Isaac Monroe Shepard

Isaac Monroe Shepard was the father of Rosina Shepard. I can see similarities, even in this rather poor image, that have carried through to the Skidmore line today.

BIOGRAPHY: Isaac M. Shepard

(Additional material written by Zella Skidmore McEntire after checking the genealogical sheets and after reading Justin Shepard's history).

Isaac M. Shepard is my great, great grandfather. The Shepard family kept good records; as a result of this I am able to trace back for eleven generations (see last page). The first Isaac Shepard I know of, was born in London, England in 1571. In 1635 he arrived at Charlestown, Massachusetts, having come on the ship "Abigail" under Captain Robert Hackwell. He was sixty-four years of age and his son Ralph was about thirty. Ralph lived in towns in the Boston area--Dedham, Rehoboth, Weymouth, Concord, and was buried in the Old Bell Rock Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts. Others of my Shepard ancestors lived in Newton, Watertown, Norton, New Marlboro, and Bellingham. Isaac M. Shepard's father was born November 13, 1776 at New Marlboro, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. He (Obediah or Obed Shepard) died September 7, 1858 at Copenhagen, Lewis County, New York. Isaac's mother (Mary Yeomans) was married November 24, 1805. Mary Yeomans was born September 18, 1785 at Meriden, New Haven, Connecticut; her son Isaac was born there also, on September 2, 1806. She died April 10, 1853 at Copenhagen, Lewis, New York.

On July 25, 1825 Isaac M. Shepard married Sarah Lackore who was born in Ruthland, New York. This couple made a home together for more than nineteen years at the town of Denmark, Lewis County, New York, where their nine children were born. Lovina was the oldest daughter. My great grandmother Rosina came next. Then Justin was born. Justus died in the East two months after birth. Lusina, the third daughter died at the age of three on 12th of March 1837 in New York. Sarah Lackore wrote, "I tried to do all I could to help those in need--the poor and needy and those in trouble. I was a Relief Society teacher, helping prepare the dead for burial." (From Justin Shepard's story).

Route of Travel: Isaac M. Shepard and his wife Sarah Lackore and seven of their children left by team from Rodman, New York to Sackets Harbor, New York. Rodman is about twenty-five miles from Denmark, New York where the children were born and about fifteen miles from Copenhagen, New York where Isaac's parents were buried. They traveled by boat down Lake Ontario, through the Welling (Welland) Canal, down Lake Erie and docked at Cleveland, Ohio. Here the family lived for one year. They left by team for Nauvoo and stayed there just one month. Next, they moved to Zarahemla, Lee County, Iowa where they remained for 2 1/2 years, so they could get the means to go West with the Saints to Salt Lake City. The Shepards left Lee County, Iowa, by team and went to Council Bluffs and remained for the winter at Davis Camp. At this time the Saints were called on for volunteers for the Mormon Battalion. Albert Knapp was one of the volunteers and left a sad sweetheart, Rozina Shepard, at Council Bluffs at this time (July 16, 1846). The following spring the family moved to Linden, Clay County, Missouri where the wife and mother, Sarah Lackore, passed away in confinement and the child died, leaving seven motherless children. She died May 7, 1847 at the age of forty. The children left ranged from two years of age up to twenty-one years. My great grandmother was one of the three teenagers who had a lot of responsibility to help the widower care for the four children nine years of age and younger (the youngest being just two).

In the Spring of 1848 the Shepards went by team to Winters Quarters and the same Spring left in Brigham Young's Company number 3 with Lorenzo Snow, Captain of the Hundred. Many hardships and trials were experienced on their trip across the plains, the buffaloes even stampeded the cattle at certain times. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in the Fall of 1848. Isaac had remarried to Eleanor Jane Davis on February 1, 1848, who later bore him three children. The Shepard Family remained in Salt Lake the first winter and the next Spring (1849) moved to Farmington. Shepard's Lane and Shepard's Canyon are named after this pioneer. They lived there for ten years working hard to keep alive. The men went ahead and prepared a place for the members to live in Richmond. Isaac and his family were among the 14 families who stayed in Richmond, Utah, during the winter of 1859. They lived in the fort to be safe from the Indians. During this time they built a large, log cabin; it was the only one with a floor in it, so it was used for a meeting place, especially for dances and entertainments.

