Memorial Day, May 26, 2014

Oh, tell me not that they are dead

that airy army of invisible heroes.

They hover as a cloud of witnesses

above this Nation.

~Henry Ward Beecher, 1863

Today we celebrate Memorial Day and remember those who have died in the service of our country. I would like to mention in this blog post 4 people -- that I have found so far in our family tree -- who died fighting in our nation's wars. One in the war of 1812, two in the Civil War, and one in World War I. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to them as we honor them on this Memorial Day.

John Williams Sr. (1782-1813) was a 31 year old husband and father of 4 when he died, most likely in the War of 1812. Born in Virginia he had been in Kentucky just long enough to marry Lydia Warford and have 4 children with her when his life ended in the service of the nation. John left a modest estate that enabled his widow Lydia and her children to move to Spencer, Indiana where they

settled and where his GG Granddaughter Bura Davis (my Grandmother) was born.

David Reid Shannon (1821-1864), my GG Grandfather, was in his 40s living in Louisiana with his wife and 7 children when he was called to serve in the Confederate Army late in the war. After not hearing a word from him for a year, his wife Peggy finally got the news indirectly that David had died and was buried with other Civil War soldiers in Chalmette National Cemetery in New Orleans. His needy widow and 7 children were rescued by Peggy's father and brothers who moved them to Stone County, Arkansas. Select this link to visit his grave online.

William Shepard (1835-1862) of Wabash, Indiana was a young Union soldier of just 26 when he was injured at Bowling Green, Kentucky in what may have been the very first battle of his Indiana Regiment.

He languished in a hospital for 5 months before he died in July, 1862 in Evansville, Indiana, leaving a young wife and an infant son (my Great Grandfather). After a very difficult couple of years for the two of them, his widow remarried and settled into a new life. Select this link to visit his grave online.

Lloyd W. Gower (1896-1918) of Newnata, Arkansas, brother of my Grandfather Leroy Gower, was a single man of 22 when he was killed in 1918 in Cheppy, Lorraine, France during World War I. He is buried in Cooper Hill Cemetery near his home outside Mountain View, Arkansas (see picture of his grave) and is memorialized on a plaque in Mountain View's town square. Select this link to visit his grave online.

These four -- John, David, William and Lloyd -- are among that great "cloud of witnesses", in the words of Henry Ward Beecher, that hover above our nation. And not only our nation, but on this Memorial Day, in a special way, they also also hover over us, their descendants, their families, who owe them much more than we can ever repay.

That Was Then, This Is Now. Today, May 26 also happens to be the 21st birthday of Brandyn Boyd, grandson of Thelma Shepard Boyd of Blue Springs, Missouri. Brandyn, the son of Darren Boyd and Victoria Boyd, is a graduate of Santana High School in Santee and lives in San Diego.

He is one of the Great Grandchildren of William and Bura Davis Shepard.

This coming Wednesday, May 28 is the birthday of Ruthie Styer Russell of Red Rock, Nevada. She is the daughter-in-law of my late cousin Rex Russell, whose birthday was also on May 28. Rex was the first grandchild of William and Bura Shepard, and the son of Bill and Pauline Shepard Russell. The picture above shows Rex Russell and daughter-in-law Ruthie in a picture taken a few years ago in San Diego, with the bay and the Coronado Bridge in the background. Happy Birthday to Ruthie!

This coming Thursday, May 29, is the birthday of my cousin Michael Harrell, who lives with his wife Carole in Zionsville, Indiana. Mike is one of the grandchildren of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower and the son of Vicki Gower Johnston of Oak Harbor, Washington. 

Mike and Carole lived in California for many years but now live in Indiana and have settled right in to Hoosier life. They are shown here at an NFL playoff game earlier this year in Indianapolis wearing Andrew Luck jerseys. Best wishes to Mike for a very happy birthday.
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Steve Shepard

An Informal Wartime Wedding, May 19, 2014

The purpose of memory

is not simply to preserve the past,

it is to protect the future.

