James Graham Family
GRAHAM – SIMMONS FAMILY
Family history.
James H. Graham, born in South Carolina, came to Texas in 1845, settling south of Henderson in Rusk County, where he built, owned and operated a grist mill and tannery. This grist mill ground the wheat and corn into flour and meal for that entire section of the country and the tannery supplied harness, saddles and shoes for the same.
James H. and Mary Jane Graham were the parents of the following children:
Wm. Lafayette Graham born Feb. 15, 1833
Prudence Ann Graham born April 26, 1842
Matilda Graham born in 1845
Lucinda Graham born in 1847
Jas. H. Graham Jr. born in 1850
E. A. Graham born in 1850 (twins)
Jas. H. Graham was a hard-working, frugal man and amassed a sizable fortune before his death on April 12, 1869, when he fell on the old mill wheel injuring himself fatally.
Wm. Lafayette Graham worked with his father in the grist mill and tannery until the outbreak of the Civil War when he and his brother-in-law, Sharp R. Whitley, joined a group known as the New Salem Invincibles, which became Company F of the7th Regular Texas Calvary and later became part of the Confederate Army. Sharp R. Whitley had married Prudence Ann Graham on May 30, 1860. Wm. L. Graham and S. R. Whitley also served with the Sibley Brigade, was captured but released about a month later. W. L. Graham was listed on his war records as a tanner.
After the war, W. L. Graham returned to Rusk County – Laneville – about 12 miles south of Henderson, where he married ... Sarah Simmons on Oct. 26. 1865.
Sarah Simmons was the daughter of James Simmons born in North Carolina February 16, 1801, and Edith Arminta Sparks Simmons born in Georgia August 15, 1810.
The family of Edith Sparks came to Texas from Mississippi with Austin’s Colony, settling near Palestine and it was the Sparks family that gave the land for the first Baptist Church established in Texas..... The Pilgrim Predestinarian Regular Baptist Church. The church was really organized in Illinois by Elder Daniel Parker, who became its first pastor, in July 1833. It was founded in Illinois because Mexico, which claimed Texas, prohibited Protestants from organizing churches in Texas. So the Pilgrim fathers formed their new flock, then moved immediately to Austin’s Colony, where they arrived in a body Nov. 12, 1833. The first recorded meeting of this church in Texas was on January 20, 1834.
James and Edith Arminta Sparks Simmons moved to Collin County in 1859 settling near present Forest Grove. This family was influential in establishing the Old Orchard Gap Primitive Baptist Church and James Simmons, who was a Primitive Baptist minister, was one of its first pastors.
Wm. L. Graham, following his marriage, again worked in the grist mill and tannery with his father until moving to Collin County in 1867 where he settled at Old Willow Springs, site of present day Lucas.
Wm. L. and Sarah Graham were the parents of the following children:
Martha Graham born Aug. 8, 1866
Elmira Pettus Graham born Nov. 6, 1868 at Willow Springs
Cleopatra Graham born Aug. 24, 1870 at Willow Springs
Geo. Wm. Graham born Nov. 22, 1872 at Willow Springs
died young
Jas. Lafayette Graham born Oct. 1, 1874 at Willow Springs
Eady Arminta (Minnie) born May 10, 1877 at Willow Springs
Martha Graham married J. Allen Biddy Aug. 14, 1884 and soon moved to Oklahoma to live.
Elmira Pettus Graham married Wm. Thos. Newsome Oct. 8, 1884. Wm. Thos. Newsome was a well-loved Baptist minister in Collin County for many years. The Newsome’s were the parents of seven children: William; Clyde; Dr. Asa; and Cecil Newsome all of whom presently live in Dallas county; and Alta Newsome who taught music for many years in Celina; Georgia and Amy Newsome who taught in Collin County for a while before moving with the family to Ft. Worth where they continued teaching in the Ft. Worth system. Amy Newsome is deceased but Georgia and Alta are now retired and still living in Ft. Worth.
Cleopatra Graham married Wm. P. Biddy Jan. 4, 1888 and shortly thereafter moved to Oklahoma to live.
Jas. Lafayette Graham married Ruth Cook Aug. 22, 1899, about the year Willow Springs was changed to the Lucas community. Jas. L. Graham was a hard-working, reliable fellow; well-known farmer, and lived on his father’s homeplace until his death Feb. 2, 1947. He and his wife, Ruth, reared an admirable family of three boys, and one girl as follows:
James Leo, who married Jessie Armstrong
Eustace Earl, who married Louise Anderhub
Eunice, who married Virgil Richards
Willie, who married Joyce Ballew
Ruth Cook Graham who has lived with her daughter and husband, Eunice and Virgil Richards in McKinney for a number of years since her husband’s death, recently fell and broke her hip and is presently a patient in Wysong Nursing Home. Of these four children Jas. Leo, and Eunice Richards live in Collin County presently, while Eustace Earl and Willie and their families live in Dallas.
Eady Arminta (Minnie) Graham married John Adam Campbell Aug. 11, 1897. The Campbell’s lived in Collin County all of their lives and reared five children: Stokley E.; Ruth; Lois; Gladys; and Cora....
James Simmons passed away April 16, 1879, his wife Edith Arminta Sparks Simmons passed away March 2, 1897. Wm. L. Graham passed away Nov. 3, 1882, his wife Sarah Simmons Graham passed away Nov. 26, 1903. All are buried in Fitzhugh Cemetery at Forest Grove, about 10 miles southeast of McKinney.
