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Grover Cleveland Shepherd was born May 6, 1885 on the North Fork of New River near Crumpler, North Carolina. He was the son of John Calvin Shepherd and wife Sarah Ann Ballou, who was daughter of John and Sarah Anne Ballou. Grover was the grandson of James Wilburn and Elizabeth Jones Shepherd, who was the son of Larkin and Alley Irwin Shepherd of the Reddies River area, Wilkes County, NC.
Married Ethel Isabelle Walker
Grover married Ethel Isabelle Walker January 26, 1910. Ethel was the daughter of Willis and Sallie Anna Colvard Walker. Her ancestry may also be traced back to the Reddies River area of Wilkes County, where her and Grover share some of the same ancestors. Ethel's ancestry primarily includes Walker, Colvard, Vannoy, Shepherd, and Whittington (These will be explored in a seperate articles).
Carrying on the tradition of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Grover was an active Master Mason AF & AM. Among a variety of occupations, Grover was a carpenter, census taker, road supervisor, and storekeeper.
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in later years. |
Farmed Grandfather's Land
However, his main occupation was that of a farmer. He worked the land that was purchased by his great grandfather Meredith Ballou in 1813, only 14 years after Ashe County was first formed from Wilkes County in 1799.
After the death of Meredith Ballou in 1847, his son John Rice Ballou received the property in 1848. As a youth, Grover helped his grandfather John Ballou work this farm. A rock fence that Grover helped John Ballou build about 1900 still stands on this land and basically forms the entrance to the "Booker Place."
John Ballou willed the 90-acre farm to brothers Grover and Harrison Shepherd in 1901. The brothers received title to the farm on February 1, 1905. In 1916, Harrison transfered his interest in the farm to Grover, as Grover transferred his interest in the old John Calvin Shepherd homeplace across the hill to Harrison.
Grover and Ethel moved into the old John Ballou home which was located below the road close to Piney Branch. Grover cut the timber off the farm and built a new home which still stands today and is known as the Grover Shepherd homeplace.
1929 - A Tragic Year
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The year 1929 is best known as the beginning of the "Great Depression." However, this year was one that also brought three personal tragedies to the Grover Shepherd family.
The first was an event which had a profound influence on Grover during the latter half of his life. It was the accidental death of his son Robert Blaine by Grover's own hand.
Blaine, then 13 years old, had gone squirrel hunting one day. Later, Grover left the home to go down the road about one mile to Ballou's mill. He took along his shotgun. On the way, he spotted movement on a fallen tree. Believing it to be a squirrel, he fired. Grover saw Blaine fall and ran to him. He ask Blaine if he was hit and Blaine replied, "all over." Grover ran for help, but Blaine died a short time later. What Grover had actually seen in the tree was the tail of Blaine's gray jacket. This tragic episode haunted Grover the rested of his days.
Less than two months later, on July 28, 1929, Grover's father, John Calvin Shepherd died. Then, only three days later, Ethel's father, Willis Milton Walker, died on July 31, 1929.
Grover Shepherd died August 19, 1954. Ethel preceeded him in death on November 1, 1952. Grover and Ethel Shepherd, along with son, Blaine, are buried in the New River Baptist Church Cemetery.
The Homeplace
Grover's youngest son, Mont Fred Shepherd, gained title to the home and farm February 10, 1954 from James Wilburn Shepherd, who was acting as guardian of Grover Shepherd at the time.
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On September 1, 1971, Mont sold the home and two acres of land to Wilburn. Mont retained the farm, from which he made his living, while Wilburn and his family used the homeplace as a Summer retreat. After Wilburn's death, his widow Valma Shepherd continued to maintain and improve the homeplace. Valma later married Steve Sturgill.
In the year 2000, Steve and Valma Sturgill decided to sell the homeplace. They generously offered it first to members of the Shepherd family at a price below the current market value. There were no takers, and the homeplace was sold on November 21, 2000 to current owners Rick and Joyce Powers, formerly of Lansing, NC. Mont's sons, Brodrick and Ryland Shepherd, are the current owners of the farm that has now been in the family for 190 years.
Children of Grover and Ethel Shepherd:
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The adult children of Grover and Ethel Shepherd. Sitting (l-r) Sallie Edith, Myrtle Luna, Betty Ruth. Standing (l-r) James Wilburn, Walter Leonard, Ralph Franklin, Mont Fred. |
Children: Mary Lynn Shepherd Bolls of Shelbyville, Indiana; Jane Shepherd Eaton, Winston-Salem; James Wilburn Shepherd, Jr., a building designer/contractor in Raleigh, NC; Martha Shepherd Lusk of Manchester, TN (deceased).
Children: Remona S. Fletcher and Willard Shepherd of Street, MD; Sandra R. Shepherd Blevins of Jarrettsville, MD.
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Children: Kay Howard Aldridge of Forest City, N.C.
Children: John Franklin Shepherd, a building contractor and realtor of Charlotte, N.C.; Robert Banks Shepherd, a Co-Manager of Kroger Food Store in Athens, GA.
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(l-r) Wilburn, Edith, Ralph and Walter Shepherd |
Children: Linda Pugh Heisey of Lancaster, PA; Dennis Pugh of Lititz, PA.
Children: Brodrick Shepherd of West Jefferson, NC, owner of Armageddon Books; Ryland Shepherd of Crumpler, NC, owner of Shepherd's Automotive.
Children: Mark Williams, Janet Sue Williams Clanton (Susie), Kay Frances Williams Blackwood and Neal Williams.
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Ralph Shepherd, Betty Ruth Williams (passed away in 2008), Myrtle Pugh, and Mont Shepherd |
