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NDREW KENNER GRAHAM born 25 June 1850 in Fayette Co., Tex.
and died 6 Dec. 1919 in Gatesville, Tex., married 25 Dec 1872 LEAH LAVONIA
MACHEN born 23 June near Magnolia, Ark. She was the daughter of Nathan R.
Machen (1818-1896) and Sarah Ementine House (1818-1868) A. K. Graham’s mother,
Sibbie Kenner Graham died when he was only 14 Mos. old and he and his father
lived together until his father’s death in 1867. He then lived with his brother
CJE Graham and his family until his marriage in 1872. In Fayette Co. records, I find Andrew Graham had deeded Andrew K.
Graham a small part of his league of land when he was 5 years old. Leah and Andrew K. Graham resided on their
farm in Bastrop Co. (part in Fayette Co.) from the time of their marriage until
c1906 when they moved to Gatesville, Texas. A. K. Graham bought a farm near
town where they both resided the rest of their lives, After the death of A. K.
Graham, his unmarried son, Col, James Graham lived with Leah, his mother and
managed the farm. After the death of Col. James in 1925 a daughter, Lina Walton
lived with grandmother until her death in 1947. By today’s standards, Leah
Graham was quite old fashioned. When
speaking of her husband, she always called him Graham. After his death, she
never wore anything except black and white clothing, Leah Machen Graham and
Andrew K. Graham had the following children:
Andrew Kenner Graham born 4 Sept. 1874 In Bastrop Co., - Tex. and died 24 Oct. 1956 in San Angelo,
Tex, married 18 Dec. l895. Lillie Holland born 1979 and died 19 Dec.1969 in
Midland, Texas This family lived most of their lives in Coryell Co., Tex.
farming. They moved to San Angelo, Tex. in the late 192O’s where A. K. Graham
bought and sold cattle.
James Colonel Graham born 11 July 1876 in Bastrop Co., TX. and died 22
June l925 in Gatesville, Tex. Unmarried0 Colonel and his father both had
acreage and he lived with his mother and managed the farm after his father’s
death.
SARAH SIBBIE GRAHAM was born 12 Feb. 1879 in Bastrop Co.,
Texas. and died 25 Oct. 1967 in Gatesville, Tex. Married 22 Dec. 1897 Lemuel
Broadway Shook born 1974 at Jeddo, Tex, and died 1939 in Lake Charles, LA. The family lived in Llano and Lampasas where
“Link” was in the merchandising business.
In the 1920’s, they moved to DeRidder La. At “Link’s” death, 1939,
Sibbie lived with her mother. At the
death of Leah Graham, Sibbie and her sister Line bought a house in Gatesville,
TX where they lived the rest of their lives.
Lina Leah Graham born 8
Nov. 1881 in Bastrop Co., and died 25 Jan. 1968 in Gatesville, Texas, married
18 April 1907 William Andrew Arrington Walton. She lived with her mother after
the death of’ her husband, until l947, then lived with her sister Sibbie in a
house they bought in town. I have happy memories of Aunt Lina as we did daring
things together like dip snuff in the orchard, allowing me to drive the Model T
Ford through the gate to the road at age 8 and I visualized a fate worse than
death when she threatened if I ventured out of’ the house after dark, a “state”
boy would get me; the State Boys Reform school was in Gatesville and there were
often escapees.
William Lytt Graham born 19
March 1884 in Bastrop Co., TX and died March 1964 in Odessa, TX – married 26
July 1913 Edna Grimes (1894-1968). This
family moved from Gatesville, TX to Eastland Co. and surrounding counties where
Lytt worked in the oil fields. They
moved to Odess, TX before the middle 1930’s where they live the remainder of
their lives.
Mary Emma Graham born 19
Oct. 1886 in Bastrop Co., TX. and died 26 Sept. 1951 in Gatesville, Texas,
married Q Feb. 1906 Frank Hess born 23 May 1879 and died May 1974 This family
lived, after their marriage, and the rest of their lives in Corye1l Co. where
Frank was a farmer
Josephine Elizabeth Graham was born
19 Oct 1888 in Bastrop Co TX and died 11 Oct 1977 in Coleman, TX – and married
9 April 1911 Clyde W. Mayo born 18 Oct. 1887 and died February 1969 in
Eastland, TX. This family moved from
Gatesville TX in the early 1920's to Eastland Co. where Clyde was employed by
an Oil Company. After his retirement,
they bought house In Eastland, TX where they lived the rest of their lives.
