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COLVIN-GRAHAM
John Fletcher Colvin b. 10 Aug 1877 in Houston County, Texas, came
to Springhill community in Coryell County in 1886 with his parents, Laroy Sunderlin and Julia Ann Brooks Colvin. The family
moved to Boaz where he met and on 8 Jul. 1897 married Rosa Ellen Graham b. 15 Oct 1879 in
Coryell County, the youngest child of Jesse and
Cornelia Griffin Graham.
Fletcher and Rosa had three sons, Barney who married Lola
Brashear, Gilbert who married Ethel Brookshire, and Earl who married Marie Donnelly.
Family tradition says the first two years Fletcher was married he let his crops grow up in
weeds because he liked to play the fiddle. Rosa smashed the fiddle and Fletcher never let
another crop go to weeds. They became industrious and acquired about 750 acres of farm and
pasture land. For 5 years Rosa carried the mail on the star route from Boaz to Gatesville
(about 35 miles round trip) in a horse and buggy.
They developed the long staple Colvin Big Boil Cotton and sold cotton seed, seed corn and
wheat throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas They raised cattle, hogs, sheep
and chickens. Fletcher always had an orchard with plums, peaches and apricots and he had
about ten acres of budded pecan trees.
Fletcher was a stonemason and helped build bridges and the old elementary school building
in Gatesville. In 1914 he took a course in soil conservation at Texas A&M and then
built the first terraces in Coryell County with a mule drawn slip. He was a progressive
farmer and by 1918 used rubber tired planters and cultivators with mule teams before the
small farm tractors became available. During drought years he would work in Ft Worth as a
carpenter. He and his son, Barney, worked on the construction of Camp Everman during WW I.
The family loved to sing together and the Colvin quartet was in demand at all the singing
conventions in central Texas. Fletcher also taught singing schools.
For many years he served on grand juries in Coryell County Since Rosa. was 41 years old
before she was allowed to vote she took women's suffrage seriously and voted her own
conscience.
When Ft. Hood forever changed their lives they moved west of Gatesville and built the rock
house that stands directly in front of the present Coryell Memorial Hospital. He worked at
the ordinance depot at North Ft Hood until he was 68 years old and then
"retired" to work with his sons, Barney and Gilbert, who were general building
contractors in Gatesville. He raised milking shorthorn cattle and grew beautiful flowers.
He was a very energetic man.
Rosa had an extensive collection of porcelain objects d'art Fletcher always enjoyed
listening to her play the old pump organ and he would sing in his deep bass voice. They
occasionally waltzed together.
Their son, Earl Fletcher, died at age 47 on 13 Jun 1950. He was a buyer with Montgomery
Ward Co. in Kansas City. Missouri. He was buried in Restland Cemetery.
Fletcher died 5 Oct. 1957 and Rosa died 11 Mar. 1958 at their home. They are buried near
their sons in Restland Cemetery.
-- Wilma Earl Colvin Edwards, granddaughter
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