~Barack Obama

69 years ago this coming Saturday -- on May 24, 1945 -- my parents, Maida Gower and Eugene Shepard, were married here in San Diego. Their union brought together in marriage the Gowers and the Shepards for the first time and has resulted in a clan that today includes at least 36 people and is growing. (At least 2 more births in this clan are expected this year!) It was the first California wedding for a member of either the Gowers or the Shepards.

Few pictures exist of Gene and Maida from the time of their wedding, and none of the wedding itself. The two I am including shows them about 1945, the first one includes Gene's brother Elmer Shepard on the right.

At the time they married, Gene's parents had recently moved to San Diego with their 4 children and their first 2 grandchildren. Maida's parents had also recently relocated in San Diego with their 3 children.

He was in the Navy at the time and stationed at Los Alamitos Naval Air Station in Orange County. She was just a couple years out of High School when she and Gene were married at the El Cajon Blvd Church of Christ during the final stages of World War II. They were married on a Thursday evening in a quiet, private ceremony at the home of the minister who lived behind the church. Whatever time they had to honeymoon was squeezed into the few days of leave that Gene had from his Navy assignment 100 miles up the highway.

He put lots of miles on his new '41 Ford going back and forth from San Diego to Los Alamitos, as he and Maida dated. His commute continued for several months even after they married. Those were the days of the scenic and slow Pacific Coast Highway that went through all the coast towns, long before the wide and spacious Interstate 5 that today carries probably 10 times the amount of traffic along that same popular corridor.

In the first year after their wedding, the war ended, Gene moved to San Diego full-time, they had their first child Gary (#1 of 6), his civilian career at the Naval Supply Depot began, and they set up their first home together in San Diego. It was an amazing time of new beginnings not only for our nation and our world, but for this new family. Many years have passed since that informal wartime wedding in the preacher's home, but it remains a seminal event that many of us look back on with interest, gratitude and deep appreciation.

Happy Birthday, Jason! Yesterday was the 42nd birthday of my nephew Jason Shepard of Fort Worth, Texas. Born in San Diego to my brother Gary and his first wife Jackie Enderle, Jason is the first Grandson of Gene and Maida Shepard.  

Happy Birthday, Ashlyn! Today is the birthday of Ashlyn Ortiz of Blue Springs, Missouri, one of the Great Great Grandchildren of William and Bura Davis Shepard. Ashlyn is the daughter of Jeremy and Desiree Ortiz. 

Desiree: "Here is a picture of Ashlyn at her birthday party with her cakes. She is celebrating her 9th birthday with a sleep over at our home. We have 9 girls sleeping over! I guess 9 is the magic number, lol. Ashlyn has really grown to be such a sweet loving little girl and makes everyday a happy day for everyone around her. We are so proud of the young girl she has become."
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Steve Shepard

Many Leaves, One Tree, May 14, 2014

Ronin: "Many leaves, one tree."

M.K.: "What does that mean?"
Ronin: "We are all individuals

but we're all connected.

It's what we live by."

~from the film "Epic"

This week is a time to celebrate the truth that we are many leaves but one tree. In the next few days the San Diego contingency of our family celebrates several birthdays, yet those are not all the celebrations for family members around the country this week.

Today is the rare occasion when three birthdays in our family appear on the calendar: Thelma Boyd, her granddaughter Courtney Boyd, and Christopher Shepard.

My aunt Thelma lives in Blue Springs, Missouri and is the youngest (and last remaining) child of my late grandparents Will and Bura Davis Shepard. The first picture shows Thelma with her daughter Kim Boyd Clark.

Thelma's granddaughter, 24 year old Courtney Boyd was also born on May 14, but she was raised here in Southern California. Courtney tells me that she and her daughter Carsyn and boyfriend Cody still live in the east county of San Diego. "I just finished school this past February to be a medical assistant, so I'm just busy job hunting and being a mommy. [Our daughter] Carsyn is doing well, walking and talking more everyday. She is 16 months now... so big." Courtney is the daughter of Darren Boyd of Coronado, California whose birthday will be on Friday of this week. Happy Birthday to Thelma, Courtney and Darren!

