally know any of the others, although I have corresponded by email with a few.

Part of the reason for that is my grandparents Will and Bura Davis Shepard's move to San Diego in 1940, and the distance that put between those of us in California and the genealogical "holy land" of Oklahoma, where many, maybe most, of James and Callie's descendants live today. It is therefore particularly gratifying that Brent and I have corresponded, and hopefully will share even more by virtue of our respective online presence. The Davis heritage we share is a rich one indeed.

Some Family Happenings. Happy 20th birthday this Sunday to Brandyn Boyd of Coronado, California, the son of my cousin Darren Boyd, and one of the Great Grandchildren of Will and Bura Davis Shepard.

This coming Tuesday is the birthday of Ruthie Russell who lives in Red Rock, Nevada with husband Eric Russell. Eric is another Great Grandchild of Will and Bura Davis Shepard. Happy (special) Birthday, Ruthie!

On This Day 68 years ago my parents, Navyman Eugene Shepard and Maida Gower (see picture from 1945), were married at the El Cajon Blvd Church of Christ in San Diego, as WWII was grinding to its conclusion. Today is one more opportunity to celebrate the lives of both my parents, but in particular my father, who passed away 10 years ago this summer.  

- - -
Steve Shepard

More Family Milestones, May 17, 2013

I don’t care about whose DNA

has recombined with whose.

When everything goes to hell, 

the people who stand by you without flinching 

-- they are your family.

~Jim Butcher

Hello Family and Friends,

This has been quite a week in our family for milestones in people's lives. Here are three more.

Congratulations to Nathan Shepard of Newcastle, Oklahoma who graduates from High School today. He is the son of my cousin Dane and his wife Cindy Shepard.

The first picture shows graduate Nathan in a musical pose. Thanks to proud dad Dane for this picture.

Dane: Nathan has enjoyed his senior year and has stayed busy with home school, concurrent college courses, band, bowling, and church activities along with working part time at Chic-Fil-A. He is 17 and graduating a year early. 

Nathan will go to Florida College, Temple Terrace, FL this fall.  He is undecided as to what field he wants to major in as he has a lot of interests. He enjoys the sciences, music, and writing. We will really miss him, especially his sister, Kaylan.

Happy Birthday tomorrow, May 18, to my nephew, the over-the-top L.A. Kings Fan, Jason Shepard. It is good to know that Jason has retained at least some of his Southern California connection. He was born and raised here in San Diego, but lives and works now in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Jason is the son of my brother Gary Shepard of Oak Harbor, Washington, and Jackie Perry of Granbury, Texas. The second picture shows Jason with girlfriend Jenny in a picture taken earlier this year.

This Sunday, May 19, is the birthday of Ashlyn Ortiz. She is the second of the five children of Jeremy and Desiree Ortiz and a grandchild of Kim Boyd Clark. Strutting her stuff in the third picture is birthday girl Ashlyn.

Mom Desiree: Ashlyn is going to be 8 this Sunday! She is such a loving caring beautiful little girl! Ashlyn is currently playing soccer and loves it! She is such a great big sister to all her siblings, especially to the twins, and she is a big help to mom :) Happy Birthday Ashlyn, we love you!

Jason and Nathan are 2 of the 21 great grandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard. Ashlyn is the daughter of  Jeremy Ortiz, another one of those 21 great grandchildren. Jeremy and wife Desiree and family live in Blue Springs, Missouri.

Best wishes to these three parts of our extended family for a happy and celebratory weekend!
- - -
Steve Shepard

Celebrating the Present, May 14, 2013

The past is a place of reference,

not a place of residence.

~Willie Jolley

Hello Family and Friends,

I suppose Willie Jolley is right in what he is saying about living in the past in the quote above. Especially when it comes to dealing with pressing, present day issues of a person's life. But I still find great value in the time I spend with family history. 

In this blog, however, I am as concerned with celebrating the present life of our family as I am with under- standing our history, as evidenced in this blog post. This week is a time for a number of family celebrations.

Today, May 14, is the birthday of my aunt Thelma Shepard Boyd of Blue Springs, Missouri, and her granddaughter Courtney Boyd, of Alpine, California. Thelma is the youngest daughter of my grandparents Will and Bura Davis Shepard. Courtney is one of Thelma's 6 grandchildren.

This coming Thursday, May 16, is the birthday of Thelma's son, and Courtney's father, Darren Boyd of Coronado, California. 

Congratulations and best wishes to this trio of Thelma, Darren and Courtney, mother-son-granddaughter, whose birthdays come so close together.

For Courtney, this past Sunday was a very special day, being her first Mother's Day. She and her boyfriend's daughter Carsyn (Thelma's youngest Great Grandchild) was just born earlier this year in January. 

The first picture (above) shows birthday celebrant Thelma with one of Jeremy and Desiree Ortiz's twins and (added to the picture) an image of little Carsyn.

Today is also the birthday of my nephew Christopher Shepard, oldest son of my brother Darrell and his wife Mary Shepard, and one of the grandsons of Maida Shepard. 

Chris and his girl friend Jessica Bell live in Seattle, Washington. The second picture shows Christopher with Jessica when they were vacationing in San Diego last month.

