Carlson, photographer, Holdrege, Neb. Identified as Floyd Laverne Shepherd, taken Aug. 27, 1897.
Nebraska Boy
Published
Celebrating Vintage Cabinet Card Dogs
Celebrating Vintage Cabinet Card Dogs
Carlson, photographer, Holdrege, Neb. Identified as Floyd Laverne Shepherd, taken Aug. 27, 1897.
The Vintage Dog 
I have just come across this amazing photograph of Floyd Laverne Shepherd posted by you. I live in the UK and Floyd is a very distant American cousin of mine whose wider family I have been researching for some years. I simply came across it whilst making a general Google search with his name. This is the first family portrait that I have come across of someone in that branch of the Shepherd family and am wondering if you are able to tell me the origin of this photograph and who it may have belonged to. I am hoping one day to make contact with someone from that branch of the family, so if you have any information that may help me in my quest, I should be most grateful. Yours very sincerely, John Peters (Suffolk, England)
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Hello John. I’m afraid I won’t be able to be much help. I purchased this photo on Ebay. I have no connection to the family and no idea of the origin of the photo. Good luck in your research!
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Many thanks for your explanation. I guessed that that might be the case. Perhaps someone from the family might see the posting at some point in the future and like to get in touch with me. If it is permissible, I should like to give my email address here, should someone like to make contact with me. My email address is: john.peters@talktalk.net Thanks again, John (Great photos on your site!)
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Looks like Floyd died in 1979. Do you have a newspaper obituary for him? Have you looked for his children, Norman and Pauline?
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Hi again, Thanks for your interest. No I don’t have an actual obituary for him, but I am aware that he died in 1979. His wife Mina ‘May’ died the following year and they are both buried in Glendale Cemetery, De Moines, Iowa. Floyd became a Methodist Pastor and moved around quite a lot. The sad thing about Floyd is that his mother died in (or just after) childbirth and he was brought up by his aunt and other members of the family in Holdrege. He was born on 27th April, 1895 and so was only about two when he had his photograph taken in the Holdrege studio with the dog. I wonder if it was their family pet or whether it belonged to the studio? Does the photo have any writing on the back that might give any clues? If there is any writing on the back, would it be possible for you to scan it and attach it to an email direct to my email address? Yes, I know a little bit about the lives of Pauline and Norman. Pauline married a Marvin Degooyer and had 4 children between 1943 and 1953. It is possible that all of these may still be alive, but I have had no contact with any of them, nor am I aware of their whereabouts. Norman became a Sergeant in the U.S. Army during WWII and eventually died in 1990. He is buried in San Francisco. At present, I can find no evidence that he ever married or had any children. Norman is my third cousin, so the relationship is fairly remote. Thanks again for your continued interest. Regards, John
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Nothing more on the back beyond the name and date.
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OK, thanks. John
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