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John Finley Shepherd was born November 25, 1819 in the Reddies River Community of Wilkes County, North Carolina as the first child of Larkin and Alley Irwin Shepherd. He was a great uncle to brothers Grover and Harrison Shepherd.
John married Frances (Fanny) Wilcoxon on February 20, 1840. Fanny was the daughter of Isaac and Agnes Love Wilcoxon. She was born February 15, 1819. John and Fanny settled on Cranberry Creek in Peak Creek Township, Ashe County, NC. John fought for the South in the Civil War.
John and Fanny were the parents of 11 children. Many of their descendants still live in the Peak Creek area in Ashe and Alleghany Counties.
John died April 7, 1867 in Ashe Co., NC. Fanny lived another 41 years after her husband's death. She died August 30, 1908. John and Fanny are buried above their old homeplace in the John Finley Shepherd Family Cemetery.
Eleven Known Children of John Finley and Fanny Wilcoxon Shepherd:
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Had eight known children by Josephine Johnson:
Had seven children by Cora Crouse - Six known by name:
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Raised one known child:
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Had one known child by Clyde Church:
Had one known child by Robbie? McNeal:
Had one known child by Joe Lunsford:
Emma had four known children by Markis L. Adkins:
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George W. is the son of John and Fanny Shepherd. Top row (l-r): Edwin B. Shepherd (son of George W.), Arch Shepherd (son of Edwin B.), Nora L. Shepherd (wife of Edwin B.); bottom: George W. Shepherd, Mabel Shepherd (daughter of Edwin B.), Margaret A. Shepherd (wife of George W.). |
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The Shepherds owned a vast expanse of land in the Prather's Creek section of Alleghany County, NC. Newton owned a wheat mill which was used to make flour. He served as a surveyor, and he surveyed all roads in Alleghany County as they were built. Later, Newton served as a "gauger". Before the time of prohibition, it was his job to inspect all of the stills in Alleghany County to insure that the owners were making pure liquor. He served as a member of the Alleghany Board of County Commissioners from 1898-1905 and again from 1914-1917. Newton, Malinda and Sallie are buried at Cranberry Community Cemetery in Laurel Springs, NC.
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Had two known children by Jeffery Ross:
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Slain Coldbloodly By Negro Last Thursday __________ Alleghany Man Killed At IS NOW IN JAIL One of the most sensational murders and manhunts that has ever been known in the Blue Ridge took place late last Thursday afternoon when Glenn Maxwell, middle-aged negro, shot and killed Charles Shepherd, well known filling station operator, near Scottsville in Alleghany county. After a three-day manhunt in which hundreds of armed citizens as well as deputy sheriffs in Ashe, Alleghany and two or three Virginia counties participated, Maxwell surrendered to an officer in Galax, Va. As a result of this cold-blooded slaying, feeling throughout this section against the negro was running high and Sheriff Walter Irwin, of Alleghany county, thought best to lodge the negro in jail somewhere else. He was first placed in jail at Roanoke and later transferred to a jail in this state. The case is slated for trial at Sparta in May and Sheriff Irwin states that the negro has already confessed to the crime. Shepherd was slain with three discharges from a single-barrel shotgun late last Thursday afternoon while in the garden at the home of his mother, Mrs. Sallie Shepherd, near his home and service station. Officers stated that Maxwell shot Shepherd following a brief quarrel over the negro's son, Tom. The young negro went to Shepherd's filling station Thursday morning in a drunken condition, officers said and caused a disturbance. Whereupon Shepherd ordered him off of the premises. That afternoon when the negro boy returned home, he is alleged to have told his father that Shepherd struck him on the head with an axe, although officers said witnesses stated that Shepherd did not strike him at all. Maxwell then got his shotgun and went down to the garden where Shepherd was working and fired away at him. The first shot was said to have struck his hand and he ran; the second one knocked him down and then Maxwell is said to have fired a third time for "good measure". The negro ran and Shepherd died en route to a doctor in Sparta. Under the direction of Sheriffs Irwin and Ed Miller, deputies and citizens searched all night last Thursday. The hunt continued until Saturday when he gave up. The blood hound of Paul Sutherland was used that night, but it didn't make much progress. Maxwell was a tenant farmer on a farm owned by J.F. Cox. He was known as an industrious worker. His son, Tom, was lodged in jail. Mr. Shepherd was the son of a prominent Alleghany family. Funeral service was conducted at Cranberry church Saturday morning. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Aynce Shepherd, a cousin of Sheriff Irwin, his mother and five children, Charles B., Jr., Madeline, Joe Cannon, Nancy Flake, Fern Hope, all of Alleghany. Lead story from the April 21, 1938 edition of The Skyland Post, West Jefferson, NC. |
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Had two known children by Candace Caudill:
Had two known children by Ruby Martin:
Along with information from the normal genealogical sources (Census Records, History Books, Cemetery Records, etc.) the following people have contributed family history information and/or photos presented on this page. If you have information/photos on the descendants of John Finley Shepherd, and would like to see your family history added to this page, send an email to author@danielprophecy.com
Jane Shepherd - Judy Lenane.
Isaac Ervin Shepherd - John W. Shepherd.
George Washington Shepherd - Michael Shepherd.
Thomas Calvin Shepherd - Lois Rogers.
Maria Demelia Shepherd - Lois Rogers.
Had three known children by Emeline Taylor:
Had one known child by Flossie Veeder:
CONTRIBUTORS