​About The Mighty 12

The Mighty 12 began with Randolph and Laura Shepard. Based on records the family has, they were both born in Bainbridge, Georgia. We do not have a date of birth for Laura, but Randolph was born in 1888. We have the names of Laura’s parents, but don’t have the names of Randolph’s parents. We seek to continue to study our ancestry so we can have full knowledge of our history.  We currently know that some of our bloodline can be traced to Gabon which is in Central Africa.

 

Randolph and Laura Shepard had twelve surviving children and two stillborn children. The Mighty 12 lived phenomenal lives.  From their beginnings in the early 1900s, they achieved many of their aspirations. Some examples are being decorated United States Military Personnel and Service Members of distinct levels, being college educated with multiple degrees, and being active participants during the Civil Rights Era. These accomplishments required perseverance, dedication and resilience especially during the historical time period of their youth.  

 

The Mighty 12 had children of their own. The Shepard family is large and diverse. With each passing generation we seek to maintain contact so the forthcoming generations can keep these legacies alive. This is the sole reason we continue the tradition of having family reunions.