Georgia: Wilkes County: Shepherd Family History, Part II Letters and Notes ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: Jerre O. Williams sarjer@juno.com ==================================================================== JOHN JOSEPH SHEPHERD was born September 12, 1846 and died in 1917 at the age of 71. Buried at New Prospect. He married REBECCA ELIZABETH HENDERSON and they produced LELA FLOYD who married WILL H.RHODES and they had GARNETT, WAYMAN, JOHN W., ESTHER, CLEO, & SIMEON and daughter ESTER WALLACE. WILLIAM JOESPH who married MINNIE RAMSEY and had OTIS, ARRIS, BRUCE, JOY, REBECCA, TRUMAN, DIXIE, GERTRUDE, LOUZELLE, VERNA, BERNICE and J.D. JAMES LUTHER who married CHARLCIE RAMSEY and had LEO, JAMES and FRANCES. Then there was JOHN WILBURN who never married and died in Tuscon, Arizona. Miss ADDIE SHEPHERD reported that JOHN WILBURN kept a diary of one of the train trips in 1892/93. JOHN JOSEPH married a second time to LAVONIA ELLEN KELLY who was the sister to SAM KELLY who married MAMMIE THOMASSON. (Mammie and her two Thomasson brothers, Jim and John, elected not to migrate to Texas with their family). ELLEN was born in Tallahassee, Florida in 1859 and buried at Grassland, Lynn County, Texas. She and John had ELLEN REBECCA who married GROVER BROOKSHIRE and they had TERRELL and a daughter FAYE. ELLEN REBECCA (REBA) fell into a fire and burned to death. FAYE married WILLIAM HUNTER. John and Ellen had a son, HENRY A., who died early. DAISY SUE married BLAN RAMSEY and they had REBA ADELLE who married ALTON FLEMING who had GLENN ALTON who married MAXINE HENRY and had JACOB and BENJAMIN. Reba and Alton also had REBA JEAN who married DALE WARREN. Another son of Daisy and Blan was HAROLD BOSE who married JUNE PHOENIX and they had DAVID JOEL who married KIA MUNGERKLONG and they had HELEN who married LOU THARP. David and Kai also had ROSS. Harold and June also had BRIAN BLAN who married DEBBIE YAMAOKA and they had BRIANNA and LAURA. Another daughter of Harold and June was LEZLIE ELAINE who married ROBERT DARLING and they had ERIC and RYAN. A daughter of Daisy and Blan was FRANCES LAMYRLE who married CLIFTON N.COX and they had CLIFTON NEIL who married LYNN WELLS COOPER and they had NICHOLAS (COOPER) and CAMERON. Frances and Clifton had another son CLARENCE BLAN who married LEZA CHESNEY and they had COURTNEY and CHRISTINA. Another son of Daisy and Blan was EDWIN BLAIR who married ONETTA BRASHEAR and they had EDNA SUE who married JAY STREETER and had JAYSON and JANEA. Edwin and Onetta had another son, MICHAEL BLAN, who died as an infant. Another son of Daisy and Blan was WILLIAM EARL who married RUTH HENSLEY and they had MARK WILLIAM who married LISA SMITH and had LINDSAY; another daughter was SONDRA JANE who married PAT ARNOLD. Another daughter, LOLA SUE married WILLIAM SCOTT and they had STEVE BLAN who married PATRICIA OSBORNE and they have JESSICA, LAURI, and DAISY; another son is DOUGLAS KAVANAUGH. John JOSEPH and Ellen's son ALLEN LOVIC (Allen and a baby are also buried in Grassland, Texas) married BERNICE GARY and they had MARGIE who married C.W CONWAY, BETH who married a FERMAN CHAPMAN, JANE who married BOBBY WILLIAMS, and son JOHN who married FRANCES HENDERSON. John Joseph and Ellen had LADY FRANCES (Known as LADYBIRD) who married O.TRUETT MCCARVER and had JOHN HENRY who married a MARGARET ____; another son was CHARLES who married BOBBIE ____. Another son was BERNARD ELMORE who married MINNIE FURR and they had MARGARET who married BILL HOLTER. WILLIAM REDMAN (RILEY) SHEPHERD was born in 1849 and buried at New Prospect. He married EMMA CASH (1849/1930) and they had LURA ESTELLE who married SAM T. RHODES and they had JEWEL EDNA, MARY EMMA, SIMMMIE R., DAN L., MILDRED, JULIA, SAMMIE LOU, FRED T., and HELEN RAE. MARION WOOTEN who married LIZZIE DARNELL and they had EUGENE, ELVERA, and WILLIAM RILE. WILLIAM RILE married LUCILLE LIGHTFOOT and they had one son, CLARENCE O'NEAL who married IRIS MCCAULEY and they had DAVID PRESTON, ROBERT O'NEAL, DANIEL WINN asnd REBECCA LUCILLE. MARVIN married ARRA WILSON and had WYNFRED. JULIA married DAN DARNELL and had no children. EMORY, who married BEULAH FITTS and they had daughter, LOUISE, who lived in San Antonia, TX., TOLLIE married EFFIE HUMPHRIES and had CURTIS who married ODESSA FLING. William and Emma had another daughter, FANNIE who first married J.M.WATSON and later married GROVER C. BROOKSHIRE. FANNIE SHEPHERD HEMPHILL was born in 1851 and died in 1931 at 80 years and is buried in the Kerens, Texas cemetery. She married OLIVER WENDELL HEMPHILL. At seventeen Oliver was serving in the Civil War and had his canteen shot out of his hand. Apparently Oliver died before the migration to Texas as we find that he is buried in the Independent Methodist Church cemetery in Tignall, Wilkes County, Georgia. A letter written in 1943 from Fannie's