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John Willard Blevins, born in Tarrant County, Texas, on September 13, 1877, was the fifth child of Lewis B. Blevins and his wife Elvina Tatum Blevins.
As a young man, he homesteaded a section of land near Aspermont, in Stonewall County, Texas. He was married on December 23, 1906 to Fannie F. Cayce, born on
December 7, 1883, the daughter of Tom and Rachael Cayce.
After a brief residence in Stonewall County, the family moved to the Weatherford, Texas area. Two sons were born there; Royce Cayce on April 19, 1912 and Charles Woodrow on January 30, 1916.
In 1917, John Blevins brought his family to a farm about one mile south of Keller. They became members of the Church of Christ.
The two sons attended school in Keller. Royce finished the local school in 1929. Since Keller was not an accredited high school, he commuted to following year to Diamond Hill in Fort Worth, along with two classmates, Clara Harrell and Wendell Knox, in order to complete his senior year. Wendell’s 1928 Chevrolet Coupe with a rumble seat provided transportation. There was no gas shortage, but there were other problems to be solved. The car had a small leak in the radiator, which caused the engine to overheat. Because Wendell was often ten or fifteen minutes late, there was no time for a cooling off period and cold water had to be added immediately. On three such occasions, the cylinder block cracked and had to be replaced. Even that was no cause to worry since Wendell’s older brother, William, operated a garage in Keller, where repairs were done at no cost.
Woodrow Blevins graduated from the local high school in 1934. There was no need for him to commute during his senior year, since Keller schools had been upgraded to meet state standards.
Royce was married on December 6, 1936, to Oleta White, the daughter of Emory and Mittie Blevins White. Their first child died at birth and was buried in Bourland Cemetery. The second child, Johnny W. was born on September 27, 1941.
Woodrow was married on February 22, 1942, to Frances Martin, the daughter of Norell and Eula Martin. Their children are a son, Charles Gary, born October 5, 1944 and daughter, Steva Kay, born on September 12, 1945.
John W. Blevins and his wife Fannie, retired from farming in 1937 and moved into the town of Keller. They lived for a short period in a two story house at 117 Minnie Street. Soon, they purchased the Lavy home at 121 West Olive, which was the first brick house built in Keller. In a building which stood adjacent, they operated the first washateria in Keller.
John W. Blevins died on July 4, 1948. His wife, Fannie F. (Cayce) died on
October 3, 1961. Both are buried in Bourland Cemetery.
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