20th Century Sheriffs

Montgomery County Sheriffs of the 20th century

Maben Alexander Anderson 
1902-1920

Elected Sheriff on November 4, 1902, and served until November 2, 1920. 

Born on August 6, 1869, in Danville, Montgomery County. Died on February 3, 1940. 

Married Mattie Talley 1868.  Father of Edwin T. "Hoss" Anderson. Took office during a critical period of the John Winston murder trial. 

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Hugh Benjamin Hicks
1920-1933

Elected Sheriff on November 2, 1920, and served on April 1, 1938. 

Born August 6, 1866. Died April 1, 1938. 

Married Ola Hicks in 1875. Served as the Commissioner over Precinct #3 from 1912-1920. Buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery County.

Quote from The Texas Sheriff: Lord of the County Line by Thad Sitton, 2000, pp 46. "Enforce the law! Son, you can take this pistol that you have the authority to wear and you can make a great man out of yourself, or you can make the biggest fool out of yourself that ever was."

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Guy Hedick Hooper
1933-1937

Elected Sheriff on November 8, 1932, took office January 1, 1933, and served until January 1, 1937.

Born July 22, 1896, in Conroe, Texas. Died July 14, 1965.

Guy Hooper was born and raised in Montgomery County. His father was a doctor and a landowner. The Hoopers made most of their income when oil was discovered in the county. Buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery County. 




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Grover Cleveland Mostyn
1937-1943

Elected Sheriff on November 3, 1936, took office on January 1, 1937, and served until January 1, 1943. 

Constable 1922-1926
County Commissioner 1928-1932

Born November 15, 1894. Died September 24, 1947. Buried in Tillis Prairie Cemetery in Montgomery County. 




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Herschel Raymond Surratt
1943-1947

Elected Sheriff on November 3, 1942, took office January 1, 1943, and served until January 1, 1947.

Born December 17, 1899, in Atlanta, Texas and moved to Montgomery County in the 1930s.

Worked as a deputy for Sheriff Ben Hicks, Sheriff Guy Hooper and Sheriff Grover Mostyn.  Also worked as a special Texas Ranger for a number of years.

Married to Fannie Pearl Cochran.

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Edwin Talley "Hoss" Anderson
1947-1949

Elected Sheriff on November 5, 1946, took office January 1, 1947, and served until January 1, 1949. 

Served as a Private Company K 143 Infantry 36 Division during World War I.

Edwin Anderson was born and raised in Montgomery County.  His family-owned farms in and around Conroe.  His father was in the cattle business.  Edwin’s father, M.A. Anderson, was also Sheriff of Montgomery County. Buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Conroe, Texas.

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Herschel Raymond Surratt
1949

Elected Sheriff on November 2, 1948, took office January 1, 1949, and served until July 22, 1949, when he died of a heart attack. Buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Conroe, Texas.

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Fannie Pearl Surratt (Cochran)
1949-1951

Appointed Sheriff on August 9, 1949, to complete her husband's term and served until January 1, 1951. 

Regent of Margaret Montgomery Chapter NSDAR, 1973-1977 
Daughter of Terrell McKinney Cochran and Laura Samantha Grogan Cochran

Fannie Pearl is the only lady to have served as a sheriff in the history of Montgomery County. Known as the Sheriff with an Ax for destroying gambling machines with her ax. "Sheriff Fannie Pearl launched her department on a vigorous anti-gambling purge of marble tables, pinball machines, and everything else" (The Texas Sheriff, pp. 142). Buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Conroe, Texas.

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Edwin Talley "Hoss" Anderson
1951-1953

Elected Sheriff on November 7, 1950, took office January 1, 1951, and served until January 1, 1953. 

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Will Shepard Willette
1953-1961

Elected Sheriff on November 4, 1952, took office on January 1, 1953, and served until January 1, 1961.

Born March 29, 1906. died May 10, 1989. 

Will S. Willett was born and raised in Montgomery County.  Mr. Willett’s father was the City Marshall of Conroe.  Will served as a deputy under Surratt and Anderson.  He worked for the City Police Department and then came back to work for the Sheriff’s Department.  He then resigned and ran for Sheriff in 1952.  He was the first Sheriff in Montgomery County to serve a four (4) year term, covering the years 1956 through 1960.

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Arthur Eugene "Gene" Reaves
61-1981

Elected Sheriff on November 8, 1960, took office on January 1, 1961, and served until January 1, 1981. 

Born August 7, 1913. Died January 2, 1996. 

US Army Veteran, World War II. 

After graduating from Conroe High School in 1932, Reaves married and then began serving in the US Army four years later.  From 1942 to 1945, he served under Gens. Omar Bradley, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and George Patton.  His service included landing on the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion of June 1944 and later participating in the Battle of the Bulge.  After leaving the Army, Reaves, who grew up in the Peach Creek area near Cut and Shoot, went into business with his brother, forming the Reaves Lumber Company.  He later went into cattle ranching, which he did for more than 60 years.  In 1960 a number of prominent citizens asked Reaves to run for sheriff. Sheriff Reaves is the longest-elected sheriff in the history of Montgomery County, holding office for twenty years. Buried in Garden Park Cemetery in Conroe, Texas. 

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Joe Alvin Corley
1981-1993

Elected Sheriff on November 4, 1980, took office January 1, 1981, and served until January 1, 1993.  

Born January 12, 1939, in Richards, Texas

Married Judy Sivley on July 3, 1959.  They have 3 children, 10 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren

Sheriff Corley is most proud of having the Criminal Justice Center and new Jail which was approved by a $13 million bond then opened August 6, 1987.

Corley grew up in the Union Grove community which is situated between Montgomery and Richards in Montgomery County.  Corley attended Sam Houston State University from 1956 to 1960 and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture.  Corley also played basketball at Sam Houston State University from 1956 to 1957.  Corley then in 1966 managed a 4,000-acre ranch in Big Well, Texas and a 2,600 ranch in Montgomery County for 12 years.  In 1970 Corley was elected to the Board of Trustees in Montgomery County and served two 3 year terms.  Corley was then elected to Commissioner of Pct. #3 in 1976 and served until 1980.  Corley was serving on the Chamber Board when he was asked to run for Sheriff.   Corley went to the police academy in Houston which was put on by Texas A&M.  Corley also was appointed by Texas Governor Mark White to the Texas Jail Standards Commission and served one 6-year term.

Corley attended the two-week FBI Administrative School in the early 1980s.  Corley was also elected to the American Police Hall of Fame in Titusville, FL for his work on serial killer Henry Lee Lucas.  Corley was also featured in Who’s Who of Law Enforcement in the Library of Congress.

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Guy Lynn Williams
1993-2005

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