daughter, TALLULAH HEMPHILL PRICE to her brothers states that Oliver's mother, NANCY DEAN HEMPHILL BURTON, (apparently a widow) came to live with Fannie and Oliver. When Oliver died, Mrs. Burton felt that she should move wherein Fannie insisted that she stay which she did. When talk began about a move to Texas Mrs. Burton became disturbed and told the family she did not want to move; she died three months before the migration in 1892. Fannie and Oliver had NANCY TALLULAH who married W.S. PRICE and had two sons and a daughter. Fannie and Oliver had WILLIAM WYLIE who married HARLOWE JORDAN and they had FRANCES LEE who married THOMAS F.LEE and they had JUDITH HARLOWE who married a POSTNIFOFF. Wylie and Harlowe had NANCY who married a PITSCH who had STEPHAN, RICHARD, and JENNIFER who married a TACHERA. Another daughter to NANCY was ELLEN who married a SCOTT. Nancy's third daughter is DENISE who married a GEE. Harlowe and Wylie's third daughter is JOHNNIE B. who married DONALD E. COYNER and they have ALAN, ROGER, KARL, MARK, JOHN and SHIRLEY. Fannie and Oliver had OLIVER WILBORN who is buried at Wood's Post Office near Teneha, Texas; however, as of 1993 we have not been able to locate his grave. Another son was LEMUEL; another was PUM ROY who married and had HELEN who married a ANDERSON and lives in Nacogdoches, Texas; another, BLANTON OLIVER married NELL KIMES. Number six son was GEORGE who married SUE CRESWEIL. SAMUEL WYNN SHEPHERD born in 1854 and died in 1923 at age 69 and buried at New Prospect. He married FRANCES ELLEN HENDRICK was born in 1852, married SAMUEL WYNN in 1876 and died in 1931. They had SARAH ELIZABETH (BESSIE) (who died in 1935), NELLIE, CLEMMONS, MATTIE, JESSE, ADDIE INORA, JAMES VICTOR (who died in 1959) married CARRIE BOGARD and had MARY, LEON, BOGARD, EUGENIA, BETH, and SAM. NELLIE married JOHN GREEN RHODES and had HAROLD, ELVIS, FRANCES, ANNIE, JOE, JESSE, BEN SAM, ALBERT, JOHN LLOYD, BERRY, WILTON. HUGH LLOYD married ALICE HARTT and they had MARTHA ELOUISE (MATTIE) who married RUSSELL JOSEPH PRAKER. Hugh and Alice also had OLLIE INORA who married DAVID RAY NICHOLSON. Another son, JESSE FOSTER married EVELYN MANNING. Hugh married a second time to VERA HARTT STILL, Alice's cousin. Then HUGH married ROSE DEVERS AND NO CHILDREN. Finally HUGH married ERA LEBO SMITH and no children. MATTIE MATELDA SHEPHERD HENDRICK was born in 1857 perhaps in Alabama or Mississippi. She is buried in New Prospect. She married J.W.(BILL) HENDRICK in 1875. BILL HENDRICK, (1854/1920), was brother to FRANCES ELLEN HENDRICK, wife of SAMUEL WYNN SHEPHERD. Mattie and Bill had three children that died as infants. The two arrived in Shelby County in 1892 where she gave birth to her seventh child, WILLIE JOE in December of the same year. WILLIE JOE fell from a tree at age seven and died. Daughter SALLIE MAE married WILL GOOLBY and had LLOYD, CLARA, JAMES, CLETIS, NANNY, JEFF, JOHN and LULA. NANNY married TOM JOHNSON and they had SETH, EMMA, AILINE, RUBY, ROSS, WOODROW, HUBERT, ALBERT, and EUNICE. FANNIE (FRANCES) MATT married JOHN DARNELL and had RUSSELL and TRAVIS. JOHN S. married MAGGIE GOODWIN and had J.W., IRENE, CLYDE and FRANCES. LETA married STEVE JOHNSON and had PERRY. Leta died at childbirth and Mattie raised this grandson. ARTHUR WILSON who married ETHEL WALLACE and had LASSIE who married a M.B. RISINGER and then a RHODES and had DORIS, WILSON, FERRON and JANNELLE. Arthur and Ethel also had MYRTLE who married a MCCARVER and they had WILMA JEAN and DOUGLAS. MYRTLE married a second time to a WILSON LOVELESS and had PATRICIA and GLYNDA. Arthur and Ethel also had son WELDON ARTHUR who married LYDIA SIFICK and had LYNN, CARMEN, and RANDY. THOMAS PIERCE (a Methodist Minster) married NORA WALLIS and had WALTON MALLARD and PRESTON. LUCY MRYTLE married H. ARTHUR AVERITT and had WILLIAM and EDWARD. SAM married ANIOUSE JOHNSON and no children. FORREST SEAL (Seal after NANCY SEAL SHEPHERD?) married DICEY RAY and no children. Forrest was a retired school teacher and also taught music. THOMAS COATS SHEPHERD was born in 1859 perhaps in Mississippi. A review of the 1910 Shelby County census indicates that Tom reported that he was in fact born in Mississippi. He died in 1914 at the age of 55. He is buried at New Prospect. He married SALLIE M. THOMASSON (1860 - 1912) and died at age 52 and buried in New Prospect. They had CLANT EUGENE SR.