Isaac and his son Justin were minutemen who helped to watch for the treacherous Indians. They were extremely cautious while working in the canyons getting wood and logs. When the shoes were gone, the legs were wrapped in gunny sacks and tied with twine. Later, moccasins were made out of hides of the cattle.

Isaac did many things well. He was an excellent blacksmith. He made an effective bear trap and caught a big, black bear. It was a blessing to have the hide for robes and the grease to make soap, etc. At one time he shot a bear dead just six feet in front of him.

The crickets were so bad that it became a regular task to drive them into the ditches to be drowned, so the crop would be saved.

The Shepard men were great hunters. They shot and caught wild geese, ducks, rabbits, wild fowl, fish, and venison which was enjoyed as a delicacy when salted.

"The Indians killed a man and Justin Shepard helped thaw out his body and dug a grave to bury him."

Cradles and scythes were used to cut the grain and hay. The Shepards were experts with these partly wooden tools. These tools are in the Richmond Relic Hall. For many years it was necessary to haul the grain 27 miles to Brigham City to be ground into flour. Later, there was a mill in Logan. Then W.D. Hendricks built a grist mill in Richmond out on High Creek.

Isaac was a reserved, respected man who did his part working on schools, houses, churches, the Logan Temple and Richmond Tabernacle.

It was interesting to note how much the pioneers valued mahogany wood when they could find it. A chunk of it would last just as a chunk of coal would.

Isaac Shepard married for the third time Anna Marie Adams on September 1852. She bore him five children. According to the record of Charles Henry Skidmore he was the father of 17 children. According to a grand daughter Ella S. Thomson he was the father of 20 children.

Isaac was a very ambitious man. He was handy at anything he decided to do. He was a member of the 40th quorum of Seventies and later became a High Priest. He lived a rewarding life. He died October 23, 1882 at Richmond, Utah (Austin, Nevada).

Isaac M. Shepard's Posterity

BIOGRAPHY: Isaac M. Shepard was born September 2, 1806 at Meridian, New Haven, Connecticut. He was the son of Obadiah Shepard and Mary Yeomans. On July 25, 1825 he married Sarah Lackore. They were the parents of nine children:

BIOGRAPHY: 1. Lovina Shepard of Bishop Creek, California was born July 30, 1826 at Denmark, Lewis County, New York. She married Joel Smith and died in September 1906.

BIOGRAPHY: 2. Rozina Shepard was born January 21, 1829. She married Albert Knapp (1). They were the parents of six children. Albert, a member of the Mormon Battalion, got the mining fever in his blood after twelve years of farming in Farmington, Utah and set out for California. Rozina married Frederick Nelson Francis (2), by whom she bore two children:

BIOGRAPHY: Rozina Adalaide died at the age of ten months.

BIOGRAPHY: Maria Melvina Francis married August "S" Schow on the 9th of February, 1881 (Reference: History of August Severene Scow, Biographical Encyclopedia by Jenson, Vol II, pg. 767). Together Mr. and Mrs. Schow raised a large family.

BIOGRAPHY: Rozina married Christian Larson Hyer (3) on February 15, 1869. Hyer was born at Christensen, Oslo, Norway on September 17, 1817. His father was Lars Hejer and his mother Ann Olsen of Norway. Two children graced the union of Hyer and Rozina:

BIOGRAPHY: Ezra Taft Hyer was born on December 11, 1869 at Farmington, Davis, Utah and died there at the age of 10 months (September 1870).

BIOGRAPHY: Ester Jane Hyer was born September 27, 1871 at Farmington, Davis, Utah. She married Samuel "W" Hendricks; they were the parents of a large family.

BIOGRAPHY: Hyer died September 20, 1901 at Richmond, Utah.

BIOGRAPHY: 3. Justin Shepard of Richmond, Utah, was born in Denmark, New York January 21, 1831. He married Eliza Maria Allred on May 1, 1855.

BIOGRAPHY: 4. Justus Shepard died in the East at the age of two months, born 25 August 1832 and died 2 October 1832.

