The Stephenson Family
by: John Clavin Stephenson
(excerpted from Stephenson Family: a history of the Stephenson Family from Georgia)

I, J. C. Stephenson, the fifth son and the sixth child of William Watson Stephenson and his wife, Melinda Johnston, late residents of Lawrence County, Alabama, am about to write a short genealogical sketch of my ancestors; also of some of their descendants. This is made at Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the year 1905, after the writer had passed his eighty-third birthday. But it is not to be inferred that he was at the time of writing eighty-three years old.
The group picture above 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 Civil 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.

Ann Eliza Stephenson married Dr. W.W. Graves on 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 Grover 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 18th Texas Legislature, 1883 - 1885, serving on the Public Buildings and Grounds Committee and the State Asylums Committee, which required the committee members to visit and make a careful inspection of the Lunatic Asylum. Dr. Graves was a man of extraordinary talents, a scholarly gentleman, a good and affectionate husband and father. He died at home on 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 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. The sons are:

1. William Claiborne Graves, born in Lee County, Mississippi, November 24, [something omitted] children, and is a practicing physician at South McAlester, Indian Territory.

2. 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.

3. Henry Lee Graves, the third son, born July 23, 1872, married Miss Mamie Nunn. They have one child. Henry is a merchant in Ladonia, Texas.  Died May 31, 1924; buried at Ladonia, Texas

4.  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.  
Dr. Graves died in the summer of 1894.  The 1900 census lists Ann S. Graves as 62 year old widow; living in the home with her were her two sons, George W., age 30, single and Robert I., age 18, single.

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, July 1, 1894

Dr. W.W. GRAVES IS DEAD
Dr. W.W. Graves, one of the old [sic] and most respected citizens of Whitesboro died Friday, the 22nd inst., after a lingering sickness of several months.
Dr. William W. Graves was born in Hanover County, Virginia, December 12, 1828.  He moved to Alabama in 1857, and attended his first course of medical lectures in Atlanta, Georgia, but graduated in the Medical College of Alabama in 1861.  The same year he enlisted
in Company D, 4th Alabama Regimanet as a private; he was promoted to position of surgeon in the C.S. Navy in the spring of 1862, under the command of Admiral Buchanan, and during the latter part of the war was in charge of the hospital at Mobile.  In April 1863 he was married to Miss Annie Stephenson at Uniontown, Alabama, who survives him.  Dr. Graves moved to Mississippi at the close of the war, and thence to Paris, Texas, in December 1869; and from there to Whitesboro in 1870 - 24 years ago - which was his home up to the time of his death.  He was elected a member if the 18th Legislature and served with distinction.  President Cleveland appointed him physician to the Ute Agency and he was afterwards transferred to the agency of the Kiowas, Comanches and Apaches, at Anadarko, in 1885.  Under the statutory law regulating the practice of medicine he was one of the medical examiners for the district including Grayson county, and at his death was physician and surgeon at the Choctaw coal mines at Hartshor, I.T.
Dr. Graves was raised an old-line Whig, but when that party went down, he, of course, united with the Democratic Party.  He was one of the most honorable men.  We knew him well, and counted him among our warmest personal friends.  He was as sympathetic as a woman and charitable to a fault.  Too honest to be a hypocrite, and too intelligent to belive without evidence, he was classified an infidel, but those who did not agree with him in religious matters will bear testimony to his integrity and purity of character.  He died, as he lived, a free-thinker.  On Monday he called the members of his family to his bedside and told them he was about to leave them, as he felt he would not live more than an hour, and bade them an affectionate, good bye.  His son asked him, father do you die firm in the principles you have advocated during your life?  The doctor replied, "My son I died what the world calls an infidel."  About 2 hours afterwards he became unconscious but lingered until Friday night when death relieved him of his sufferings.  Thus passed away a noble man, a kind parent and a good and useful citizen.