William Watson Stephenson married Melinda Johnston in Tennessee, November 1, 1810. She was born January 13, 1791. Of this union were born six children (my father was married three times). The names and dates of birth are as follows:
Anderson Lee, born November 11, 1811, in Tennessee.
Felix Claiborne, born April 18, 1814, in Tennessee.
Mary Ann, born March 15, 1816, in Tennessee.
William Donnell, born October 19, 1818, in Tennessee.
Hugh Stewart, born June 10, 1821, in Alabama.
John Calvin, born August 12, 1823, in Alabama.
My mother died in 1824. My father then married his cousin, Margaret Presley Stephenson. Of this, William W. Stephenson's second marriage, were born six children, as follows:
Malinda Johnston, born December 26, 1825, in Alabama.
Christopher Columbus, born September 28, 1828, in Alabama.
Margaret Elizabeth, born June 9, 1831, in Alabama.
Leonidas Ewing, born February 10, 1834, in Alabama.
Robert Bruce, born June 25, 1838, in Alabama.
Henry Clay, born May 10, 1842, in Alabama.
My stepmother, Margaret Presley, died. Then my father married a third time, Miss Sarah Weems. Of this marriage there was one child born, Sarah Rebecca, born April 26, 1846. I will briefly refer to each of these children.
Anderson Lee married Ann Eliza Campbell, in Tennessee. Her mother, Rebecca, was the youngest daughter of Capt. James Stephenson, one of the Four. He was commonly called "Stinson" in South Carolina. One child, Rebecca Jane, was born. Ann Eliza died, after which Anderson Lee married a widow, Mrs. Ann Wilson, nee Cowan. Ann, in her first marriage, had one son, John Bell Wilson. The family moved from Alabama to West Tennessee, thence to Arkansas. Rebecca Jane married Mr. Wiley. She and all her children are dead. She left no descendants. Anderson Lee Stephenson reared to maturity only one child of his second marriage, Mary Caroline. She married Mr. McNeel. She had two daughters, Josie and Mary. Mary married James Jason Bryant. She now lives near Fisherville, in Shelby County, Tennessee. Josie married and went to Mississippi. John Bell Wilson reared a large family of daughters in Arkansas, northwest from Memphis.
Felix Claiborne, son of W. W. Stephenson and his wife, Melinda Johnston, married his cousin, Miss Mary, commonly called "Polly," McGaughey, in north Alabama. She was the second daughter of Col. Washington McGaughey, who was our grandmother Johnston's brother. After two children had been born, the family moved to Mississippi, thence, in 1844, to Marengo County, South Alabama. He reared a nice family in South Alabama. The children were well educated. During the war F. C. Stephenson moved to Lee County, Mississippi, thence, in 1869, to Paris, Texas. He died October 17, 1872. He was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He was a scientific farmer and a man much devoted to the welfare and education of his children. He lived to see the most of them educated.
The group picture before you consists of the four living children of F. C. Stephenson and his wife, Polly McGaughey, and myself. When facing the group I am on the left; Mary Melinda, the eldest daughter, is seated on my left; her brother, W. H. Stephenson, on her left; Ann S. is standing back of and between her brother, W. H., and her sister, Mary M.; Ida A stands back of and between her sister, Mary M., and myself.
Mary Melinda, Stephenson, the oldest daughter of F. C. Stephenson and his wife, was born October 5, 1835. She was a sprightly girl; she was very fair, had a clear, white complexion, sky-blue eyes and as pretty red hair as I ever saw. She walked like a queen. She was educated at Dayton, Alabama. She, after her father moved to Mississippi, during the war, married her cousin, Dekalb McGaughey. They have one child, a son, Jefferson McGaughey, and one grandson. They live in Collinsville, Texas. Mr. McGaughey is a merchant. They have a beautiful home, well arranged and well kept. Mary is a good woman and a nice housekeeper.
Ann Eliza, second daughter of F. C. Stephenson and his wife, Polly McGaughey, was born March 4, 1838, in Lawrence County, Alabama. Her parents moved to Mississippi, thence to Marengo County, South Alabama, in 1844. Ann was educated in the best schools of the country. She was an intelligent and attractive young lady. She married Dr. W. W. Graves
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April 1, 1863. Dr. Graves was born in Virginia, in 1828. He came to Alabama in 1859. He joined the Confederate army, the Fourth Alabama Regiment, in 1861. He was surgeon of his regiment, and promoted to surgeon in the Confederate States Navy. At the close of the war he returned to his home in Mississippi. He moved to Grayson County, Texas, in 1869. Dr. Graves was an eminent physician. He lived and practiced medicine at Whitesboro, Texas, the remainder of his life, except four years. He was, by the appointment of President Cleveland, the surgeon and physician for the Indians. During these four years he was stationed at South McAlester, Indian Territory. He served as representative from Grayson County in the State Legislature of Texas. Dr. Graves was a man of extraordinary talents, a scholarly gentleman, a good and affectionate husband and father. He died at home June 23, 1894.
