May E. Shepherd

Birth: May 2, 1913 - Miles City, Montana

Marriage: August 18, 1938 - Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Death: April 15, 2007 - Spokane, Washington

May Anderson in Minneapolis, MN.
July 1914

Grandma wrote such a thorough account of her life that I struggle to add information to it that doesn’t seem redundant. What I can say without reservation is that the two things most important to her were her family and her belief in God. I remember many Saturday night sleepovers as a child that were followed by a big breakfast and a morning at church. I could tell that Grandma enjoyed "showing me off" to her friends.

One of my fondest memories of Grandma in her later years happened shortly after the birth of her great grandson, Liam James Lundin. Misty and I took Liam to visit her at her house when he was only a few months old.

We set Liam down in her lap and she cradled him with the grace of a young mother. Grandma held onto him tightly like she must have held her own children so long ago. As Liam gazed at his great grandmother, tears welled up in her eyes. She was so happy to see the newest addition to the family she had helped begin. I could sense her love for him as I watched this touching moment.

May Anderson
1935

Grandma and I had conversations over the years about our ancestors. She told me about her Grandfather Frank Shepherd who died a hero when the train he worked on as an engineer derailed. He stuck to his post, saving the lives of many. It was with pride for her family that Grandma showed me photos and a newspaper article documenting the accident, both of which I have included here.

I was with Grandma the first time I visited the graves of family members who had gone before us. We went to the cemetery on Memorial Day and Grandma brought lawn shears. We used them to remove blades of grass that were encroaching on the stone markers of her mother, father and husband. When Grandma passed away I retrieved these clippers from her garage. Later, I took them with me to Rockford when I visited the graves of Grandpa Anderson’s family for the first time. Grandma didn’t know it but these early experiences always stuck with me and informed my feelings about family and the history that we all carry with us.

May Anderson with her Grandson Chris Lundin and
Great Grandson Liam Lundin.
May, 2006

May Estella Anderson married Raymond Lawson Anderson on August 18, 1938 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. They had three children. Their names were Nancy, Dale and Darlene. Nancy was born on June 14, 1946. Dale and Darlene were twins born on February 23, 1948. They were all raised together in the family home on Jefferson St. in Spokane, Washington.

I could go on but Grandma explains it best.

The following is an excerpt from a family history written by May E. Anderson.

I was born May Shepherd in Miles City, Montana, on May 2, 1913, on Riverside Street. The home was still there in 1983. It was close to the Milwaukee railroad tracks where Dad worked as the superintendent of a large warehouse where all supplies were kept for the railroad gangs.

Harry Shepherd (seated, left) in the railroad office.
Exact date unknown.

When I was about five years old we moved to a smaller home on Orr Street, and I attended first and second grades. Frank, being four years younger, didn’t go to school in Miles City. He started his first year at Dry Forks where we both attended through the 8th grade.

May Shepherd on her horse "Blanket" in Montana.
Exact date unknown.

In 1918 or 1919 Dad bought a section of land (640 acres) about 25 miles south of Musselshell. Dad was encouraged to buy it because one of his best friends was selling farm land at that time. He bought farm machinery, horses, cattle and other supplies. He hired a couple by the name of Erickson (who had four children) and moved them to the ranch to build a log home, outhouse, chicken house, barn, and a granary for storing wheat. There were no electric lights, no running water, and it was 27 miles from a store. A well had to be drilled also. Dad did not quit the railroad until he had purchased all the things that he felt were necessary to farm. He bought at very high costs because of war prices. In about 1920 we left Miles City to live on the ranch. Dad was a city man, never lived on a farm in his life and had lots to learn. The Ericksons continued to live on the ranch for a couple of years. I was seven years old when we moved to the ranch.

We had no church to go to while on the farm. Occasionally a travelling minister came by, and for something to eat, would have a church service in our log school building. I can’t remember too much about it except one of the favorite hymns was "Oh, Come to the Church in the Wildwood" which one lady always sang with great gusto, ending up about two bars behind the rest of the congregation and always off key.

Dry Fork Schoolhouse where May Anderson attended grades 3-8.
Exact date unknown.

I started third grade at Dry Fork School about a mile from our home. We never missed school in any kind of weather. We never had any of the childhood diseases but did have bad colds several times. I graduated from Dry Fork on May 2, 1927. I started high school that fall in Musselshell and graduated in 1931. I didn’t have money to start college so took a post-graduate course for one year when Mother had to come back to Musselshell so Frank could attend high school. I went to Eastern Montana Normal School one year and one summer and received a Second Grade Teacher’s Certificate that made me eligible to teach in a rural school.

May Shepherd
1933

At 19 years of age I replaced a teacher who had been fired about mid-year. The school was located north of Roundup. The pay was $90 a month. I attended college another summer and acquired a First Grade Certificate that allowed me to teach four more years before going to college again. I taught three years in a different school east of Roundup before moving to Spokane.

