Excerpts from an article written by Leola Kerr -
Among the early settlers in Cotton County was the J.D. Graham family. Jefferson D. Graham was born in Courtland, Alabama on June 15, 1865. He was married to Fannie Terry, a daughter of a Methodist minister, on December 21, 1884. Fannie had also been born in Courtland, Alabama on December 20, 1866. The young couple lived in Alabama and Mississippi where Brownlee, Arthur, Myrtle and James "Jim" were born. They then moved to Collin County, Texas in 1892 and settled between Copeville and Farmersville.

In 1892 J.D. Graham left Alabama on foot, walking west until he reached Texas. There he worked as a day laborer until he had enough money to send for his wife and family. Later he was able to purchase land and build a new home in Texas...

Before he left Texas, he served as a County Commissioner for four years and became a Master Mason and served as the Worshipful Master of the Farmersville Lodge where he became a 32-degree Scottish Rite Mason of the Royal Arch.

In 1911 J.D. Graham came to Oklahoma and purchased a farm seven and one half miles south of Temple. He built a new home on this property and moved his family in 1912. His wife and children came to Temple. Arthur, who had come with his father, met them at Temple and they completed the journey in a wagon to the farm.

In 1921 J.D. was appointed City Marshall of Temple. He moved his wife and daughter to Temple.

While serving as City Marshall he was appointed Deputy Sheriff under J.D. Kerr, Cotton County Sheriff, and assisted him in that capacity during his term in office.On Saturday night, April 27, 1929, he was instantly killed by a blast of a 12-gauge shotgun at a distance of six feet while he was on duty as City Marshall on the streets of Temple.

After the death of J.D., Fannie and daughter Mae moved back to the family home on the farm. There she lived until her death from a stroke April 20, 1939.
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About 9:30 P.M. on Saturday, April 27, 1929, Marshal Graham, 63, removed drunk flour mill worker Harry Adair from a Temple pool hall and ordered him to go home. A short time later Adair returned with a 12-gauge shotgun and confronted Marshal Graham in the street. Marshal Graham again told Adair to go home and sleep it off. Marshal Graham turned to walk away when Adair fired the shotgun. The blast fired from less than six feet away struck the popular Marshal in the back of the head, killing him instantly. His wife Fannie and ten children survived Marshal Graham. Adair was convicted of Graham’s murder and sentenced to forty years in prison but while out on appeal was shot and killed by Marshal Graham’s son, Jim. Jim Graham was later acquitted of Adair’s murder. Marshal Graham is memorialized at Panel: 46-E: 21 on the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, DC and on the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial.
(info from George Bacon)
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Jefferson Davis Graham was the son of Thomas Jefferson Graham and Charity May Holland. He married Fannie R. Terry on December 21, 1884 near Courtland, Lawrence County, Alabama.

Children of Jefferson Graham and Fannie Terry -
1. David Brownlee Graham b. Dec 28, 1885 d. Nov 21, 1959
2. Arthur Graham b. Dec 30, 1886 d. Aug 28, 1931
3. Alice Myrtle Graham b. Sept 27, 1888 d. July 11, 1945
4. James L. Graham b. Mar 16, 1890 d.Dec 2, 1982
5. Howard Graham b. Feb 1, 1892 d. Nov 26, 1973
6. Ella Jane Graham b. Jan 18, 1894 d.June 8, 1987
7. Hattie Mae Graham b. Oct 23, 1895 d. Apr 8, 1970
8. Thurman Lindsey Graham b. Mar 1, 1897 d. July 15, 1976
9. Thomas Jefferson Graham b. Dec 30, 1898 d. June 5, 1994
10. Ruby Jewell Graham b. Mar 7, 1902 d. Aug 4, 1974