When Ann Eliza Stephenson was married to Dr. Graves, she dropped the name Eliza, and substituted for it, "Stephenson." Since her marriage she has written her name Ann S. Graves. Ann is a devoted member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. She took great care in raising and training her four sons to good, industrious habits. The virtue in that Scripture that says "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it," is abundantly demonstrated in the habits and conduct of those four young men. Ann owns a home in Whitesboro, but she lives with her son Henry in Ladonia, Texas. She is a patient, even-tempered woman, always content with what falls to her lot, and thankful that it is no worse.
There were born to Dr. Graves and his wife, Ann, six children, four sons and two daughters. The daughters died young. The sons are,—
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W. H. Stephenson, Collinsville, Texas.William Claiborne Graves, born in Lee County, Mississippi, November 24, 1867. He has a wife and children, and is a practicing physician at South McAlester, Indian Territory.
George Walker Graves, second son of Dr and Mrs. Graves, was born March 12, 1870, in Lamar County, Texas. He is not married. He is an official of the railroad at Hillsboro, Texas.
Henry Lee, the third son, born July 23, 1872, married Miss Mamie Nunn. They have one child. Henry is a merchant in Ladonia, Texas.
Robert I. Graves, born June 4, 1881, is married. He is assistant cashier of the First National Bank, Celeste, Texas. These four sons of Dr. W. W. Graves and his wife, Ann Stephenson, are all intelligent, educated, good men. The promise for their progress as valuable citizens and successful men is very flattering.
William Henry Stephenson, a direct lineal descendant of Henry Stephenson, of Scotland, down through Robert Stephenson, a Scotchman, who reared a family in County Antrim, Ireland; William Stephenson, a Revolutionary soldier of Chester County, South Carolina; Hugh W. Stephenson, of Maury County, Tennessee; William Watson Stephenson, of Lawrence County, Alabama, and Felix Claiborne Stephenson, of Marengo County, Alabama, but recently of Texas, was born October 6, 1840, in Itawamba County, Mississippi. He was the first son of F. C. Stephenson and his wife, Polly McGaughey. Polly McGaughey was the second daughter of Col. Washington McGaughey, formerly of Lawrence County, Alabama. William Henry learned the drug business in Linden, Alabama. He has followed that business the most of his life. He went into the Confederate army in 1861. He went with the Eleventh Alabama Regiment direct to Virginia in 1861. He was in General Lee's army during the four years of the war. He participated in all the battles and marches to which that noted Virginia army was sub jected. He never left the army from the time he went into it till the close of the war. He was at the surrender at Appomattox, April 9, 1865. He, at the close of the war, like other young Confederate soldiers, penniless, returned to his home in Mississippi. Henry farmed for four years. October 24, 1869, he married Miss Emma J. Stovall, daughter of George W. Stovall, of Lee County, Mississippi. At the close of the year 1869, he moved to Paris, Texas. There he entered the drug business as clerk. In 1877, he moved to Whitesboro, Texas, and still acted as clerk in a drug store. In 1885 he went to Collinsville, Texas, and commenced business on his own account, where he is now a successful merchant. To him and his wife have been born eleven children, six sons and five daughters. Three of the sons died in infancy. The other three sons having received a good business education, are actively employed in business. The daughters are well educated.
William Henry Stephenson and his entire family are active, useful members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. His son, Felix W., married Miss Hattie Thompson, in 1904. Felix is a Past Master of the Collinsville Masonic Lodge. He is a dry goods merchant, and lives at Collinsville, Texas. Nim L. Stephenson, son of Henry, married Miss Grace Hudspeth, in 1901. They have a son, Laverque, two years old. Nim is a member of the Masonic Lodge. He is a grocery merchant at Collinsville. Dick Lee Stephenson, the third living son of Henry and his wife, Emma, married Miss Jessie Mullins, in 1899. They have one child, a daughter, Jewel; she is five years old. Dick is a clerk in his father's drug store. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias. The five daughters are: Bettie Stovall, Nettie Bell, Mary Catharine, Ann Graves and Fannie Edna. As these girls finish the course in the Collinsville High School they go to the State Normal School, located at Denton, in an adjoining county, and are graduated there. They are well prepared for life. Of these young ladies Nettie Bell and Mary Catharine, having been well qualified, are disposed to turn their attention to the profession of teaching. Bettie Stovall is of a domestic turn of mind, and prefers home life.
William Henry Stephenson makes as good a citizen as he did a soldier. He is highly esteemed in business, in the church, in the daily walks of life, and especially at home, where he and his wife are surrounded by a happy family.
Ida A., the youngest and probably the most beautiful daughter of F. C. Stephenson and his wife, Polly McGaughey, was born August 10, 1853. She married W. J. Provine. They reared six children, three sons and three daughters. They have a nice home in Whitesboro, Texas. They are surrounded by all the comforts that home could desire. Mr. Provine is a lumberman and has been successful in the business.
Another daughter of F. C. Stephenson, Carrie, married Mr. Williams. One son was born. Carrie died. Her son is a well-to-do ranchman near Gatesville, Texas.