Today is also the birthday of my nephew Christopher Shepard of Seattle, Washington. Chris -- 30 years old today! -- is the older son of my brother Darrell and his wife Mary Shepard. Chris and his girlfriend Jessica Bell just competed a trip to Hawaii. This second picture shows the two of them on a beach in Kauai.

Happy Birthday, Logan! Tomorrow is the birthday of our older grandson Logan Alexander Shepard of San Diego. At just 3 years old he is the older of the two Logan Shepards in our family, the other one being his second cousin Logan Joseph Shepard, the son of Patrick and Nicole Shepard of Bothell, Washington.

Logan Alexander Shepard is the middle child of the three children of Nathan and Chenda Shepard, who moved to San Diego just a few months ago. Logan's namesake in our family tree is Alexander Davis, his 5X Great Grandfather via my grandmother Bura Davis Shepard. Here is a lineage from Logan Alexander Shepard to Alexander Davis.

• Logan Alexander Shepard (b. 2011)
• Nathan Shepard (b. 1977) - wife Chenda Sou
• Steve Shepard (b. 1948) - wife Cindy Harris
• Eugene Shepard (1921-2003) - wife Maida Gower
• Bura Davis Shepard (1896-1986) - husband William Shepard
• James Brooks Davis (1870-1928) - wife Carolyn Spear
• Charles Edward Davis (1849-1926) - wife Malinda Wright
• Alexander Davis (1819-1866) - wife Jane Buskirk

 The following photo presentation celebrates Logan's 3rd birthday tomorrow.

  

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Steve Shepard

Happy Mother's Day Tomorrow, May 10, 2014

I remember my mother's prayers;

they have always followed me.

They have clung to me all my life.

~Abraham Lincoln

Happy Mother's Day tomorrow to all moms in our midst! May it be a special occasion to remember the importance of moms who have passed away as well as a time to honor those who are with us.

Special Mother's Day and Birthday wishes this weekend go to Cindy Saunders Shepard of New Castle, Oklahoma, and to Nicole Haw Shepard of Bothell, Washington. Tomorrow both of them are celebrating their birthday AND Mother's Day at the same time. The first picture shows Cindy with her children Nathan and Kaylan. Cindy's husband is my cousin Dane Shepard.

Nicole and husband Patrick Shepard, who live in Bothell, Washington, are the parents of little Logan Joseph Shepard, who was born last July. Unless someone else wants to claim the honor, I think Nicole is also the most recent mother in our entire family! The second picture shows Nicole with little Logan.

Nicole: This weekend is my birthday and my first Mother's Day! We are doing very well! Logan is healthy and becoming such a happy little guy, it's so much fun! :) We are having a bday/Mother's Day BBQ at our house this weekend with all our family. On another note, we are expecting Baby #2 in December! We are very excited!! Another exciting year in the Shepard house! :)

On the other end of the spectrum, tomorrow is my mom Maida Shepard's 69th Mother's Day. Even though I have only been around for 66 of them, I am convinced that that is quite an accomplishment, worthy of our praise and gratitude. A lot of mothering (and grandmothering) has been done in those years!

The following is a family photo presentation that celebrates Mother's Day and honors all the moms in our family - the youngest, the oldest, some who are no longer with us, and all those in between!

 

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Steve Shepard

Remarkable Mothers, May 5, 2014

Heaven is under our feet

as well as over our heads.

~Henry David Thoreau

Happy Anniversary! This Wednesday, May 7, is the first wedding anniversary for Lloyd Gower and his wife Tammy Turman Gower who live in San Marcos, Ca, north of San Diego. The first picture shows Lloyd and Tammy Gower. Happy Anniversary to them!