BIOGRAPHY: 5. Lusina Shepard was born March 15, 1834. She died three years later on March 12, 1837.

BIOGRAPHY: 6. Alzina Shepard was born August 15, 1836. She lived in Bishop Creek, California and was married to Alden Burdick.

BIOGRAPHY: 7. Judson Shepard was born April 17, 1840. He married Eliza Barnett on March 15th, 1864.

BIOGRAPHY: 8. Sarah Shepard was born November 19, 1842. She married Fountain Welch and they raised a large family, living at Providence, Cache, Utah. She died after her husband on August 25, 1935.

BIOGRAPHY: 9. Servina Shepard was the last of nine children born to this couple at Denmark, Lewis County, New York, on May 15th, 1845. She married John Cole. She died August 25th, 1935, having lived in Santa Cruz, California.

BIOGRAPHY: Isaac Shepard married another wife, Eleanor Jane Davis on February 1, 1848. She bore him three children:

BIOGRAPHY: 1. Ephraim of Mona City, Utah.

BIOGRAPHY: 2. Joseph of Echo, Utah, and

BIOGRAPHY: 3. Josephine of Mona City, Utah (the latter were twins).

BIOGRAPHY: Isaac also married a third wife by the name of Anna Maria Adams on September 8, 1852. Their five children were named:

BIOGRAPHY: 1. Mary Ann

BIOGRAPHY: 2. Malinda

BIOGRAPHY: 3. Isaac

BIOGRAPHY: 4. Philinda

BIOGRAPHY: 5. Philena

BIOGRAPHY: They all went to California to live. Malinda and Isaac died there.

BIOGRAPHY: Justin Shepard recorded the route of travel from New York to Richmond, Utah with his father's family as follows:

BIOGRAPHY: Isaac Shepard left Rodman, New York, by team to Sackett Harbor; took boat on Lake Ontario through Welland Canal, Lake Erie, to Cleveland, Ohio; remained there about a year, left by team for Nauvoo, Illinois; remained there about one month, then left for Zarahemla, Lee County, Iowa; remained there for about 2 1/2 years to get means to continue our journey to Salt Lake City; left by team Lee County for Council Bluffs where we wintered at Davis Camp. At this time the Saints were called on for volunteers for the battalion. The following Spring we went to Linden, Clay County, Missouri where Mother died May 7, 1847 (Sarah Lackore). The following Spring we left for Winters Quarters, the same Spring we left with Lorenzo Snow's Company for Salt Lake City. This was the year of 1848, and arrived in Salt Lake City in the Fall; we remained there over the winter. The Spring of 1849 we moved to Farmington, Utah, remaining there ten years. In the Spring of 1859 we went to Richmond, Utah to prepare a place for our families and moved all of our holdings in the Fall of 1859. Shepard's Lane and Shepard's Canyon in Davis County, Utah are named after Isaac Shepard and his family. The Shepard Family came to Utah with fine horses.

BIOGRAPHY: Genealogy of Isaac M. Shepard and

BIOGRAPHY: Daugher Rozina Shepard Knapp, Francis, Hyer


BIOGRAPHY: Sarah Armina Knapp was born February 20, 1853 at Farmington, Davis County, Utah to Albert Knapp and Rozina Shepard. She died November 14, 1891 at Richmond, Cache, Utah. She married William Lobark Skidmore on March 28, 1868. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 22, 1844. He died November 11, 1933 at Richmond, Utah.

BIOGRAPHY: Charles Henry Skidmore, son of William Lobark Skidmore and Sarah Armina Knapp, was born July 24, 1875 at Richmond, Cache County, Utah. He died June 12, 1964 at Salt Lake City, Utah. He married Anna Louise Wangsgard on June 3, 1903. She was born in Huntsville, Utah, February 29, 1880 and died March 23rd at Salt Lake.

BIOGRAPHY: Zella Skidmore McEntire, a daughter of Charles H. Skidmore and Louise W. Skidmore was born June 15, at Logan, Utah in 1912. She is the writer and submitter of this history.


BIOGRAPHY: Isaac M. Shepard

BIOGRAPHY: By Charles Henry Skidmore
Compiled by Zella Skidmore McEntire