John Frank Garrett was the son of Robert Milligan and Emily Frances Matthews. His father moved his family to the Grapeland area when John Frank was about a year old. He was one of eight children. John Frank Garrett lived in the Enon community and was involved in the many activities of Houston County. He served as president of the County Farmers Alliance for many years and when the Farmers Alliance became the Farmers Union, he was also president of it. As farming was the main occupation in HoustonCounty, the men who belonged to this farming organization were leaders in the planning and execution of most of the activities of the area. Large picnics were one of the main entertainments of the day and the Farmers Alliance of each small community participated in the planning of these picnics at places such as Tyer’s Lake. The newspaper reported one such picnic planned under their auspices was attended by no fewer than 2000 people. J. F. Garrett served on the committee to prepare Grapeland’s exhibit of soil and wood samples for the State Fair at the Spring Palace in Ft. Worth in 1890. Houston County won the trophy that year for the best display of wood. J. F. Garrett also helped get Houston County’s exhibit ready for the World’s Fair in 1894 at Chicago which was called the Columbian Exposition. Houston County won first prize at this World’s Fair for the best peach. In 1891, J. F. Garrett served on the planning committee for laying the cornerstone of the new Grapeland School building located on College Street. He was active in the early day political parties and served as messenger for his local church at Enon at the County Church cooperative meetings. When a committee was appointed to organize a local or county activity, John Frank Garrett’s name was nearly always included in the group. He was a valuable member of his community. John Frank Garrett first married Nannie Lee Mathews, who was the mother of nine of his children. Their nine children and descendents are list below. 1. Robert Sam Garrett married Inez McCann. Five children were born to this marriage: Annie Mae, Ruby, Mary, Mildred, and Fred, who is the only survivor. 2. George Lee Garrett had the following children: Mary Dee, Ellen, Bennie, Willard, all deceased; and Vance and Nannie Ruth, who survive. 3. Eugenia Ann Garrett married D. W. Harman. Nine children were born: Five survive-Nannie Lee, D. W., Don Eugene, Jimmie, and Mildred. Deceased-John Frank, Dorothy Elzena, Lyman Eldridge, and one infant. 4. Eva May Garrett married W. W. (Capt.) Sullivan. Six children were born: Willie Oma, Ava Hollingsworth, Anna May, Glen Flora. Two are deceased: Nannie Elizabeth and Tom. 5. Lula Pearl Garrett married John J. Brooks. Their three children are Edith Ruth, Maurice Clyde, and John Marshall. 6. Flora E. Garrett married Ed Edge. Five children were born: Grady (deceased), Annie, Lawson, Floyd (deceased), and Mary Sue. The Edge family history is included under a separate heading. 7. Wilmoth G. Garrett married Mary Eliza Dotson in 1901. Four children were born to this marriage: Nora Novice, Eunice Fannette, Lolita and Eleanor Lee who was adopted by Mollie Garrett Edge (Mrs. Oscar Edge) who later married Will Smith. After the death of Mary Dotson in 1909, Wilmoth married Mattie Cherry. Nine children were born to this marriage. Bill B. Cherry, the third child of this marriage and the only male born to Wilmoth’s two marriages, was adopted by his maternal grandfather. The girls were Ailene (who died at age four months), Verona May, Callie Jewel, Ruby Esther and Ruth Estelle (twins), Ellie Fay, Ophelia (deceased). And Johnnie. &Mollie Cornelia Garrett married Charles Oscar Edge, November 5, 1902. Charles Otis Edge, their child, was born June 1, 1908 and died June 10, 1909. Charles Oscar Edge died on December 10, 1908. Mollie adopted Eleanor Lee in 1912. She then married Will Smith on February 23, 1914. His daughter by his first wife is Leora Smith. Four children were born to this marriage: Cecil G., William Leonidas, John Frank, and Arthur Edwin. 9. Eliza Malinda Garrett was born June 13, 1888 and died April 17, 1981. She married John Newton Snell who was born December 26, 1881 and died September 3, 1946. Their seven children are: Johnny Linnie, John N Jr., (both deceased), Geneva, J. Q., Anna Claudine, Roy Dupree and Ida June. After the death of Nannie Lee Matthews in 1892, John Frank Garrett married Cora Alice Shofner. To this marriage two children were born-William Hayden Garrett and Marvin Lewis Garrett. Marvin Lewis Garrett’s history is included under a separate heading. William Hayden and Marvin Lewis Garrett are the only living children of John Frank Garrett. The Garrett family holds an annual reunion in June called the John Frank Garrett Reunion.