Mrs. Fannie Lewis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.S. Bunyard, was born in Gracen County, Texas, and with her parents, two sisters, and three brothers, came to California in 1868, in a wagon train. The caravan was six months on the way, and brought a large number of cattle. Landing at Puente, the family remained at that point a month, and then came on to El Monte. Fannie Bunyard, which was her name at that time, was married in 1884, to Ira D. Lewis, a farmer and a native son of California, who died in 1909.

Ira D. Lewis was the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Lewis, who at the time of the son Ira’s marriage, owned a hop ranch, about two miles south and east of El Monte. Six children were born, three of whom are living; David Lewis, Ida Figueroa, and Nellie Halversen. Mrs. Lewis’ sister, Harriet, now deceased, wrote a diary of the events and experiences of the family, while crossing the plains to California. This interesting transcript has been preserved throughout the years.