David Oliver Brown was born June 17, 1845 in Tennessee to John Brown and Francis "Fanny" Glass.  David entered the CSA at Camp Turesdale, Tennessee on August 24, 1861,  He was sixteen years of age. He was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh on April 6, 1862 and received a medical discharge on July 7, 1862 in Alexander, Mississippi.  After his marriage in 1863, David enlisted in the U.S. Army in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee. He served in Co. I, 4th TN Mounted Infantry.  He was mustered into the Union Army on March 10, 1865.

Between 1870 and 1890, David Oliver Brown and his family were living in Missouri and Tennessee.  It is apparent that he moved his family to Texas by 1892, when he declared on his pension request that he is an invalid.  His daughter, Jessie Dee Brown, was born in Ellis County, Texas.

The Brown family was living in Grayson County, Texas by 1900.  Originally the physical address was Collinsville, Texas but changed to Tioga, Texas by 1920.

David Oliver Brown married Amanda Melvina Brown November 19, 1863 in Tennessee.  Amanda Melvina Brown was born April 17, 1845 in Tennessee.  She was the daughter of James Richard Graham and Martha "Patsy" Glass.
It has not been documented as to whether David's mother, Francis Glass and Amanda's mother, Martha, are biological sisters.  Martha Glass was one-half Cherokee; her father is believed to have been a white man.

Amanda Melvina Graham Brown passed away on February 3, 1922 and is buried in the Collinsville Cemetery. After her death, David married Azelia C. Patterson on February 12, 1925.  David passed away January 21, 1927 and is buried in the Collinsville Cemetery beside his first wife.  A family tale is that on the day of David's burial that it was snowing heavily.  The funeral directors suggested that the family not attempt to attend his burial.  According to the family tale, no one in his immediate family attended his graveside funeral.