(Served in WWI with three of his brothers.). Clant married RAE WOLFE and they had CLANT JR. who married BETTY STEEL and had DONN and RICK. Clant Sr. and Rae had a daughter, SADIE RAE who married GILMER DAVIS and they had SUSAN, PAULA, AND TERESA. SADIE subsequently married THOMAS FRAZIER and then RAY CRAWFORD. FANNIE ROSA married GEORGE BURNS TRAMMELL and they had SARAH EMMA who married EPHRAM WILLIAM SHARP. JOHN THOMAS (PETE) married IMA LEBO and had PAULINE who died at an early age, IRA DELL who married a L.S.NIMNO and then MORRIS MEULLER. There is speculation that PETE SHEPHERD got the nickname Pete from his great uncle, PETE TWITTY, his grandmother JULIA TWITTY THOMASSON's brother. It has been told that the two "Petes" had similar personalities. Pete and Ima had another daughter, SYBIL who married W.I. SIMS and they had a son, THOMAS SIMMS, then she married GIBBS WILLIAMS. ROY JOE married VERA SMITH (Victor Smith's sister). MARK SR. who married FLORENCE DANIEL and they had MARK JR.; PAUL TWITTY married LELIA RAMSEY and they had THOMAS ALGA who married LELA WAGNON and MARVIN. Alga's second wife was MAUDELLE MORGAN and they had MAELINDA who married JOSE RODRIQUEZ. Alga and Maudelle also had a son, ALLEN. Paul married a second time to MARY ALLEN (MAMIE) WIGGINS and they had a daughter PAULINE who died at 18 months. A son JACK DOUGLAS married KATHERYN MCCELLAND and they had CYNTHIA who married KENT KERSEY; then she married JIM WOOFORD. Jack and Katheryn had another daughter, SARA who married ROBERT FLANAGAN and they had CHRIS and PAIGE; Sara later married ALLEN CLEGG and they had a son. Another son of Jack and Katheryn was PAUL who married DEBBIE ___ and they had KENDALL. Paul and Mamie had a daughter DAGMA who married ELWOOD HOOD and they had MARY DEBBIE who married DAN FLEMING. Dagma and Elwood had two other daughters NANCY HOOD and LORI RUTH who married DAVID HOLT and they had LINDSEY. STEVE EMMETT married ETHEL BEARDEN and had THOMAS DAVID and STEVE. WILLIAM CALVIN married ZERA DEVERS and no children. CARLTON RAYMOND SR. first married TAMMIE HAMPSHIRE and had no children, then he married MABEL TERRY and had CARL JR. SADIE (some of the records reports her middle name by the initial "M") married SAMUEL ADDIS RANKIN WILLIAMS and had JERRE OWEN. Sadie subsequently married HOMER BARKER and WILLIAM DURRETT. CARRIE GLADYS was the youngest child of Tom and Sallie. Carrie died at the age if six. NICKLOS CALVIN SHEPHERD was born in 1862 and died in 1928 at the age of 66. There is some information that he was born in Alabama. He is buried at New Prospect. He married ELLA HARRIET THOMASSON (1858 - 1942). She died at 84 and is buried in New Prospect. They had RICHARD who married WILLIE RAMSEY and had EDWARD who died young and is buried in Wilkes County, Georgia. EDWARD MARION who married MARY ELIZABETH HUTCHERSON and they have RICHARD CROOM who married ANGELA BELL and had MEREDITH and NATHAN. Marion and Beth had another son, GEORGE EDWARD who married PAMELA MORTON and had GINGER AND EDWARD EUGENE. MAGGIE TERESA married ROBERT LOGAN SMITH and they had RACHEL who died at an early age. Maggie and Robert also had LOVIS ODEN who married NINA WILLIE MURPHY and they had a son, MIKE who married MARY LOU and they had CHUCK who married and had son JOHN CHARLES. Another son, CHAD and a daughter CHRISTY. Lovis and Nina's daughter was JUDY who married JACKIE TOON and had SCOTT who married and has a daughter; another son, is GREGG. CHARLES WAYNE married LAMAR JONES and had SHEPHERD and MARGARET. BELTON EBBEN married AUDRY RAMSEY and they had a daughter, DELORES who married HAYDEN NIX; another daughter was GERALDINE. JOYCE MERLENE married WILLIAM FOY. JAMES EVERLY (EBB) married BETTY JONES and they had JAMES who married YALANDA FONTENOT and had DAVID, TORY, and KELLEY.Ebb and Betty's daughter was LYNDA who married GARY YOUNG and had JOHN.Another son,DON, married JULIE BERG and had LOGAN and TYLER.Ebb and Betty's other son is NEAL who first married and had SUSAN. Neal's second wife is RENA HARVEY and they had RACHEL. MARJORIE HELEN married H.E. ROGERS JR. and they had a daughter, CAROL ANN who married WILLIAM RICHIE and had SARA and son BARRETT RICHIE.Nick and Ella had three daughters: DELLA MAE married RICHARD DARNELL and they had MOZELL (died young), ROLAND who married BETTY MINOGUE and had SHARON who married ALLEN FANNIN and had ROLAND ALLEN and a daughter, DEBBIE who married BOWLING STEWART and had CHRISTOPHER and DELLA. Roland and Betty had a son, DANNY. Della and Richard also had ETOILE who married CARL TYER and they had KENNETH, RICHARD and SANDRA. Daughter BEULAH married ZED B. RAMSEY and they had BLANCHE who married WILLIAM W. WALLACE and had LILLIAN GAYE. Beulah and Zed had ZED RAMSEY JR. who married HELEN COLSON and had BILL, BOBBY and MARK.Another son of Beulah and Zed was JACK who married LOUISE EAKIN and had BARBARA and JANET. Nick and Ella had another daughter, VANRIE who married R.R. JETTON and had an infant male who died at birth. NIck and Ella's other son was DELMA LEE who married I.V.HEFLIN and they had no children. ALMEDA ANN (KATE) SHEPHERD was born in 1869 in Wilkes County Georgia. She died in 1957 at age 88. She was the only daughter of JOSEPH SHEPHERD and CELIA TOWNS, a widow who had two children by Mr.Towns, WEBB and LIZZE. WEBB was the father of ED who married JANIE