Louisiana
Texas Graham born 19 Feb 1892 in
Bastrop Co. TX – died 11 Jan. 1893 in Bastrop Co. TX.
Edna
Millie Graham was born 4 Sept 1894 in
Bastrop Co TX and died 3 July 1984 in Gatesville, TX married 26 Oct 1921
Charles Stephan born 7 July 1892 and died 11 Sept 1983. This family lived in Gatesville their entire
married lives. Aunt Edna worked at
Lairds Dept Store almost 40 years. They
both had a very happy old age. One
child, Bobby Jean Stephan born 18 Sept 1928 died 19 Sept 1928.
Nita
Bernice Graham was born 9 Nov 1899 in
Bastrop Co TX and married 13 April 1920 in Hamilton TX. Cecil Williams born 27
Aug 1899 in Jonesboro, TX and died 11 April 1957 in Corpus Christi. In 1921, they moved to Eastland County
living in Desdemona, Olden and Eastland where Cecil was employed by a an oil
company, until 1936, then moving to Hobbs, NM.
They came to Corpus Christi, TX in 1941. My father was a Civil Service employee until his death. Mother was a Postal Civil Service employee
until her retirement in 1966.
In my (Doris) childhood
years, it seems we spent most of the time in the car in route to and from
Gatesville and Jonesboro visiting Graham and Williams family, daddy always so
anxious to get there, he would never stop long enough to eat (sometimes
hamburger-to-go in Hamilton). We would
arrive in the middle of the night – Aunt Mae has gotten out of bed many nights
and cooked us her home processed sausage and eggs, on a wood stove too. Mother always cried when we left and said
she would never see grandmother again.
The Williams cousins my age were all boys so I rode horses swam in the
river and scrounged coke bottles to trade at the “General Store” for candy.
Went along on dates with Paul and Frankie, also with Mozelle and Lillie Mae.
Dessie lived with us 1927-28 and taught school in Desdemona. We all always sang as we rode along in the
car. I still remember all the words to
the songs of the ‘20s. Aunt Edna’s
making me fancy embroidered dresses.
Ernest who worked at Black’s grocery store always bringing me peaches,
gum or candy when he came home from work.
Grandmother always kept candy in a cedar chest beside her bed, she
shared with me. Also, she kept there a
box of beautiful handkerchiefs I always examined. It was a special treat where we looked through an old chest that
had belonged to “Mr. Graham that his father had brought with him from
Scotland. The chest contained bout 10
ledgers of “Mr. Graham” and Colonel’s suits smelling strongly of tobacco, a few
gold coins, watches and paper. Made
trips with Aunt Jo, Uncle Clyde and Billie Joe to Gatesville; since they never
spent the night away from home, we made the round trip in one day. We often visited Uncle Lytt and Aunt Edna
and Shelton and I argued about who got the balloon out of Mrs. Bairds bread and
played Poker.
Mother and I have
continued our “trips to Gatesville” until there was only Aunt Edna and Uncle
Charlie to visit the last few years.
They wee always so happy to see us, cooked all sorts of good things to
eat, talked until midnight, visited the cemetery, shopped in Gatesville or Waco
and saw Frankie and Paul. Since Aunt Edna’s
death last year (1984), it seems so sad there is no one left to visit. Mother is the last one left of the Graham
and Williams family of her generation.
I have so many loving and happy memories of each member of my family –
those days are gone but not forgotten.
This was written by Doris Lucile Williams born 1921 in Gatesville – married in
1941 to Edward Melvin Wheaton. Her
brother, Colonel Joe Williams,
USAF (Ret) was born March 1931 in Desdemona TX – married 1953 to Edith Ann
Clark, right after graduation from West Point.
This was transcribed from material Doris wrote in 1984 by COLONEL Judson Shook (grandson of Sarah Sibbie
Graham) who like Joe was stationed in Thailand during 1966 – and while there visited
a few times. Judson is an Annapolis
graduate, also retired from the USAF (LtCol).