Rachel Peevey (maiden name: Lewis) was born on May 12, 1824, in Alabama to Levi Lewis. Her father was a farmer who owned $600 of real estate by 1850. She grew up in Madison County, Alabama, and she married William W. Peevey. They had at least three children: George, born around 1846; Margaret, born around 1854; and Mollie, born around 1858. They moved to Red Oak, Texas, sometime before 1870, and her husband worked as a farmer. By 1870, they owned $500 of real estate and $1,000 of personal property. She died on August 19, 1882.