Julien Francis Gracey Jr.

Narrative:

     Julien Francis Gracey Jr. was born on 28 Aug 1888 in Clarksville, Tennessee.^10,11,12
     He appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, in the household of his parents, Julien Frank Gracey and Minnie Irene Thomas.⁴ He appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, in the household of his parents.⁵
     Julien married first Louise Gill, daughter of Ben F. Gill and Mary Yancy, on 10 Nov 1914 in Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, with Rev. E. J. Barnett officating.^13,14,15
     He was a clerk for a railroad in 1910, and was a manager of a factory by 1920.^26,27
     Julien registered for the draft for World War I in Jun 1917, while living at 148 Eleventh, Portland, Oregon, reporting he was employed as ship builder at Northwest Steel Co., foot of Sheridan, Portland.¹
     Julien and Louise appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, at 409 Greenwood Ave., enumerated 7 Jan 1920, reporting that they rented their home, which was part of a two-family dwelling.¹⁵ His sister Hope and her husband were living a few doors away, at 425 Greenwood.²⁹
     Louise filed for divorce from Julien on 9 Apr 1926, in Montgomery Co., Tennessee, on the grounds that he "failed, refused, and neglected to provide" for her. The court approved the divorce six days later, on 15 Apr 1926.^16,17
     Julien married second Iris Brandau, daughter of Dr. John William Brandau and Martha Eleanor McMillan, on 14 Sep 1926 in Clarksville, Montgomery Co., with Rev. Roy H. Biser, minister of First Christian Church, officiating.^18,19,20
     By the mid-1920's Julien was manager of a tobacco loose floor (market for loose tobacco.)³⁰

His Father's Estate --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     His father died 6 Apr 1929 without a will, so under the law Julien and his seven siblings were each entitled to an equal share of the estate. The real estate included his two-thirds interest in the property of F. P. Gracey & Bro. (the other third owned by his son-in-law, Howard M. Perry) which consisted of four lots in the city of Clarksville, including one where the wharf boat office was, one on the Cumberland River, and one known as the grain shed and annex; his summer home, Red Brook, outside of Clarksville; 18 lots in the Clarksville Land Improvement Company’s addition, on Gracey Ave; four lots in the city, including one containing the lower Grange warehouse and another the Gracey warehouse; and a 140-acre parcel outside the city known as the Gracey Ore Bank. The estate was not divided, but each of the heirs received an undivided one-eight interest in the whole estate.³¹
     The heirs decided the property should be held together for five years, and no one of them should have the power to sell or encumber any of the property, nor should the property be liable for any tort or other liability of any one of them. On 1 May 1929 they transferred the real estate inherited from their father, as well as the Gracey homeplace on Madison St., which they had inherited from their mother, where their father had been living and in which he had a life estate, to the executors of the estate, to be held in trust. The trustee was to rent the properties and pay each heir their share of the proceeds after maintenance, insurance, and taxes, at least twice a year. The transfer included the provision that they could unanimously request the property be sold or returned to them.³²
     An inventory of the estate was prepared 5 Oct 1929, showing a total value of $245,904, including over $6,000 in cash, stock and bonds worth over $195,000, two warehouses valued at $37,000, and about $7,000 in other real estate.³³
     Julien purchased the home on College St. that had been owned by Iris's father until his death, from his wife and her four brothers. They lived there until they moved to Texas. The home was later acquired by Austin Peay State University and became the residence of the University's President.^34,35
     There was in illegal still in the basement of the house, and according to local lore "the Captain" sold whiskey from the basement door during prohibition. Julien and Dr. Brandau were the only owners of the home during the prohibition years, so it seems most likely that Julien was the one involved.³⁴
     Julien and Iris appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, at 703 College, enumerated 7 Apr 1930, reporting that they owned a home valued at $7,000 and owned a radio. Their daughter was listed as living with them, as was Annie Martin, an 18-year-old listed as a nurse.³⁶

Becoming Manager of the Family Enterprise --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     The heirs decided to transfer the trusteeship of the estate inherited from their parents to their brother Julien. Hope had died, and her interest was managed by her husband as her executor and trustee for their daughter. They requested their father's executors to transfer all the real estate in the estate to Julian, as trustee, who would not have power to sell or encumber the property except with unanimous consent of all the heirs. The transfer was made on 17 Aug 1932.³⁷
     The heirs, and Howard McLean Perry as executor of his late wife and trustee of their daughter, sold all the real estate, and their two-thirds interest in the personal property of the F. P. Gracey and Brother partnership to the newly incorporated firm of F. P. Gracey and Brother, Inc., on 16 Nov 1932. The personal property included grist and feed mill equipment, trucks, wagons, mules and horses, and office equipment. In return each received 125 shares in the new corporation. Howard separately sold his one-third interest in the property of the F. P. Gracey and Brother partnership to the new corporation, for $6,000. Julien became president of the new corporation.^38,39
     Julien, his six living siblings, and the daughter of their late sister Hope, filed suit against the administrators of their father's estate, charging they failed to exercise proper diligence. They claimed that the estate included certain stocks, worth about $87,000 when the administrators qualified, and they watched the market go up, then down, and took no action. The stocks were still held after a recovery and second fall in 1930, finally being worth less than $30,000. The suit was filed about 1933 and was finally heard 8 Jan 1936, in Gallatin, Tennessee.^40,41
     The court ruled, in an opinion of over 5,000 words, that the administrators were not liable for the claimed $57,000 loss. The court said they were qualified business men who "were caught by the breaks just like some of the best financiers in the United States." However they were found negligent in four other transactions, including buying $3,800 worth of additional U.S. Steel Co. stock, and failing to sell stock in the Northern Bank Trust Co., in which one of them was an executive officer. They were ordered to must pay $12,000 in damages.⁴²
     The firm of F. P. Gracey and Brother, Inc., was sold in Nov 1936 to Thomas E. Johnson and Paul and Buford Rudolph. The sale included all assets of the firm, including the two warehouses, the Gracey loosefloor, the F. P. Gracey Transfer Co., and the Gracey homeplace. The new owners said they would continue to operate under the same firm name with the same employees.⁴³

Disappearing from View --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     On 24 Jun 1937 Julien transferred to Iris the home at College and Henry Sts., Clarksville, that has been the home of her father, which Julian had purchased in 1930 from the heirs. The transfer included all the personal property in it, including all furniture, chinaware, and silverware. The property was subject to a first and second mortgage.⁴⁴
     Julien and Iris were divorced about 1939.^21,22,23
     Julien moved to Texas but just when is unknown. His name appears with seven other as an associate in an advertisement for the A. J. Durrett & Son firm in Clarksville in Dec 1939, but it is not clear he was actually still in the city. He has not been found in the 1940 census, in Tennessee, Texas, or elsewhere.⁴⁵ He registered for the draft for World War II on 13 May 1942, while living at 2621 Rosedale, Houston, Harris Co., Texas, reporting he was temporarily unemployed, and was living with his brother-in-law, Dr. George McMillan Brandau.³
     Julien was living at the Salvation Army, 520 19th St., Galveston, Texas, at the time of his death.²⁴
     Julien died on 14 Jan 1947 in Galveston, Galveston Co., Texas, at age 58, with his remains returned to Clarksville for burial.^24,25 He was buried on 18 Jan 1947 in Greenwood Cemetery, Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee.⁹