After about thirteen years and four consecutive crop failures due to hail, grasshoppers and drought, Mother and Dad finally had to give up their 640 acres of land as they could no longer pay taxes. Because they had no way to transport them, they left behind or gave away many of their possessions and came by car to Spokane in 1932. They did bring their dog with them, but Dad later had it put to sleep. (Mother wasn’t aware of this until after it happened and was very upset.) The only trip they ever had was to go to Glacier National Park on the way out here. I don’t remember if Frank came with them.

After moving, Mother and Dad bought a 160 acre farm on Half Moon Prairie just north of the Grange Hall, east and almost to the top of the     hill. Again, they struggled to make a living (during the Depression).



May Shepherd's teacherage (east of Roundup?)
where she lived and taught her second year of school.
Exact date unknown.

I had intended to go to college at Cheney another year to meet qualifications to teach in Washington. However, Mother and Dad needed the money I had saved to pay taxes, so I forgot college and, shortly after coming to Spokane, I found work at Wraights Department Store on the corner of Wall and Main (where the present Bon Marche is located) as a clerk for $13.50 a week.

I worked there for five years before quitting and going to work for the Kaiser Aluminum Plant in the Valley. That was during the war, but I do remember the wages were much better than I had been getting.

Raymond and I were married in Coeur d’Alene on August 18, 1938, with Mother and Dad as our witnesses. Raymond was making $20 a week at Steward’s Hardware. We lived with Mother and Dad for two years on Half Moon Prairie.

Harry Shepherd in front of the farm house on
Half Moon Prairie, north of Spokane in 1936 or 1937.
Exact date unknown.

Mother and Dad and stayed on the farm until about 1940 when they sold it and moved to Spokane. They rented a home on North Stevens, and Raymond and I continued to live with them until our house was built at 4212 N. Stevens around 1941.

After being married for seven years, I became pregnant and quit my job just as the plant was starting to close out war supplies. I had been working in the Administration Building as a bookkeeper and learned to use a bookkeeping machine on the job.

Raymond and May Anderson
Exact date unknown.

I didn’t go back to work until Nancy, Darlene and Dale were all old enough for me to leave home. I did housework for several people for five years before starting to work at the Bon Marche when I was almost 50 years old. I worked there thirteen years before retiring. I was Department Manager and Buyer for the Boy’s Department.

May and her children from left to right,
Dale, Darlene and Nancy.
May, 1951

The following is the obituary that ran in the Spokesman Review Newspaper. It was written by her daughter Nancy Johnson with help from May. Grandma always wanted to be sure that everything would be in order should she ever pass on and this was no different.

ANDERSON, May E. (Age 93) Passed away on April 15, 2007 at Sacred Heart Medical Center of a heart attack. She would have been 94 years old on May 2. May was born in Miles City, Montana, on May 2, 1913. She attended Eastern Montana Normal School and taught for four years near Billings. She lived in Montana 23 years before moving to Spokane with her parents, Harry and Sadie Shepherd. May married Raymond L. Anderson, a native of Spokane, on August 18, 1938 and they moved into their North Spokane home in 1942. Raymond passed away in 1971. With help of family and her care givers, May was still living in their home at the time of her death. May worked for twelve years at the Bon Marche, and retired from that company. May was a charter member of Country Homes Christian Church and a member of the Christian Women’s Fellowship. She had served as a Deaconess and Deacon and on all church committees and was the first Superintendent of Sunday School at Country Homes. For many years she was a driver for Meals-On-Wheels and also volunteered at the Spokane Food Bank. She served on the Board for the Spokane Coalition and was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary at the Union Gospel Mission. She served four years on the Board of Caritas Crisis Center and was active in Church Women United. She was a member of the Sinto and Farwell Senior Citizen Centers. In 1988 she received an award for Exemplary Achievement for Ecumenical Involvement from the Northwest Regional Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ). Survivors include son Dale Anderson of Spokane; daughters Nancy Johnson of Spokane Valley, Darlene Lundin and son-in-law Ray; grandchildren John and Brandon Johnson, and Chris Lundin and his wife Misty, and Deanna Lundin; two great-granddaughters, and one great-grandson. May was recently happy to learn that another great-grandchild was on the way. In addition to her church and volunteer work, May enjoyed working in her flower gardens, square dancing, traveling, and being with her family. Viewing will be held on Wednesday, April 18 from 12 to 5 p.m. and Thursday, April 19 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 20, 2007 at Heritage Funeral Home. A private interment will be held at Fairmount Memorial Park. It was May’s wish that in lieu of flowers memorials be made to Immanuel Baptist Church, 5109 N. Adams, Spokane, WA 99205. Published on 4/18/2007





























There are many more photographs which I will include here.

On the road to Musselshell, MT.
Exact date unknown.

May Shepherd and her younger brother Frank on their horse, Blanket.
Exact date unknown.

May Shepherd in the pig pen.
Exact date unknown.

The farm house in Musselshell, MT.
1918