San
Joaquin County
Biographies
LEE A. SHEPHERD
An experienced and efficient member
of the staff of the State Hospital, whose spirit of accommodation and
never-failing desire to serve has constantly added to his popularity, is Lee A.
Shepherd, the wide-awake storekeeper, a native of Stockton, having first seen
the light there on June 19, 1890. His
father, David C. Shepherd, a native of South Carolina, had married Mata Kuhn,
of Calaveras County, California, and the daughter of a pioneer of that famous
district. Mr. Shepherd is still living;
an honored resident of San Francisco, but Mrs. Shepherd has long since joined
the great silent majority.
When David Shepherd came to
California in 1851, he located at Stockton and soon established himself as one
of the pioneer merchants on the water-front in the wholesale fruit and produce
business. At the beginning, he had a
partner, John T. Doyle, but later he operated alone, and eventually he engaged
in the wholesale liquor business on the water-front. When prohibition changed the order of things,
he retired, after having made an enviable record as a straightforward merchant
of thirty years’ standing, and as an influential Democrat ready to do his best
for the betterment of society and the State.
In 1892 he was elected a supervisor of San Joaquin County and later he
was re-elected three times; and then, having been defeated once, he was again
elected and re-elected, serving five terms in all. His name appears on many of the bridges in
San Joaquin County, which were erected during his term of office, and it is
needless to say that each structure was of the best of its kind. The County Hospital at French Camp was also
built during his term of office. He
belongs to the Knights of Pythias, and to Lodge No. 218 of the Elks, in each
order enjoying an enviable standing.
Lee Shepherd is one of ten children,
nine of whom are still living, and all of whom were born in Stockton. These include Mrs. Clara S. Reid, David H.,
Mrs. A. M. Barrett, Jr., Lindley P., Mrs. Effie M. Pfyl,
Lee A., the subject of our review, Mrs. Mildred L. Brandt, and Bessie B. and
Jean P. Shepherd; a son, Frank L., having died.
Lee attended both the grammar and the high school at Stockton, and after
that worked with his father for three years in the produce business. He next associated himself with the Santa Fe
Railroad, and was afterward buyer for D. C. Russell, the produce dealer. Some ten years ago he entered the employ of
the State Hospital, as clerk in the office of the business manager; today he is
the storekeeper for that institution.
At San Francisco, California, August
2, 1919, Mr. Shepherd was married to Roberta M. Curry, a native of Georgia; and
their union has been blessed with the birth of a daughter, Janet Lee. In March, 1918, Mr. Shepherd entered the
field training school of the University of California, for service in the World
War, and after that he was Camp Hancock, in Georgia. He saw overseas service in the Ordnance
Department, and was behind the line at Chateau-Thierry, where he was acting
sergeant. In April, 1919, he received
his discharge from the service; having rounded out a record such as any man
might wish to boast of. He is now
president of Stockton Parlor No. 7, N. S. G. W.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
784. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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