Remarkable Mothers in our Family. This coming Sunday is Mother's Day making this an appropriate time to remember remarkable mothers in the history of our family. I am thinking in particular about women who outlived their husbands, sometimes by many years. 

Nola Shannon Gower. In my last post I mentioned my grandmother Nola Shannon Gower who died 11 years ago and outlived her husband Leroy Gower by 30 years. Fortunately their children were grown when Leroy died (their youngest child Vicki was 41 at the time), therefore Nola's mothering skills were not missed as much as they might have been had she died at a young age.

Nola was just one in a line of women who outlived their husbands by many years. Nola's mother Finetta Dearien Shannon outlived her husband Sam Shannon also by 30 years. He died in 1930; she in 1960 when she was 99! (The picture below shows Finetta and husband Sam in the 1920s.) Nola's paternal grandmother, however, is one of the most remarkable mothers to be found in our entire family tree.

Peggy Gray Shannon was a Civil War widow who outlived her husband David Reid Shannon by 35 years. (Read more about their story here.) David died in the war at 42 years old when his wife Peggy was just 35 and the mother of 7 children between the ages of 2 and 16! (One of those 7 children was my G Grandfather Sam Shannon, shown in the picture below.)

How does a woman and her children survive something like that? They were simple, poor farming folk in the small town of Sugartown, Lousiana, which was already suffering the hardships of Civil War. When the conflict ended they were on the losing side, meaning government assistance of any kind was virtually nonexistent. Salvation for her and her children came in the form of Peggy's father Richard Gray and her brothers Jim, Sam and Lawson, who made the difficult trek to Louisiana from Stone County, Arkansas and took Peggy and her fatherless children back home with them. They made their home in Stone County where Peggy completed raising her 7 children.

If ever there was a woman whose mothering skills were desperately needed and whose parenting abilities were tested beyond measure, it was my GG grandmother Peggy Gray Shannon. This 35 year old young widow lived 35 more years and died in 1899 in Stone County, Arkansas. On this week leading up to Mother's Day, I can find no woman in all my family tree whose life as a mother deserves more praise and admiration than her. She outlived her husband by 35 long years -- a remarkable fact in itself --  but it only begins to tell the story of her life journey as a mother.

Mary Sprague Shepard Ragsdale. In terms of outliving one's husband, however, none can compare with another Civil War widow in our family, Mary Sprague Shepard (1840-1919), another GG grandmother of mine. She outlived her husband William Shepard by 57 years! He was 26 when he died in Indiana in the Civil War; she was a young 22 year old mother of one infant son. Fortunately she married a second time to a William Ragsdale and had several more children by him (and then outlived her second husband by 32 years!). (See picture of her grave in Indianapolis.)

This coming weekend will be a time to honor and appreciate the mothers in our midst. But we would do well to remember the legacy of remarkable mothers in our family history, women who lived through unimaginably difficult times. Their stories help us to appreciate even more those women who today give of themselves to the joys and responsibilities of being parents.
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Steve Shepard

A Favorite Day of the Year, April 28, 2014

Change it had to come

We knew it all along...

But the world looks just the same

And history ain't changed

I'll tip my hat...

Smile and grin at the change 

all around me.

~Peter Townsend

Today is one of my favorite days of the year, a day to remember three of the finest people in the recent history of our family: my father, my maternal grandmother, and a cousin. All three were San Diegans for much of their lives, but none of the three were born in California.

Beverly Russell Wilk. Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the birth of my cousin Beverly Russell Wilk, the oldest granddaughter of Will and Bura Davis Shepard, both of whom outlived her. Bev's untimely death came in 1974 at just 35 years old. Her descendants today are her daughter Shannon Wilk and her granddaughter Emma Beverly Jean Wilk of Atchison, Kansas. Most of our family members are too young to have known her, but she was a delightful person who had a beautiful disposition and loved all her family.

The first picture shows Beverly Russell with her cousin Barbara Shepard in 1961 when Bev was 22 and Barbara was just 2.

