Histories

Melissa, the first born child of David and Sarah Peveler was probably born around 1822 in Kentucky before her parents moved to Missouri, and finally settled in Texas.

After the David Peveler family settled in Fannin County Texas, daughter, Melissa met and married Josiah A. Kuykendall on September 2, 1841. Josiah's family had also migrated from Missouri, the land of his birth.

They moved on to Williamson County where as an original land owner, they settled on a farm situated on Bushy Creek, about three miles south from present day town of Hutto. It appears that they spent their entire life and raised their family, James, William, Sarah, Greenup. and Louisa on this farm. About a year after Louisa's birth, Josiah died, January 30, 1853, and he is buried in Shiloh /McCutcheon Cemetery, just a few miles from his farm.

Military records at Fort Belknap of February of 1863 and 1864 lists a G.W Kuykendall, J.W. Kuykendall, W.C. Kuykendall who probably were Melissa's sons that served in the Civil War.

In 1854, Melissa married Baxter E. Burns. They apparently stayed on the farm and she gave birth to four more children, Margaret, Mattie, John, and Baxter Jr. Burns. It is not known when Baxter Burns died, but sometime after his death and the children were grown, Melissa kept the farm, perhaps renting it, but, she also bought a house and moved to the town of Hutto. This was her home until her death in 1897.