And finally, tomorrow, May 15, is the second birthday of our grandson Logan Shepard of Alameda, California, the older son of Nathan and Chenda Shepard. Thanks to mamma Chenda for the third picture, which shows Logan and was taken just a couple of weeks ago.

Click on Logan's picture to see a music/photo presentation celebrating his two years.

- - -
Steve Shepard

Happy Mother's Day Tomorrow, May 11, 2013

I believe in love at first sight

because I've been loving my mother

since I opened my eyes.

~author unknown

Hello Family and Friends,

Greetings to all of you from San Diego, where Cindy and I have returned after an extended time away. The last month was a marvelous experience, especially the time we spent in Ireland, where we were privileged to visit the land of our ancestors. It was only the first of what I hope will be several genealogical journeys to a country where our roots go very deep. Select this link to see some pictures of our recent trip.

If nothing else, this trip, and the research I did prior to going, helped me to see that the family we are today reflects more of our Irish heritage that I would have imagined. Which is to say that family history is not just a study of what our ancestors were like. Just as importantly it explains a great deal about who we are today.

Happy Mother's Day this weekend to all mothers in our family! Whoever that special person is in your life who is your mother, or who has been like a mother to you, let them know of your love and gratitude. 

The first picture shows my mother Maida Shepard when she and daughter Barbara (on the right) were here in California for a visit in March of this year. In the back, photobombing, is our son Nathan.

Also in the first picture are his and Chenda's two sons, Logan (upper left) and William Shepard (eating his hat), who is Maida's youngest great grandchild. One of the family members NOT pictured here is Preslea Shepard, whose birthday we were celebrating on this occasion at Fairyland, Oakland, California

Congratulations to Lloyd Gower of Las Vegas, Nevada, who is the son of my cousin Hershell Gower. Lloyd is one of the Ggrandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower. 

He and fiance Tammy Turman (see second picture) were married this past Tuesday in Eastern Mississippi, where Tammy lives. Best wishes and much happiness to Lloyd and Tammy!

Happy Birthday today to Nicole Haw Shepard of Bothell Washington! Nicole is the wife of my nephew Patrick Shepard. This weekend of Mother's Day will be a very special one for Nicole who will become a mother with their first baby in just a few short months! Best wishes to Nicole and to Patrick! (see picture)

Happy Birthday also today to Cindy Saunders Shepard of Newcastle, Oklahoma. She is the wife of Dane Shepard and the mother of Nathan and Kaylan. Best wishes to Cindy for a Happy Birthday, and a Happy Mother's Day, all in the same weekend!

Family Reunion This Summer. Are you making your plans for our family reunion this summer? It will be Saturday, August 10, 2013 in Anacortes, Washington at the home of Maida Shepard. All Shepard, Gower, Davis and any other family members or friends are invited to join us.
- - -
Steve Shepard

May Day, Dublin, May 6, 2013

Everyone has ancestors;

it is only a question

of going back far enough

to find a good one.

~Howard Kenneth Nixon

Hello to all of you from Dublin, Ireland where our extended vacation is nearing it's conclusion. We've had many wonderful experiences that have varied from the memorable to the forgettable to the serendipitous. In regards to the latter, we have been fortunate enough to have landed in two different cities in Europe during major holidays that we knew almost nothing about.

In both cases it felt like stepping into a big party by accident. We knew there was great meaning in the events going on around us, but we had no idea what that meaning was.

We woke up one morning in Barcelona, Spain to find out it was Sant Jordi (St. George) Day. It is similar to our Valentine's Day, but multiplied in popularity several times. Sant Jordi -- the one who slew the dragon --  is the patron saint of books and roses in Spain. How do you go from slaying a dragon to being a patron saint of books and roses, you say? I can't tell you, but stay with me here. Holidays and their histories don't always make sense (think the Easter bunny, colored eggs and Jesus' resurrection).  

On Sant Jordi Day men traditionally give women roses, and the women give men books. And they make a really big deal out of it. Imagine being in San Francisco during the World Series parade last fall and you get a feel for what the crowds were like in Barcelona on Sant Jordi Day. Book sellers, rose stands, and massive crowds of people were everywhere. It was quite an impressive sight.

The first picture shows Diane and Cindy on the morning of Sant Jordi Day in Barcelona, Spain, cavorting in front of the fabulous (and bizarre) Sagrada Familia Cathedral.

That was two weeks ago. Today we find ourselves in Dublin, Ireland. We were surprised to find out a few days ago that this is a Bank Holiday -- which on this Emerald Isle means a day of major importance. The first Monday in May is when they celebrate the Gaelic May Day festival, historically called Beltane. People are off work, schools and businesses are closed, families leave town for the long weekend -- and they celebrate the holiday in a big way.

When our Irish ancestors lived here, this day was when their cattle were driven to their summer pastures and people lit bon fires to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of warmer weather. Today it is a national holiday for everyone to take a break from the busyness of life.

The second picture shows George and I enjoying the May Day Holiday weekend, rather naively of course, but willingly nonetheless.

Our vacation is drawing to its end in fine fashion. Our time in this land of our strong Irish roots is nearly over. We fly back to the states tomorrow, and will leave the sound of Irish brogues behind. But the wonderful memories will remain. And our sense of kinship with this land and its people is growing stronger than ever.
- - -
Steve Shepard