Eugene Shepard. Today is the birthday of my father Eugene William Shepard who died 11 years ago in 2003 in Anacortes, Washington. He was born in Beaver County, Oklahoma, but lived the largest part of his life in San Diego, California where all six of his and Maida's children were born. His parents and siblings moved to San Diego in 1940 where they lived for most of their lives. Dad retired in 1976 and moved with Maida to Anacortes in 1978 where he lived the last 25 years of his life. 

The second picture shows Eugene and Maida Shepard in a picture taken in the early 1970s, when they still lived in San Diego. In the early 1970s, many of us guys -- God only knows why! -- were sprouting a "frizzy 'do" such as dad has here. 

Maida and most of her and Eugene's family still live in Western Washington, although Maida has been known to find her way back to Southern California periodically for visits. 

The family picture shows her and the family in a picture taken just a week ago on Easter Sunday in San Diego where she and daughter Barbara are enjoying a visit with their California kin. On the far right is me holding our grandson Logan. Next to us is our son Nathan holding his daughter Preslea, and his wife Chenda holding their son William. On the far left is my wife Cindy next to Maida's daughter Barbara, and Jerry Clark. Maida is in the very middle with Cindy's mom Paula Harris just in front. 

Nola Shannon Gower. Today is also a day to remember my grandmother Nola Shannon Gower, who was born 111 years ago, on this day in 1903. Or was she?

Since 1940-something there has been a question about whether Nola was born in 1903 or 1902. When her sister had a birth certificate generated for Nola during World War II, the certificate said she was born in 1902, even though Nola swore she was born in 1903. There was never a question, however, about WHERE she was born and raised: Mountain View, Arkansas. She and husband Leroy relocated to Oklahoma for 17 years before moving on to San Diego in 1942 where they settled for the rest of their lives. 

The final picture of this post shows Nola on a park bench with a dog in 1990. Like many of the pictures in my library I am not positive who took it or where. The picture file says 1990. It may have been taken when she was visiting her granddaughter Gloria Watson in Knoxville, Tennessee. If so, credit for the photo should probably be given to cousin Gloria.
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Steve Shepard

The Echo of Wedding Bells, April 21, 2014

If we have no peace

it is because we have forgotten

that we belong to each other.

~Mother Theresa

Happy Easter Monday on this day after all the many celebrations around our larger family yesterday. The first picture is one I could not resist. It shows a slightly uneasy Kambree Bowman, daughter of Mandi Aquiningoc and granddaughter of my niece Kerri Shepard Aquiningoc, sitting on the lap of a rather unsettling Easter Bunny.

Happy Birthday Dominic and Isaac. This Wednesday, April 23 is the 2nd birthday of twins Dominic and Isaac Ortiz of Blue Springs, Missouri. They are the two youngest children of Jeremy and Desiree Ortiz, the grandchildren of Kim Boyd Clark, and the great grandchildren of Thelma Shepard Boyd. Thanks to mom Desiree for this second picture of Dominic and Isaac.

Desiree: Yes the boys are going to be 2 on the 23rd. I just can't believe it. Time goes by so fast when you have little ones. The last two years have been so much fun watching the two grow :) They are such sweet little guys and so smart.

They are finally starting to look like toddlers. They have looked like babies for so long that it's sad to see them grow out of that stage! We will celebrate their special day with the family at our home with a "Monster University" theme and a BBQ. It should make for a fun day!

Happy Birthday Susan and Amanda. This Friday, April 25 is the 34th birthday of another set of twins: Susan Clark Cox (of Lubbock, Texas) and Amanda Clark Farrell (of Bedford, Texas), the twin daughters of Jerry Clark and Jane Clark Brock of Lubbock, Texas. Best wishes to Susan and Amanda for a wonderful birthday.