THOMASSON and they had ten children as previously listed. Kate married WILLIAM LEWIS THOMASSON, (1866/1935), half brother to ELLA HARRIETT THOMASSON who married NICKLOS SHEPHERD and SALLIE M. THOMASSON who married THOMAS COATS SHEPHERD. "Good As Common" states that WILLIAM LEWIS THOMASSON was invited to dinner at the JOSEPH SHEPHERD home where he met their daughter KATE. Kate and William first had CHARLES who died and is buried in Georgia in the Independence Methodist Church Cemetery in Tignall, Georgia. INA was born in Texas in 1893 and died the next year. ALBERT JOSEPH who married MYRTLE O'QUINN. SMITH EUGENE married OCTAVENE BYERLY. FLAKE DANIEL married BLANCHE RAMSEY. SARA ELLA married MEARL O'QUINN SR. and had MEARL JR. who married JUAN HAINEY. MAMIE ALMADA married HERMAN FRAZIER and they had JAMES MARION and BARBARA NELL. BERTA OPHELIA married J.C.JONES and they had BETTY JEAN and J.C.JR. CHARLES C., INA A., LILLIAN ANN who first married STERL BAILY and then CHARLES DOUGLAS SPENCER and they had CHARLES LEWIS, LOIS MARIE and JIMMY. HOWARD WILLIS married PEARL CHAPMAN and later married MARY POWE. OLA MAE married ARNOLD TAYLOR and later married SAMUEL BERTON ADAMS and had ANNIE RUTH, SAMMIE FAYE and KATE GWENDOLYN. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++#+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ On May 7, 1992 I visited Washington/Tignall,Wilkes County, GA and visited the Mary Willis Library in Washington to review rocords in search for family information. In the older part of Washington are railroad tracks. These tracks were not those used by the chartered trains that took our relatives to Texas; however, the actual tracks that were used were close and the railroad station has long been destroyed by a fire. Across the street is an old building that had to be standing at the time of the move and this building seemed to be a stately hotel. When visiting the Chamber of Commerce I met Russell Slaton, the curator of the Washington/Wilkes Museum and a native of Tignall. Russell became my guide and we drove to Tignall and took the Wooten Road out of Tignall approximately five miles where the road turned into Jane Hill Road and we found a deteriorating old home still recognizable with hand hewn timbers, field rocks as supports with one of its a sand and mud chimneys had fallen. Slaton advised this was the Joseph Shepherd home that was built around 1800. Approximately three hundred feet from the home is a stream know as Shepherd Creek. He stated that the house and stream were so identified in the Wilkes County history records. Slaton had reviewed land records at the courthouse and found that Joseph Shepherd sold 107 acres in 1888 to a Sanders. In 1893 he sold 102 acres to a Mr. Hines and in 1896 sold 61 acres to a Fenning. We next visited a Mrs. Wright in Mallorsville who is a life long member of the Independent Methodist Church in Tignall and it's historian. She gave me a copy of,"Records of Tignall Charge" of the IMC which depicted the minutes of the church beginning in 1787. Entries for the IMC began in May of 1889 and we find the JOSEPH SHEPHERD, W.C.THOMASSON, HENDRICK, GOODWIN families active members. A review of the minutes recorded these events. 5/4/1889 "A good many have joined the branch school at Mallorysville which numbers 45. Stewards report raised for the ministry: J.J.SHEPHERD $3.00". 6/1/1889 "The church elected S.A.Wooten to represent this church in the District Conference to meet in Elberton,GA on the 10th of July.Also elected as alternate JOHN J. SHEPHERD". 11/2/1889 "Pastor appoints JOSEPH SHEPHERD,W.C.THOMASSON, I.D.AYCOCK, and A.H. HENDRICK as class leaders. Paid for the support of the ministry: W.C & W.S. THOMASSON -$2.50 each; MRS. E.C.HENDRICK -$1.00; N.C.SHEPHERD -$1.00; JOHNIE HENDRICK -.05; A.H.HENDRICK -$2.00;JOSEPH SHEPHERD - $6.00; T.C.SHEPHERD - $1.00; JOHN J. SHEPHERD -$2.00; LITTLE HUE SHEPHERD - .03; MRS. W.R.SHEPHERD - .50; MRS. T.C. SHEPHERD - .25; MISS L.H.SHEPHERD -.50; J.W. HENDRICK -.25; MRS. HEMPHILL - .25. For the year JOHN J. SHEPHERD collected $22.03." We also find during this time the same families supported Missions, Conference Claimants, and Bishops Fund with whatever they could muster. 5/24/1890 "The church decided to cover the church house with shingles instead of tin. A committee was appointed consisting of J.J.SHEPHERD and others to raise money to put a new roof and the church reports about $80 in sight" The church elects J.J.SHEPHERD to represent this church in the District Conference to meet in Lavonia on July 10,1890." 11/22/1890 "J.R.Truitt and JOSEPH SHEPHERD were appointed to collect the money due the church from J.A.Moss and J.Wilkerson and to buy another chandelier and to have the the roof painted."