Family history.
James H. Graham, born in South Carolina, came to Texas in 1845, settling south of Henderson in Rusk County, where he built, owned and operated a grist mill and tannery. This grist mill ground the wheat and corn into flour and meal for that entire section of the country and the tannery supplied harness, saddles and shoes for the same.
James H. and Mary Jane Graham were the parents of the following children:
Wm. Lafayette Graham born Feb. 15, 1833
Prudence Ann Graham born April 26, 1842
Matilda Graham born in 1845
Lucinda Graham born in 1847
Jas. H. Graham Jr. born in 1850
E. A. Graham born in 1850 (twins)
Jas. H. Graham was a hard-working, frugal man and amassed a sizable fortune before his death on April 12, 1869, when he fell on the old mill wheel injuring himself fatally.
Wm. Lafayette Graham worked with his father in the grist mill and tannery until the outbreak of the Civil War when he and his brother-in-law, Sharp R. Whitley, joined a group known as the New Salem Invincibles, which became Company F of the7th Regular Texas Calvary and later became part of the Confederate Army. Sharp R. Whitley had married Prudence Ann Graham on May 30, 1860. Wm. L. Graham and S. R. Whitley also served with the Sibley Brigade, was captured but released about a month later. W. L. Graham was listed on his war records as a tanner.
After the war, W. L. Graham returned to Rusk County – Laneville – about 12 miles south of Henderson, where he married ... Sarah Simmons on Oct. 26. 1865.
Sarah Simmons was the daughter of James Simmons born in North Carolina February 16, 1801, and Edith Arminta Sparks Simmons born in Georgia August 15, 1810.
The family of Edith Sparks came to Texas from Mississippi with Austin’s Colony, settling near Palestine and it was the Sparks family that gave the land for the first Baptist Church established in Texas..... The Pilgrim Predestinarian Regular Baptist Church. The church was really organized in Illinois by Elder Daniel Parker, who became its first pastor, in July 1833. It was founded in Illinois because Mexico, which claimed Texas, prohibited Protestants from organizing churches in Texas. So the Pilgrim fathers formed their new flock, then moved immediately to Austin’s Colony, where they arrived in a body Nov. 12, 1833. The first recorded meeting of this church in Texas was on January 20, 1834.
James and Edith Arminta Sparks Simmons moved to Collin County in 1859 settling near present Forest Grove. This family was influential in establishing the Old Orchard Gap Primitive Baptist Church and James Simmons, who was a Primitive Baptist minister, was one of its first pastors.
Wm. L. Graham, following his marriage, again worked in the grist mill and tannery with his father until moving to Collin County in 1867 where he settled at Old Willow Springs, site of present day Lucas.
Wm. L. and Sarah Graham were the parents of the following children:
Martha Graham born Aug. 8, 1866
Elmira Pettus Graham born Nov. 6, 1868 at Willow Springs
Cleopatra Graham born Aug. 24, 1870 at Willow Springs
Geo. Wm. Graham born Nov. 22, 1872 at Willow Springs
died young
Jas. Lafayette Graham born Oct. 1, 1874 at Willow Springs
Eady Arminta (Minnie) born May 10, 1877 at Willow Springs
Martha Graham married J. Allen Biddy Aug. 14, 1884 and soon moved to Oklahoma to live.
Elmira Pettus Graham married Wm. Thos. Newsome Oct. 8, 1884. Wm. Thos. Newsome was a well-loved Baptist minister in Collin County for many years. The Newsome’s were the parents of seven children: William; Clyde; Dr. Asa; and Cecil Newsome all of whom presently live in Dallas county; and Alta Newsome who taught music for many years in Celina; Georgia and Amy Newsome who taught in Collin County for a while before moving with the family to Ft. Worth where they continued teaching in the Ft. Worth system. Amy Newsome is deceased but Georgia and Alta are now retired and still living in Ft. Worth.
Cleopatra Graham married Wm. P. Biddy Jan. 4, 1888 and shortly thereafter moved to Oklahoma to live.
Jas. Lafayette Graham married Ruth Cook Aug. 22, 1899, about the year Willow Springs was changed to the Lucas community. Jas. L. Graham was a hard-working, reliable fellow; well-known farmer, and lived on his father’s homeplace until his death Feb. 2, 1947. He and his wife, Ruth, reared an admirable family of three boys, and one girl as follows:
James Leo, who married Jessie Armstrong
Eustace Earl, who married Louise Anderhub
Eunice, who married Virgil Richards
Willie, who married Joyce Ballew
Ruth Cook Graham who has lived with her daughter and husband, Eunice and Virgil Richards in McKinney for a number of years since her husband’s death, recently fell and broke her hip and is presently a patient in Wysong Nursing Home. Of these four children Jas. Leo, and Eunice Richards live in Collin County presently, while Eustace Earl and Willie and their families live in Dallas.
Eady Arminta (Minnie) Graham married John Adam Campbell Aug. 11, 1897. The Campbell’s lived in Collin County all of their lives and reared five children: Stokley E.; Ruth; Lois; Gladys; and Cora....
James Simmons passed away April 16, 1879, his wife Edith Arminta Sparks Simmons passed away March 2, 1897. Wm. L. Graham passed away Nov. 3, 1882, his wife Sarah Simmons Graham passed away Nov. 26, 1903. All are buried in Fitzhugh Cemetery at Forest Grove, about 10 miles southeast of McKinney.