The Echo of Wedding Bells. 250 years ago this month, in April, 1764, my 6X Great grandparents Mary Blackmore and John Van Buskirk were married in Washington County, Maryland. John's family had migrated to America from Holland in the mid 1600s (15 generations ago!), settling first in the New Jersey area, then Eastern Pennsylvania where John was born. Mary was originally from Maryland, near Hagerstown, which is where they married in 1764. 

They had only been married a few years, and were living north of Washington, DC, when the Revolutionary War began in 1776. Do the math: they were young marrieds, had children when the war heated up, and John was at an age to be a prime candidate for service in the Revolution. In addition they lived near the heart of the conflict. It was not the most opportune time to raise a family, but that is what came their way. 

One can only wonder what sacrifices this couple had to make. What courage did they have to muster to contribute to the cause of freedom from British oppression? How was their family life and their personal lives disrupted? What we do know for sure is that it was ancestors like Mary and John that made American history and contributed to the formation of our nation.

Jane Buskirk, a great granddaughter of John and Mary, married into the line of our Davis ancestors when she and Alexander Davis were married in Ohio about 1840. Around 1800 Jane's family had dropped the "Van" from their last name. In 1849 Jane and Alexander migrated with their kids to Spencer, Indiana where our ancestors settled for several generations before moving to Oklahoma in 1913 and then on to San Diego in 1940.

I mention the young Revolutionary era couple John and Mary Van Buskirk not only because this month marks their 250th wedding anniversary, but also because they illustrate how deeply rooted our ancestors are in American history. We carry within us the genes of folks who sacrificed tremendously in the birth of our nations, folks who experienced first hand what it was like to struggle for the right to be free. Within us are the secret memories of what it was like to be a family in critical historical times. It is that sense of history that enables us today to give our best to living as responsible citizens, honoring our past while embracing our future.

Here is a lineage that shows our family line to John and Mary Blackmore Van Buskirk, then on to the original Van Buskirks who immigrated from Holland:

• Logan Shepard (b. 2011)
• Nathan Shepard (b. 1977) - wife Chenda Sou (b. 1980)
• Steve Shepard (b. 1948) - wife Cindy Harris (b. 1948)
• Eugene Shepard (1921-2003) - wife Maida Gower (b. 1924)
• Bura Davis (1896-1986) - husband William Shepard (1888-1876)
• James Brooks Davis (1870-1928) - wife Carolyn Spear (1865-1951)
• Charles Edward Davis (1849-1926) - wife Malinda Wright (1846-1920)
• Jane Buskirk (1823-1895) - husband Alexander Davis (1819-1866)
• William S. Buskirk (1804-1873) - wife Mary (Buskirk) (1809-1886)
• George Van Buskirk (1767-1825) - wife Mary Rulon (1767-1828)
• John Van Burkirk (1743-1829) - wife Mary Blackmore (1742-1823)
• George Van Buskirk (1721-1800) - wife Sarah Ashton (1720-1779)
• Johannes Van Buskirk (1694-1747) - wife Marytie Hooglandt (1696-1738)
• Thomas Van Buskirk (1668-1748) - wife Margrete Brickers (1668-1719)
• Laurens Van Buskirk (1630-1694) - wife Jannetje Jans (1629-1694): immigrants from Holland

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Steve Shepard

Siblings Galore, April 14, 2014

Help your brother's boat across,

and your own will reach the shore.

~Hindu Proverb

Happy Birthday to Rachel! Today, Monday April 14, is the 27th birthday of my niece Rachel Shepard. She is one of the granddaughters of Maida Shepard and the daughter of Darrell and Mary Medina Shepard. Rachel lives with her folks in Kirkland, Washington.

The first picture is a collage of photos compiled by Rachel and posted on Facebook recently, in honor of Siblings Day this past Thursday, April 10, 2014. In the collage are Rachel with her 2 brothers Patrick and Christopher. The collection also works well as a celebration of Rachel's birthday! 

