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John Graham was born ca 1820. He married Elizabeth "Betsy" Langley on Nov. 12, 1840 in Union Co., Arkansas. She was born April 23, 1823 in Pennsylvania; daughter of James W. Langley and Judith Mattox. His parents are unknown but he could have been Mr. and Mrs. William Graham of Union Co., Ark.

Soon after the marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Graham, John, Elizabeth and John's four brothers left Ark. and went to Plymouth, Van Buren Co., Iowa, near Farmington. Three children were born to John and Elizabeth; they died as infants (birth-three years). They were William, Bolen and Lucinda Graham. A son, Jasper Newton Graham, was born July 24, 1847. John was building a mill on the Des Moines River, when he took pneumonia and died, leaving Elizabeth, Jasper and an expected baby.

After the death of John and Mr. and Mrs. Graham, his four brothers left Iowa on horseback. One went one way, one went another; the oldest took the youngest brother with him and they are believed to have settled in the Carolinas.

Elizabeth and Jasper lived for three months with her wealthy uncle and his two spinster daughters. Elizabeth said they had butlers, maids and everything fine and grand. From there, she and Jasper came by steamboat back to her mother's home in Ark., where John Wesley Graham (my g-gf) was born on March 9, 1851. The following year, Elizabeth married Robinson Malcolm Willett in Union Co.

Elizabeth died in the woods on Oct. 19, 1890 in Danville, Bienville Parish, Louisiana; buried in Friendship Baptist Church Cemetery, Friendship, LA. She was on her way home from her son John Wesley's home, became ill, layed down under a tree and never woke up. He found her the next morning on his way to work; had thought she was at home!
John Wesley and Jasper Newton Graham married and raised large families in Louisiana and Arkansas.

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