(This is fictional humor added by Jerre Williams: Some of the members objected to the purchasing of a chandelier and appointed a spokesman who stated that the reason they were against the purchase was due to the fact that not one church member could spell chandelier and certainly no one could play it. If the church body wanted to do something good for the church they should do something about the lighting!) 9/26/1891 "We find that we have in sight $100 on claims amounting to $150.A motion of S.A.Wooten that the committee is requested to see those who have not responded during the next months and if there is still a deficit we will take a public collection. JOSEPH SHEPHERD, Chairman of the Board of Trustees,reports that the trustees have been conferring with painting and the roof but nothing has been done." 11/22/1891 "JOHN J. SHEPHERD reports paid for the support of ministry during the year 1891: J.J.SHEPHERD -$4;JOSEPH SHEPHERD -$6;LILA SHEPHERD -.25;MAGGIE SHEPHERD -$4;DELLA SHEPHERD -$5;T.C.SHEPHERD - $1; W.R.SHEPHERD -$1.50; A.H. HENDRICK - $1;KATE THOMASSON -.25; S.W.SHEPHERD -$1".The same families continued to support missions, Bishop's fund, and others. 10/22/1892 "JOHN J. SHEPHERD reported that $10.75 was collected for the support of the ministry for the year from the following:JOSEPH SHEPHERD, J.J.SHEPHERD, S.W. SHEPHERD, FANNIE HEMPHILL, I.D.AYCOCK, & W.C.THOMASSON". 1/28/1893 "The following are new members, Mrs. FANNIE GOODWIN, Mrs.MELLINA GOODWIN, and WILLIE GOODWIN.(We wonder if Willie was the one who married MATTIE G. THOMASSON in 1899?) 11/26/1893 "Brother JOSEPH SHEPHERD and wife were granted letters". 12/1894 "W.C.THOMASSON was appointed a class leader". 5/25/1895 "W.C.THOMASSON gave a financial report. W.L. THOMASSON and others were appointed a committee to consider the advisability of conducting a Sunday school in the neighborhood of Brother Truitt & THOMASSON". 8/24/1895 W.C.THOMASSON was again appointed class leader and was active in 1896, 1897, 1898, 1901, and 1903. 5/28/1898 "Brothers THOMASSON and SHEPHERD,class leaders, reported as having done little ".NOTE: We presume the SHEPHERD here is THOMAS COATS who moved back to Georgia after the Texas move in 1892/93.Since we find no further reference to Thomas Coats Shepherd after 1898, we presume the family moved to Georgia and returned in 1898. Mr. Slaton (age 89/1995) advised that the city of Tignall was founded by James Moss who named the city after his father, Tignall. Slaton knew both of the THOMASSON brothers that elected not to migrate to Texas with their family. These were the sons of WILLIAM COTTRELL THOMASSON; JAMES LANE who married SARAH ECHOLS.The other son, JOHN WATKINS, married Sarah's sister, MATTIE ECHOLS. James and Sarah had two sons, GARNET and ROGER. Both are deceased. Garnet (passed in 1993) and wife ETHEL FLEMING lives in Abbeville, S.C. and has a son RONALD who first married ________and they had two sons, TOMMY who married and had a boy and a girl. Another son KEITH married DARLINE GRIFFIN and they had one child. Ronald married a second time to JOYCE CAIN. The second son, Roger first married JEAN ROUSEY and they had two sons and a daughter; WAYNE THOMASSON is married and lives in Tignall; TERRY THOMASSON is married and lives in Washington, Georgia. John Watkins Thomasson and Mattie had a daughter, LILLIAN, who married a BRADLEY and they have a son living in Tompson, Georgia. John and James had a sister, MATTIE THOMASSON, who also did not migrate with the family as she was married to SAM KELLY. They had a son who also was a doctor. Sam and Mattie have a grandson, WILLIAM KELLY, who lives in Elberton, Georgia. John, James and Mattie were brothers and sister to WILLIAM LEWIS THOMASSON who married ALMEDA ANN (KATE) SHEPHERD who was one of the daughters of JOSEPH SHEPHERD. ******************************#**************************** On October 6, 1992 JERRE WILLIAMS, his son, DANIEL DURRETT WILLIAMS, and CHARLES LEWIS SPENCER, son of LILLIAN THOMASSON SPENCER, daughter of WILLIAM LEWIS and ALMEDA ANN (KATE) THOMASSON, made a visit to the Washington/Tignall, Wilkes County area and visited the County Courthouse and found the following marriage licenses: JOSEPH SHEPHERD TO NANCY SEAL M 12/17/1845 JOSEPH SHEPHERD TO CELIA WILLIS TOWNS M 2/7/1864 J.W.HENDRICK TO MATTIE M. SHEPHERD M 4/1875 W.R.SHEPHERD TO EMMA CASH M 10/22/1873 TOM C. SHEPHERD TO S.M.THOMASSON M 12/22/1881 NICK C. SHEPHERD TO E.H.THOMASSON M 12/27/1883 W.L.THOMASSON TO KATE A. SHEPHERD M 12/22/1887 JOHN J. SHEPHERD TO S.E.KELLY M 2/3/1888 S.T.RHODES TO L.E.SHEPHERD M 8/19/1891 W.H.RHODES TO LELA SHEPHERD M 11/22/1892 C.E.TOWNS TO JANIE C.THOMASSON M 1/5/1894 W.J.GOODWIN TO MATTIE G.THOMASSON M 12/21/1899 All of the certificates were issued in Wilkes County. Additionally we found a license for ADELINE E. SHEPHERD to THOMAS A. BURTON in 1852. We now know that ADELINE was the sister to Joseph. Information regarding ADELINE and THOMAS BURTON is covered