John Raney Bertrand was born in Brazoria County, the son of French immigrants who came to Texas before the Texas Revolution. He was a partner in a mercantile business in Washington County for several years before leaving to join the Confederate Army in the Civil War. In 1869 he married Mary Frances Cayce, and moved to Coryell County in 1875, settling on 312 acres. He built a log cabin for his family of eight children, raised livestock and farmed the land.