I am a genealogist that is also trying to solve a family mystery. I have been searching
for the course a devestating neurological illness has taken through my ancestors. The
illness is known as HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE, and many of you may have heard of it.
However, up 'til the mid twentieth century it was a very unknown or misundertstood
illness. Many of its' victims were shut away in insane asylums, or simply left in
misery or squalor. Since I am a genealogist, not a doctor I will leave it to you to
discover the medical aspect. I am particularly concerned with finding connections of HD to
my family, but I'm also interested in hearing how others have approached researching a
genetic or inherited disease.
My SHEPARD/SHEPPARD/SHEPHERD, etc. family came to Indiana via Kentucky. They descend from
GEORGE SHEPHERD (B. 7 OCT 1716)of SPOTSYLVANIA VA, through his grandson ANDREW SHEPHERD
(b.about 1785 Reddies River NC) who had at least twenty children with three wives (BARBARY
PHILLIPS, PHEBE MASTIN, NANCY CUNNINGHAM) the first two having died young. I have included
a list of those children at the end of this post*.
One son of Andrew, CALVIN SHEPARD (b.13 MAR 182) married NANCY McHENRY (b. 3 MAY 1822) in
Wayne Co. KY on 27 FEB 1839. They emigrated to Indiana at some point in the 1850's.
Calvin died of what his grandson described as"general prostration"on 10 JAN 1861
leaving wife Nancy and surving children PRESTON W. SHEPARD (b. 5 DEC 1841), JAMES ALFORD
SHEPARD (b. 5 OCT 1846), ANDREW SHEPARD (b. 4 SEPT 1851), JOHN "JESS"McHENRY
SHEPARD (B.4 OCT 1859),RICE W. SHEPARD (b. 17 FEB 1855), DELPHIA SHEPARD (b.15 APR 1857),
and SARAH EMILY LANCE SHEPARD (b. 5DEC 1841). For a time Nancy took her children to live
in Missouri near her relatives, but returned to Spurgeon IN shortly after. She later
married (Unknown) TAYLOR.
JAMES ALFORD SHEPARD became a merchant in Spurgeon for many years. He married CAROLINE
McCLEARY (or McCLARY) (b. 30 MAY 1853). He and his family seem to have been very close to
his brother P.W. SHEPARD and family. Their brother Andrew died before reaching the age of
30. James Alford Shepard had several children, many of whom died in infancy and are buried
in the Spugeon Cemetary. JAMES ALFORD SHEPARD died 6 FEB 1908. He too is buried in the
Spurgeon Cemetary, though later records indicate he died in an asylum or mental hospital
elsewhere in Indiana.
Of the surviving children I am pricipally interested in VIOLA SHEPARD (b.18 MAR 1869) who
later married (Unknown) WEBB, JAMES LUCIUS SHEPARD (1882-1967) and my greatgrandfather
JOHN N. SHEPARD (sometimes JOHN D. SHEPARD) (b.1874 d. about 1925).
JOHN SHEPARD married CORA DELL MASON (b.) of OAKLAND CITY IN. I know that for a time my
greatgrandfather taught at the LEACH SCHOOL in Oakland City. The couple had two surviving
sons, CARL MASON SHEPARD (b.19 FEB 1900) and FLOYD DAVID SHEPARD who was the only living
brother of a twin birth on 13 FEB 1903. They may have moved to Kansas before the death of
JOHN SHEPARD, but I can not find the evidence to support this. I do know that his widow,
Cora, re-married in Norton KS and that my grandfather Floyd maet my grandmother there.
Somewhere, Huntington's Disease, a debilitating illness of the nervous system, was
introduced into this line of Shepards. I think the most likely possibility is that one of
the wives of ANDREW SHEPARD was ill. It is still unclear who the mother of CALVIN SHEPARD
is, and two of Andrew Shepard's wives died young, but I do not know their reasons. It
is possible that Calvin Shepard inherited this illness from his mother and died before
symptoms of his illness appeared; or that his family were unaware of or hiding the nature
of his illness. In those days having an illness of this sort was thought of as shameful.
At any rate I do know that his son JAMES ALFORD had this illness, and that my
greatgrandfather, grandfather and mother and sister also became ill. Thank god I do not
have this disease, and has not been transferred to another generation! But I do have a
keen interest to discover the genesis of Huntington's Disease in my ancestors, and am
especially interested in what became of those poor souls who suffered in the days before
modern medicine and humane treatment of the ill. If you have any knowledge of ANY of the
individuals or circumstances of this post please contact me at this list or at my email
address. I will share all information I have.
Dennis R. White
dennybop2(a)home.com
* Children of ANDREW SHEPARD and NANCY CUNNINGHAM; DELPHIA, CALVIN?
Children of ANDREW SHEPARD and PHEOBE MASTIN; JOHN, SALLY SARAH, ALFRED, LEWIS, JAMES
MASTIN, SHELTON, PHEBE, THOMAS, CALVIN?
Children of ANDREW SHEPARD and BARBARY PHILLIPS; PRESTON, IRENE, OLIVIA, FRANKLIN,
TALITHA, DELPHA, MARTHA ANN, PLEASANT, MILTON, MINERVA, CALVIN?