Are you ready for another Weekend Chat, my fellow WikiChatterboxes? If so, then greetings from Cathey’s Creek where we have had temps as low as 39°F twice this week. A cold front moved in, and even daytime temps have been rather low. I am using this as an added excuse to my shoulder recovery to not do any outside work. I love excuses!
On the Home Front: Yesterday morning, I left physical therapy encouraged with my progress report to take to my surgeon who I’ll meet with this morning (which is why I am posting the Chat a bit early). I am pretty sure that my surgeon will also be pleased.
Church business (which seems to take an inordinate about of my time on occasion): I ordered a flagpole (we have a provincial flag for our Anglican province). I also contacted the paving company to get a revised proposal for our parking lot(s). The two will be joined together. Later, I am sure it’ll be my duty to contact another company to paint the lines for parking.
Last Sunday, both our priest and deacon were out of town. It was left to me to lead the service. When neither are there, we do Morning Prayer, and we had a very different version of what I am used to. I collared my 17-year-old trainee into helping. Poor fella, he arrived at church with 15 minutes to go when he found out that he was assisting me. All went well, though.
On the Genealogy Front: I finally did get to do personal genealogy for a change. I tidied up the biography of my grandfather, TA Shepherd/Sheppard, who I mentioned last week. Keeping up with all his names was a chore: Jerry, Bill, plus trying to discover when he made the change to Sheppard. If any of you are interested in the labor movement in the 1920s, some of that is included in his bio.
I found his father, Tom Shepherd, had an incomplete bio. Working the documents, I found some interesting things, including the blue-eye trait in that line. My dad also had blue eyes. G-grandpa was a farmer, brick maker, and house carpenter. I included the story told to me that he eloped with my g-grandmother marrying in a lane. The documentary evidence does not bear this out, but it’s a great story.
Tom was one of those hundreds of Appalachians who left the mountains for the textile economy in Gastonia, North Carolina. He was only there for a short while, but he never worked in a mill. In 1920, his four oldest sons were, though, including my 15-year-old grandfather.
I also spruced up the profiles of two of my dad’s siblings. One, Jackie Jean Sheppard, was born when the family was living in Sylva, Jackson County. My dad once told me a story that I was able to connect with this child. When Grandma was in labor, Grandpa sent dad out into the field. Dad remembered the screaming of his mother. Jackie died that day, premature. He was buried in an unmarked grave in the area, and I doubt that I will ever be able to discover the cemetery.
The other siblings of my dad that I worked on was Hilda Kay Sheppard. Aunt Hilda lived only four days, also premature. According to hear death certificate, she was buried at the a church near Gastonia. No stone was ever placed over her grave. I have asked the church if I could place a stone there in her memory.
I am of the mind that every person deserves to be remembered, to have their own profile, even if their lives were very short. I hope that I have honored well the memory of Uncle Jackie and Aunt Hilda.
I hope everyone is well and flourishing. It is always great to hear from each of you.
Enjoy the Chat!