What? You've never heard of Siblings Day? Neither had I till I saw Rachel's post on Facebook. Wikipedia tells me that Siblings Day has been around for 15 years. In that time 39 state governors have issued proclamations recognizing it. Unfortunately our dear governor here in California is not one of the 39, which may be why it is not so well known in this great state. Why are we always behind the times here in California? (jk!) Even though it is not federally recognized (as is Mother's Day and Father's Day), awareness of Sibling's Day is growing. Recognized or not, it is a day worth observing, so kudos to Rachel for doing so!

I will even jump on the bandwagon and post here pictures of my siblings. The top part of this second picture was taken in 1970 and shows my parents Eugene and Maida Gower Shepard with my siblings: Gary, me and Linda sitting on the couch next to our parents; and Darrell, Russ and Barbara down in front. This was probably the last picture taken of all 6 siblings together. Linda died the following year.

The lower portion of this collection of pictures shows my siblings once again: Gary, me, Jerry, Darrell, Barbara and Russ. These pictures were all taken at our Shepard family reunion last summer in Anacortes, Washington, the most recent time we were all together. One difference in the 1970 picture and the 2013 pictures (besides the obvious changes that 43 years have wrought!) is the inclusion of Jerry Clark, who married my sister Linda in 1970, and has remained a part of our family ever since.

Senior Siblings. I have one other set of siblings that I want to highlight in this post. The third picture shows my mother Maida Gower Shepard and her sister Vicki Gower Johnston with their late brother Hendrix (Hank) Gower in a picture taken about 10 years ago. Hank died the year after this picture was taken.

Maida and Vicki both live today in Western Washington and are the senior siblings among us. Maida, who lives in Anacortes, was born in 1924, while Vicki, who lives in Oak Harbor, was born in 1933. They are daughters of the late Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower, and are both Great Grandmothers in their own right. Are there others among our extended family who also deserve to be honored as "senior siblings"?

Whoever your siblings are, and whatever their age may be, be thankful for them!
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Steve Shepard

"Always Compete and Never Give Up", April 8, 2014

Attract what you expect,

reflect what you desire,

become what you respect,

mirror what you admire.

Today is the anniversary of my "brother" Jerry Clark and his wife Cathrina Clark, who were married in 2006 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They live today in a beautiful home on the southside of Lubbock, Texas. Lubbock is where Jerry has lived and had his Year Book business for over 40 years. The first picture shows Jerry and Cathrina. Happy 8th Anniversary to them!

Jerry shared with me recently about an experience he had in Albuquerque where he grew up. I would like to pass on to you Jerry's reflections about a very formative experience from his High School years.

Part of my history while growing up in Albuquerque was attending Highland High where my brother and I both graduated (Terry ’62…me ’68). At that time HHS was one of the largest schools in New Mexico. Known as ‘Home of the Hornets’ or ‘the Hive’, as we referred to it. The ‘Hive’ gave me my favorite colors of blue and gold. Ask any of my family which color I will pick and they will all answer “yellow”.

I recently had the privilege of attending the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame dinner in Albuquerque. My high school track coach, Henry Sanchez, and his son, Gary, were receiving recognition for their coaching tenure at HHS. Together they coached track 55 years at ‘the hive’. Henry coached 26 years and asked his son Gary to join him as he finished college. I found Gary about a year ago and asked him to pass my best wishes along to his dad. Thankfully Gary let me know about this event. 

Henry identified me during PE class and asked me to try out for the track team in 1966. He thought I would be a good hurdler because of my long legs. I told him I didn’t want to hurdle but that I did want to run. My senior year, all things came together for us as a team and we went undefeated and won state going away by more than 30 points. It was the highlight of my 3 years at HHS.I had run on a relay team my junior year and won a state ribbon for it but we came in third as a team. I was a small part of this team my senior year but I did play a big part in two relays, the 880 and sprint medley. We had the two fastest guys in the state on our team not to mention the fastest miler too. Guys like Charles Kaspar, Stan Hill and Robert Proctor were the real talent of this team along with sophomore Mike McEachern.

