THE GRAHAM-STEPP HOUSE

(Pitcock) (1898-1987) Graham built this house in 1925 after their marriage in 1923. Roy was the son of Charles Edward (1872-1936) and Annie Lawrence Keen (1872- 1960) Graham. He was born in Farmer, where his grandparents on both sides settled in the late 1870s. Ruby was the daughter of Matt Andrews, who had settled in the very south of Archer County almost at the same time. Charles Graham eventually owned a 4,000-acre ranch at Anarene, which was split in two on his death between his sons, Roy and Joy (1903-1996). The town of Anarene was named for Annie Keen Graham and the historical marker is on Highway 79 at the Falls County Road Intersection. Roy was a 1921 grad of Texas A&M and was the Panhandle Oil consignee for Olney and was active in the community, serving 10 years as mayor. (A side note- Roy and his brother Joy were mayors of both Graham and Olney at the same time.) Roy and Ruby had one daughter, Elizabeth Ann, who was a graduate of OHS and went on to UT. A story about the house being painted comes from 1945, when they were ready to move to 604 W. Oak. J.H. Jr and Ted Brown, the sons of Hoyt Brown, were the top painters in Olney and this was in the summer when windows and doors were open. Ruby and Roy, while at lunch, heard some hearty belly laughing coming from the garage so they interrupted their lunch to see what was going on. The Browns were having their lunch pail lunches in the garage and saw the Graham’s Anarene High School diplomas that were framed and hanging on the wall in the garage. I believe the diplomas were dated 1917.

In 1945, the Grahams sold the house to A.D. (Dudley) and Bonnie (Elliot) Myers, whose two boys were Bob and Al (Alan). Dudley was still in the Perkins & Myers Ford House partnership at this time. You can read about the house (707 W. Main) the Myers moved to in 1953 in the May 14, 2020 edition of the paper and more about the Myers.

In 1953, Marvin E. and Clydis (1917-2007) (Warren) Hickey became the owners. Clydis was the Len Warrens daughter (See the Oct. 29, 2020 issue of the paper about the 901 Elm house.) When Marvin came back from serving in World War II, he went to work in the printing department of the Enterprise. The Hickey’s children were Max, Sue (Cole) and Len.

In 1965, the Hickeys sold the house to Louis H. (Pinky) and Louise (Patton) Cox. He as District Gauger for Continental Pipeline. Louise worked at the Enterprise as a secretary and society editor and David Penn caller her his girl “Friday”. She was a member of the Amity Club. The Cox’s children were Richard, Becky (Dodson) and Cindy (Bishop).

In 1974, Harvey W. Compton became the owner and quickly followed in by Virgil Russell in 1977 and Dennis W. and Debbie Surratt in 1980. Mr. Serratt was the son of the postmaster in Archer City.

In 1990, Reynaldo Garza became the owner and conveyed the house to Jeanette Stepp in 2011. Mrs. Stepp came from Missouri with two grandsons to raise – Caleb and Thomison, and they are still here.