William Moses Brown

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William Moses Brown Family History

 Many direct descendants of this early Grapeland family still live in the Grapeland area. They include Keens, Guice’s and Huffs. William M. and Mollie Ann were both born and raised in Woodbury (Meriwether County), Georgia. They were born and raised within a few miles of each other in “the Cove” near Woodbury. Actually, they were cousins since Mollie Ann was also a Brown before she married. William (better known as Billy Brown) was born February 3, 1854, and Mollie Ann Elizabeth was born June 11, 1860. They married April 7, 1882. Before finally migrating to Texas in the early 1890’s, they lived in the Woodbury area, in Alabamafor a while, and then came to Texas. It is said that they left Georgia when it became unprofitable to remain in “the Cove” and farm and make a living because of land being divided into so many small tracts for wedding gifts when a couple married. Upon coming toTexas in the early 1890’s, Billy and Mollie Ann settled in Bell County. After living there for a short while, they came to HoustonCounty where they lived northwest of Grapeland near the Anderson-Houston County line. In the late 1890’s they bought land in the Joseph Walling survey, 4 miles west of Grapeland. The remaining years of their lives were spent there where Billy farmed to earn his living. To this marriage were born nine children–eight girls and one boy. Only five of the girls reached adulthood as three girls and the only son died as Youngsters. The son, Dennis Wilton Brown, died as a teenager from appendicitis. The deaths of four children must surely have been a great loss to this family. The daughters who reached adulthood were: Della Estell Brown who married Ed Keen; Exar Augusta Brown who married J.L. Morrison; Clara Bessie Brown who married Howard Guice; Susie Lee Brown who married Walter Pennington; and Mary Lorena Brown who married Eugene (Brud) Huff. Each of these daughters had children, some of whom still live in the Grapeland area. Mollie Ann had one daughter, Sara Elmira, by her first husband, John I. Alford. Elmira Alford married Walter Rogers. Some of her descendants also live in the Grapeland area. The land that Billy and Mollie Brown bought and settled on west of Grapeland still remains in the family today almost 100 years later. Currently, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great grandchildren live on this old Homestead. The house that Mollie Ann lived in at her death is now owned by great grandson, Dan Huff, whose children are the fifth generation descendants to live there. Billy Brown died in 1927 and Mollie Brown died in 1941. Both are buried in the Hays Spring Cemetery west of Grapeland.

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