We travelled to Roswell, Amarillo and El Paso and had a close call only in the Tri-State meet against Amarillo high (We won 55 to 53). The state meet later in May was interrupted by rain on Saturday night and postponed half way thru the meet. We had to wait till the next day (at a different stadium) to win going away. The closest team, Hobbs, was 31 points behind us.

This was just one of Henry’s 10 state track titles. His son, Gary, won 5 state titles. Henry was also named the National HS Coach of the Year in 1983. I showed up at the banquet excited to get to see Henry again after 46 years, but found out that he had passed just 9 days earlier. It was a bittersweet feeling. I met his widow, daughters and nieces. What a great family this Sanchez clan is! It seemed like everyone in the room (a crowd of 600) was related to him and Gary. Gary did an excellent job of accepting tearfully for his hero...his dad. 

I never knew Coach Sanchez as a person… he was always my calm, assuring coach. He knew talent and how to develop it and use it. He did demand that you give it your all. His son Gary picked up the same traits.

Coach Sanchez, I am sorry that I didn’t get to see you at the banquet to let you know of your immense impact on my life. You gave me the drive to always compete and never give up. I know I will see you again somewhere beyond the blue….and gold.

Jerry's reflections remind me of how important early experiences are to our life today as members of our families. Thanks to Jerry for these remarks.
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Steve Shepard

"Faction Over Blood", April 3, 2014

"Faction over blood."

~Veronica Roth

Happy Birthday Nate! Today is the birthday of our son Nathan Shepard. Nathan, his wife Chenda and their three children moved earlier this year from the San Francisco Bay area and now live in the canyons of San Carlos, a community of San Diego. 

Nathan was born in San Diego but has spent most of his life in Northern California. He has worked for Wells Fargo Bank for 15 years, and enjoys playing hockey, visiting San Diego's New Children's Museum with the kids, tending to the family koi pond, and growing vegetables on the sunny deck outside his office (yes, really!).

Quite a Handful. The first picture, taken back in December, shows Nathan and Chenda, with their kids Preslea, William, and Logan. Standing behind them are Cindy and I. The second picture (below) was taken back in November and shows Nathan with their older son Logan. Happy Birthday to Nathan!

Happy Birthday Jim! Tomorrow is the birthday of my cousin Jimmie Gower, who has one of the easiest birthdays to remember: 4-4-44. Jim is the second son of the late Starlene and Hank Gower and with his wife Cheryl lives in Ft. Mohave, Arizona. A native of San Diego, Jim is the second grandchild of Leroy and Nola Shannon Gower.

Happy Birthday Ciara! Tomorrow is also the birthday of Ciara Ortiz, one of the GGgrandchildren of Will and Bura Shepard and the granddaughter of Kim Boyd Clark. Ciara lives with her family, including mom and dad Desiree and Jeremy Ortiz, in Blue Springs, Missouri. The picture below shows a chilly but smiling Ciara on a winter's day in Missouri.

Reflections on Family and Film. The quote at the top of this post -- "Faction over blood" -- is from the recently released film Divergent. In the film, and the novel from which it came, Veronica Roth shares a dark vision of the future where every person is placed in a particular "Faction", based upon an aptitude test. One's "Faction" is all important and determines the rest of one's life. 

The "Faction" is even more important than one's family. "Faction over blood" becomes a binding motto that guides a person's life. Is the author envisioning a time when family ties become irrelevant or even forbidden? In the future will the State finally conclude that the institution of family is so broken, that it can no longer be tolerated? In Roth's vision of things to come, it would seem so. 

Ironically, in the film the family relationships of the protagonist are the most human and compelling of all the relationships in her life. As a result, the motto "Faction above blood," has a hollow, unrealistic ring to it. I am reminded of that great dichotomy of family relationships: they can be the most maddening, painful and crazy relationships in all of life. Yet there is nothing else that can give us the same sense of humanness and fulfillment. And from all indications, even the darkest of imagined futures will never change that.
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Steve Shepard