John L. Nowlin was born 7-4-1836 in Hamilton County, Tennessee and died 1-17-1921. He was the son of Archabald Anderson Nowlin and Synthia (Reed) Nowlin. Archabald and Synthia were born in North Carolina and moved to Tennessee in about 1834. They moved to Texas in 1853 with their eight children and James, the eighty three year old father of Archabald. One married daughter, Winna, remained in Tennessee. They purchased 640 acres in what would become the Bethel Community and later Highland Village. During their life¬time they accumulated 1,800 acres of farming land. Synthia died in 1868 and James, the father of Archabald died in the 1860's. Their graves have not been located. The possibility exists they are lost in the Lusk section. It is also possible they have been lost in the newly restored McCombs Cemetery where Archabald's sister, Mary, was interred. It is certain their graves are not in Flower Mound Cemetery for it had not been established at the time of their deaths. Archabald's second wife was Susan Loyd whom he married in 1870. The marriage was very short lived; she died in 1874. His third wife was Mrs. Elizabeth Eldridge whom he married in 1876. Archibald was fatally injured in 1882 when he fell from a pecan tree. He was seventy nine at the time of his death. He and Elizabeth are interred in section twelve of Old Hall Cemetery. His sons, Seth and Thomas "Fate" and their wives are also interred in Old Hall. Two infant daughters of Archabald and Elizabeth are interred next to their parents. John Lewis served in the Civil War; he was a member of Bowlin's Regiment, Company E of the Texas Cavalry and, when at the age of seventy seven, he applied for a pension. His brother, James, was killed in the war and was interred on location in Arkansas.
By Susan Lett 1999; used with permission