Chapter 6: Shepherd

Issac "Ike" Melton Shepherd (also spelled Isaac) was born on August 18, 1854 (or 1853) in Panola County, Texas. From the 1900 census I believe that his parents were born in the United Kingdom or Ireland, though it might just say "U.S." meaning the census taker didn't get a definite state. On October 9, 1879, Ike married Unity Elizabeth Hunt.

Hunt Family History

John Hunt was born on April 22, 1812 in Georgia. He married Sarah Chandler on February 22, 1855 in Cherokee County, Texas. Sarah had been born on October 26, 1823 in Talladega County, Alabama to Richard and Bethenia Chandler. Sarah had been married previously to Benjamin Griffin (born 1817 in Georgia). Sarah was the sister to Sophia Chandler who also married James S. Griffin, Benjamin's brother. Sarah and Benjamin were wed on September 8, 1840 in Perry County, Alabama and had three children, Martha Jane (1843), Sophia (1847), Robert Crittendon (1849). Benjamin died from cholera around December of 1849, while traveling to Texas to join Sarah's family in Cherokee County. Griffin family history has it that several of his slaves also died and they were burried by the banks of a big river, though the river is unknown. His Sarah and his three children became residents of Texas. After marrying John Hunt in 1855, they had six more children: Mary Sarah (1855), Albert M. (1857), Thena (1859), Henry (1859), Unity Elizabeth (1860), John G. (1863). John Hunt died on November 1, 1892 in Nacogdoches. Sarah died on November 16, 1908. They are both buried in the Cold Springs Cemetery, Nacogdoches County, Texas.

Unity Elizabeth Hunt was born on September 14 (or 4), 1860 in Nacogdoches County, Texas.

Ike and Unity had five children but two died in infancy. The surviving children were Walter F. (1881), John Wiley (1886) and Kate Beall (1898). Ike was a farmer and also owned a general store.

Ike's family appears on the 1900 census. Isaac, Unity, Walter, John W., Kate B. and a niece and newphew (Minerva and Charles?) are all living in Nacogdoches, Texas. It doesn't list a profession for Isaac, he may have been unemployed at the time. The family was renting their house.

On August 6, 1907, Ike was killed when he was shot by a drunk man. Cal and Mart Griffin, the sons of Robert C. Griffen and Elizira Fraley, were charged with his murder. As you will note from the Hunt family history above, Robert C. Griffin was Unity's half-brother; Calvin and Martin were her 35 year old nephews. Ike is buried in the Cold Springs Cemetery, Nacogdoches County, Texas. His boys were already in their twenties, but Kate Beall was just nine years old at the time.

By the 1910 census Unity was living in Panola County, Texas with her son Walter, who had become a doctor, married and had one child already. His brother, John W., who had become a "drugist", and John's wife and daughter and his unmarried sister Kate Beall were also living with Walter. He also had a 19 year old servant named Walter Archie living with them, doing farm work. Walter Archie has "Mu" for his race which is an abbreviation for "mulatto".

I can't find Unity in the 1920 census, she was not living with her sons or her daughter. Unity died on October 22 (or November 22), 1935 from a hardening of the arteries.

Walter F. Shepherd was born in November 1881. He was married three times. His first marriage was around 1908 to a woman named Bertie D., born around 1890-1891 in Texas (with Texas-born parents), Walter and Bertie had two children, Ouida and Dorothea. Next he married Olive Neely, born in Louisiana and his school sweetheart. His was a family practice doctor and was very successful. He had a large two story home and always had new cars. I don't know the name of his third wife but his two girls objected because they felt that she was only interested in his assets.

I haven't been able to locate Walter's family in 1920 yet.

In 1930, the U.S. census shows Walter living on a street named Highland, in a house worth $15,000, in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas with his second wife, Olive N. (45). His two daughters, Ouida (20) and Dorothy (17) live with them. So does a 20 year old white servant name Lomar C. Meder with German parents.

Ouida Shepherd was born in 1910 in Texas. She got a Masters Degree from Hardin Simmons University where she met and married Clyde Smith. They had no children. Even though she was crippled from a severe spine curvature, she was a very accomplished musician, playing the piano and accordian. Clyde was quite wealthy and they donated a music hall to Hardin Simmons. Clyde and Ouida were both school teachers and Clyde became the Bexar County School Superintendant. After Ouida died, Clyde remarried the daughter of an Ambassador from a South American country.

Walter's other daughter, Dorothea (or Dorothy) Shepherd, was also born in Texas. Like her sister, she got a university education and was a school teacher. She married Bruce Waitz and had two children. Bruce was an attorney and was very active with the Masons and the Shriners.

John Wiley Shepherd was born in November 1886 in Texas. Around 1909, he married Maude L. Donovan (very involved with Daughters of the Mile/Masons/Shriners) who was born around 1890-1891 in Texas (to Texas-born parents). They had three children: Gwendolyn, Gloria and John Wiley, Jr. John Wiley, Sr. was a pharmacist and owned his own pharmacy.

John's family appears on the 1920 census living in Nacogdoches County, Texas. It shows: John W. (33), Maude L. (29), Gwendolyn (10), Gloria (3 2/12), John W. (1/12). They also have a 20 year old black servant named Nancy Plonton living with them. John Wiley, Sr. is a retail drugist in a drug store.

In 1930, John's family was living on Warwick Avenue in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas in a house valued at $5,000. His wife and three children were living with him.

Gwendolyn "Gwen" Shepherd was born in 1910. She went to University of Texas at Austin and became the youngest student to ever graduate (before 20 years old). She was a school teacher, never married and always lived with her parents.

Gloria Shepherd was born in 1917. She was an energetic and popular woman. She married Howard Handley and had one child. Howard worked for the railroad. She did secretarial work for the federal government and was involved in the Daughters of the Mile (Masons/Shriners).

John Wiley Shepherd, Jr. was born in 1920. He was a tall and good-looking man. He married a woman named Dorris and had one son. In 1941, while his wife was pregnant, he volunteered to join the Air Corps as World War II was starting. He was trained as a pilot and sent off to fight. He was shot down over New Guinea; he was never found. His wife eventually remarried.

Kate Beall Shepherd was born on January 11, 1898 in Garrison, Texas. She married Jeppie Harris Scogin in 1914 and their story continues in the next chapter.

Chapter 7: Scogin-Shepherd