General Notes

REFN: 10434
[lillief.ged]
on headstone: She"s gone to worlds above
Where  Saints and Angles meet
To realize our Saviours love
And Worship at his feet.
The following is a letter sent to me from Owen Graham about Etta a
nd Jo hn Graham because I had asked him if he knew any thing about there k
insh ip to each other. Were they cousins. His Answer was that it was to
ld in h is family that they were distant cousins.
Regarding Etta and John Peter. Louella Graham Ryan was the oldest c
hi ld of this marriage. After Etta died, Louella came to live with my gran
dpa rents. Roughly about the time my dad was born. She was always a clo
se memb er of our family, and I saw her probably at least 3 times a year f
or my en tire life. I remember Aunt Lou telling me about the relationsh
ip of her pa rents, but I do not remember it exactly. My recollection is t
hat Etta a nd John Peter are extremely distant cousins. I believe that Jo
hn Peter Gra ham's family originally came from South Carolina, where
as we (and Etta) a re North Carolina Grahams. Jim Farmer is also a descend
ent of Etta and Jo hn Peter, and I believe has both lines researched. I kn
ow that Anthony Gra ham, Etta's grandfather, had brothers in Bell Count
y, but I do not belie ve that John Peter is a descendent of one of those G
rahams. I will see wh at more I can find out. My grandfather mentioned Et
ta numerous times in h is "Dear Folks" letters, and possibly I will find s
omething in there. I kn ow that Etta was a pretty and charming girl, and b
eing a good deal older t han my grandfather, he found all of her beaus a
nd courting of great intere st. I believe John Peter was nearly 50 years o
ld when they married. She di ed very young, of breast cancer, so he end
ed up out living her some 23 yea rs. I also have an extremely charming let
ter written at Louella's dea th by a close friend, "Things I remember abo
ut Mrs. Ryan & Things She to ld me." If you are interested, I will t
ry to transcribe it into the comput er and send it on to you. It has a go
od deal about Louella's family, altho ugh not completely acurate, very int
eresting, none the less. Louella w as a wonderful person, and except by ac
cident, would still be with us toda y. Her mind was still sharp at 99 yr
s. old.
As you are related to Etta's side, you and I are cousins. My grandfath
er w as Etta's youngest brother (b. 22 Nov 1884). You must tell me our rel
ation ship. Perhaps I have information that would be useful to you. A
nd I li ke to keep track of my cousins. We have had 70-odd reunions of t
he Archiba ld Layfayette Graham family. In my 60 years I probably haven
't missed a do zen. It would be nice if one of your trips to Conroe coinci
ded with that r eunion.
Best wishes,
Cousin Owen
PS
For John Peter Graham, I can find only this at the moment. Not sure a
bo ut the accuracy:
"Etta Graham was born 7 NOV 1873 in Milam Co. Texas, and died 13 J
UN 19 11 in Milam Co. Texas. She married John Peter Graham 7 July 18
97 in Mil am Co. Texas, son of George A. Marsden Graham and Sarah Elizabe
th Co x. He was born 7 Dec 1848 in Horry Co., South Carolina, and di
ed 12 Decemb er 1934 in Milam Co., Texas.