earlier in this paper. During this visit we found and purchased a copy of a family history which included a paper by SARAH RHODES of Timpson, Texas titled "History of Buena Vista". The paper included the relationship between the RHODES, THOMASSON, and other families. We visited the Washington/Wilkes County Museum and talked to Russell Slaton. He spoke highly of the Thomassons and Shepherds. The families were hard working Christian folks that were respected by all. Slaton had just completed a paper titled, "Vanishing Sites of Old Wilkes". This paper records the JOSEPH SHEPHERD home site and designates the place on a exhibit map. This exhibit also identifies a creek in close proximity to the JOSEPH SHEPHERD home as "Shepherd Creek". We visited the JOSEPH SHEPHERD HOUSE and took pictures. Proceeded to the Independent Methodist Church in Tignall and examined the church cemetery and found the grave of O.W. HEMPHILL, husband to FANNIE SHEPHERD HEMPHILL who is buried in Kerens,Texas. Also, there is a grave of an infant son of the THOMASSON family. We visited the Mallorysville Baptist Church cemetery and the graves of James and Sarah Thomasson. Next to Clark Crossing Baptist Church and the graves of John and Mattie Thomasson. *******************************#************************** The last week of May, 1993 SADIE RAE SHEPHERD CRAWFORD, daughter of CLANT EUGENE SHEPHERD SR., son of THOMAS COATS SHEPHERD, son of JOSEPH SHEPHERD, and I drove to Kerens, Texas and visited with FRANCES HEMPHILL LEE, the granddaughter of FANNIE SHEPHERD HEMPHILL, daughter of JOSEPH SHEPHERD. Another present was a cousin of Frances', PEGGY BROWN. The 1937 letter, as mentioned above, tells about the early youth of Fannie during and after the Civil War. In the letter Fannie relates to the relationship she enjoyed with SARAH BOATWRIGHT who was a cousin being the daughter of NANCY SEAL/CEAL SHEPHERD's sister MARGARET SEA/CEAL BOATWRIGHT. SARAH BOATWRIGHT married a DANIEL SHORT in 1865. Miss Addie mentions the fact that "we are related in some manner to the SHORTS" in her paper. Frances Lee is the daughter of Fannie's son WILLIAM WYLIE HEMPHILL. Fannie's husband, OLIVER HEMPHILL, died in Georgia and, as stated, is buried in the Independence Methodist Church cemetery in Tignall, Georgia. Fannie and her family migrated to Texas with the family and settled in the Woods Post Office area. Fannie's daughter, TALLULAH HEMPHILL, earned a teaching degree from a college in Milledgeville, Georgia and accepted a teaching position in Kerens and subsequently married one of its leading businessmen, a Mr. PRICE. At that time Fannie and family moved and settled in Kerens. Frances Lee provided family history and much hospitality. She loaned some of the family pictures taken in 1937 in Wilkes County Georgia. One picture was of the JOSEPH SHEPHERD home and it was in tact and occupied at that time. One of the pictures was at the Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery (Rayle, GA) near Washington, Georgia at the grave of NANCY SEAL/CEAL SHEPHERD and her sister MARGARET SEAL/CEAL BOATWRIGHT. At a later visit these graves were located and identified and confirmed by a WILLIAM BOATWRIGHT, the grandson of Margaret's husband, RADAMANTHAS BOATWRIGHT and Radamanthas's second wife, MARY SHORT who was the sister to DANIEL SHORT who married MARGARET SEAL/CEAL BOTWRIGHT'S daughter, SARAH who was FANNIE SHEPHERD'S cousin and best friend. In the Kerens cemetery we observed the graves of Fannie and her family. We saw the home she lived in with some of her children. At the Kerens library we were able to obtain copies of the Hemphill family history as written by FRANCES HEMPHILL LEE. ********************************#*************************** New Prospect Homecoming was held on June 13, 1993 out from Timpson, Texas. A good turnout was enjoyed by all. I attended and met some new relatives and was able to talk to JOHN L. RHODES among others who provided more family history and filled in some of the "blanks". Met JAMES SHEPHERD, the grandson of JOHN JOSEPH SHEPHERD. Jim is now living in the Timpson area and is working on the Shepherd family history. We have agreed to share. Also met DOUGLAS MCCARVER, the great grandson of MATTIE MATILDA SHEPHERD HENDRICK, another daughter of JOSEPH SHEPHERD. Douglas is an attorney and is interested in the family history. In fact he wrote a family history article as recorded in the "History of Shelby County". He had with him a picture of Mattie Hendrick. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to see a picture of Mattie. We agreed to share family information. I was able to obtain a fair picture of Mattie from a video I made and had a copy which has been filed in the family picture file. After Homecoming I was the guest of Edward and Beth Shepherd in Timpson where I enjoyed our family relationship and their beautiful home and hospitality. With the help of Beth, I visited the Timpson Library at Timpson High School which has a section for those interested in genealogy. Where I was not able to find information of a exciting nature, we were able to gather supplemental information that has been added to this paper. We obtained copies of information on the Hemphill, Hendrick, Rhodes, Askins and other families. Unfortunately, no one in the Shepherd family had provided any family history for publication in the "History of Shelby County". Obtained copies of the 1900/1910 Shelby County Census and this will help in verification. A paper,"Immigrant Ancestors" listed 2500 immigrants that came to America before 1750. This paper listed four SHEPHERD/SHEPARD immigrants: EDWARD SHEPARD from England to Cambridge, Mass. in 1639. He married VIOLET STANLEY first then MARY POND. He died in 1679/80. JOHN SHEPARD from England to Braintree, Mass. with his wife and son THOMAS in 1635. He died in 1650. RALPH SHEPHERD/SHEPHEARD from England to Charlstown, Mass in 1635. He died in 1693. THOMAS SHEPARD from England to Maiden, Mass. in 1658.He was married to HANNAH ENSIGN. He died in 1719. A copy of "Passports Of Southeastern Pioneers 1770 - 1823" recorded that a passport was granted to JOHN SHEPPARD of Tombigbee to go to the state of Georgia in 1797. Where this could not be JOSEPH SHEPHERD'S father, JOHN SHEPHERD, as John was not born until 1800 or 1802, there is a remote possibility that the John Sheppard listed in the passport was John's father? "Marriages Of Richmond County Virginia 1668 -1853" listed JAMES SHEPHERD married BETSEY W. WHELDON on July 21, 1807. The parents of Betsey stated that she is,"not yet of age". During my time in Timpson Edward Shepherd gave me a "tour" of the city and surrounding area. We drove to the New Prospect area, Woods Post Office and found that the building that housed the post office had been removed. Several years ago while visiting I made a picture of what remained of the building and has been filed in the collection of building pictures. We searched the Woods Post Office Methodist Church cemetery looking for any family graves but found none. We had been told that perhaps TOLL SHEPHERD might be buried there. We visited the Tennessee Cemetery and found the graves of CLANT EUGENE SHEPHERD SR.,son of THOMAS COATS SHEPHERD, son of JOSEPH SHEPHERD. Found the grave of CLANT SHEPHERD JR. and his son RICK SHEPHERD. In addition we found the graves of Clant Sr.'s wife RAE WOLFE SHEPHERD and her parents. Was able to meet IRENE BAILEY HORTON the grand daughter of CARRIE THOMASSON BAILEY who married ALLEN BAILEY. Carrie was the daughter of WILLIAM C. THOMASSON. Irene had some pictures of the family. One in particular was a group family picture that included W.C.(BUD) THOMASSON, JIM and JOHN THOMASSON from Georgia, FRED and BOYKIN THOMASSON, JANIE THOMASSON TOWNS, RUTH THOMASSON RHODES, MATTIE THOMASSON GOODWIN, CARRIE THOMASSON BAILEY, ELLA THOMASSON SHEPHERD, ALMEDA RICHARDSON and MAMIE THOMASSON KELLY. A copy of this picture has been obtained and placed it in the family picture file. ****************************#***************************** February 1, 1994. Another visit to Washington/Tignall/Wilkes County, GA by the writer, son Dan. Mr. Russell Slaton, Curator of the Washington/Wilkes County Museum, accompanied us and was our guide. Since the last visit Slaton advised that an elderly female resident of Tignall advised him that she knew that the Shepherds owned property in Mallorsyville in addition to that owned and sold by JOSEPH SHEPHERD. The property was approximately six miles from the Joseph Shepherd home. She advised that on the Shepherd property was a family cemetery known as the SHEPHERD FAMILY CEMETERY!! Slaton took us to the area and we found the Cemetery; an area approximately 25 by 25 feet in a clearing with medium size rocks as grave markers. We estimate that there were approximately seven graves. The ground close to the rock markers was sunken. The rocks seemed to have been carried to the area as there were no other obvious rocks on the property, the area being farmland. Other grave observations and experiences by Slaton convinced him that the site was a family graveyard of the Shepherd family. He is to report his findings to the Wilkes County selected Family Grave Site Committee who will confirm, record and identify the graveyard as the "Shepherd Family Cemetery". Before we had an opportunity to contact and talk to the lady who gave the information to Mr. Slaton, it was reported that she had met with an unfortunate automobile accident which resulted in injuries that took her life. As we drove around, Slaton advised that, since he was born and raised in Tignall, he was familiar with the home sites of the Thomassons, Willis', Towns, Shepherds, Kellys and Rhodes. He knew the Rhodes