This web page follows the Anderson and Shepherd branches of my family back several generations. I have tried to tell a story about every person, however there is far more information about some family members than others and so they naturally have more space dedicated to them.
There are many wonderful people that helped me throughout this project. They deserve my gratitude for their patience and understanding. I pestered my mom and dad with repeated phone calls and requests. I have spent hours talking to my aunt Nancy and, thanks to her, I was able to get copies of all of the photographs grandma (May) Anderson had collected. (Click on any picture to see a full size version and click on it again for an enlarged view.) Uncle Dale was always willing to help me fill in the blanks by recalling names and dates. I also owe Misty and my kids a big thank you. I spend a lot of time in front of the computer as a result of this project and they have been surprisingly tolerant. Misty has been my sounding board for ideas, my spellchecker and, in many cases, my research assistant. I couldn’t have completed this without all of you!
I should mention that a great portion of these stories were written by persons other than myself. I have included excerpts from histories written by family members and articles from newspapers in addition to my own writings. I have italicized the portions of the text that are mine so that the reader might hear my voice as that of a narrator connecting the pieces of a story. Grandma (May) Anderson wrote an excellent family history that we are extremely fortunate to have. I have included the entire content of that document throughout this site.
Finally, thanks goes out to all the strangers that took the time to help me locate the information I was seeking. Everyone from the reference desk librarians at the downtown library in Spokane, to the folks at the Minnesota State Historical Society, to the National Railway Historical Society responded to my sometimes obscure requests for historical information.
The Anderson side of my family represents my maternal lineage. They are comprised of interesting, hard working, and often inspiring characters. There was Frank Shepherd who died while working as an engineer when his steam engine derailed on Friday the thirteenth in October, 1916. His son, Harry Shepherd, who also worked for the railroad in his youth, went on to try his hand at farming. He even patented a piece of farming equipment only to be swindled by his business partner. Harry’s son, also named Frank, had a son of his own but mysteriously disappeared before seeing little William grow up.
The relationships that turned into the marriages that resulted in new generations of children were often as intriguing as the people themselves. Although it is a fairly common occurrence in many family trees, the marriage of first cousins is a delicate topic, one that is often avoided. May Shepherd and Raymond Anderson are an example of just such a union. They were married on August 18, 1938 in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. The details are unknown but it seems that no harm resulted from this minor tangle in the Anderson branch of the family tree.
The Shepherd/Anderson family history spans a massive geography. Ancestors lived all over the United States and the world. They originated in places as far away as Norway and migrated to the new world, living in places as diverse as New York, Wisconson and Minnesota. Others came through Canada to end up in the Pacific Northwest.
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed putting it all together! Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions.
Living in the Past
The photo at the top of the page came from one of grandma Anderson's albums. It shows a man riding a plough on the farm in Musselshell, Montana. I believe the photo was taken in the early to mid 1920s. Unfortunately grandma did not indicate who the man was. The photograph illustrates how different life was back then. Work was more challenging. Farmers weren't using gas powered ploughs yet and work on the farm was accomplished using the strength of men, women and animals.