that lived there and remembers a minister by the name of Rhodes who lived in Waco, TX who would visit Tignall and preach revival. Slaton was under the impression that Joseph Shepherd probably knew his second wife, CELIA WILLIS TOWNS, and her husband while he was married to NANCY SEAL/CEAL SHEPHERD when they all lived in the community. It is conceivable that Celia Willis Towns' husband was killed in the war between the states and, after the death of Nancy and Joseph's discharge, he "looked up" Celia? Perhaps Joseph had been in contact with Celia before his discharge after hearing of her husband's death? Next we visited the Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery at Rayle, GA in an effort to identify the grave of Nancy Shepherd from a copy of a 1937 picture provided by Frances Hemphill Lee. From the picture we thought we were able to identify Nancy Ceal Shepherd's and Margaret Ceil Boatwright's unmarked graves; however, when we later talked to William Boatwright, the grandson of RadamanthAS Boatwright and his second wife, Mary Short, we learned that the site we looked at was not in fact their graves. Mr. Boatwright took us to the exact unmarked graves of the sisters and explained why he was sure of his thoughts. He is 87 years of age and has lived in the city of Rayle all of his life on the original property owned by his grandfather and the property that Margaret Ceal Boatwright and husband R. Boatwright occupied. It is reasonable that this is the property that Nancy Ceal Shepherd visited upon their return from their "health journey". This is the property that was occupied by Margaret upon her death and it is conceivable that even Nancy Shepherd might have died on the property while visiting her sister? Slaton was of the opinion that there were old people living in 1937 when the Texas relatives made their visit who knew the story about the death of the sisters as reported and that they were were buried together. Since Nancy was an active member of the Independence Methodist Church in Mallorsyville, why would she be buried with her Baptist sister? One should remember Nancy, Joseph and family had been on the road traveling for several years and not active in the Methodist Church. I believe she and family were visiting her sister at the time of her death and the sisters were very close and perhaps wanted to be buried together. Maybe their dying wish? We found several (13 recorded in the cemetery census) other Boatwright family graves. As a matter of information, Martha Boatwright's daughter, SARAH, who was the best childhood friend of FANNIE SHEPHERD HEMPHILL and first cousin, married a DANIEL SHORT and we found several "Short" grave markers at Sardis. On April 2, 1994, while visiting Sardis Cemetery we visited with Mrs. Walter Orr who had compiled a listing of all names that were buried in the Sardis Baptist Church cemetery. She advised that she had only found one person buried by the name of L.P.SEALE, 1865. This is not Nancy as she died in 1863. Mrs Orr also stated that she could not find a MARGARET BOATWRIGHT who was reportedly buried there; however she readily stated that her records were not complete having been spasmodically compiled. She was somewhat in agreement with the opinion of Russell Slaton in that the sisters were buried there; however, she and others are of the impression that the sisters are buried in a different section of the cemetery in proximity to RADAMANTHAS BOATWRIGHT'S grave. We found this to be correct after talking to Bill Boatwright.She referred us to a Mr. W.E (Bill) Boatwright. For the record: Mrs. Webester T. Orr 424 Harper Rd. Rayle, GA 30660 (706) 274 3375 & Mr. W.E.(Bill) Boatwright Philomath Rd. Rayle, GA (706) 274 3282. We found a road close to Pope's Chapel identified as "SHEPPARD ROAD". Later we learned that the road was named for a Sheppard family not related to our Shepherds. ---------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Since the original paper(April 1992) considerable family information has been accumulated including collection of family pictures, newspaper articles, recordings, public records, etc. A Shepherd Family Video has been made and distributed. The Shepherd Family Reunion officers met in Timpson, Texas in June 1995 to continue the family information collection and discussed plans for the Second Shepherd Family Reunion. Also discussed was the merits of developing a Shepherd Family Book. At this time (September 1995) the Shepherd Family officers recommends that further discussion needs to be forthcoming on both of these subjects. If you are interested in helping in any manner or request corrections or need additional copies of this paper or the video, please contact: JERRE O. WILLIAMS 111 SAGAMORE LANE PEACHTREE CITY, GA 30269 770 631 4760 AND/OR EDWARD M. SHEPHERD P.O.BOX 156, TIMPSON, TEXAS (409) 254 2444 Page - 12