Frank Patten Gracey

Narrative:

     Frank Patten Gracey was born on 7 Nov 1890 in Clarksville, Tennessee.^8,9,10
     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
     Frank was a first lieutenant in the 1st Regiment Infantry, National Guard of Tennessee, by Mar 1912.²²
     Frank was involved in a serious automobile accident in the early hours of 23 Jul 1912, when he was driving his father's new Overland touring car. He and two other prominent young men from Clarksville, Sylvester Sullivan and Norman Young, son of Judge W. B. Young, had driven to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, the night before. They left to return home about 6:00 am but took Palmyra Rd. by mistake, and skidded off the road near Crab Apple Pond. Julian suffered sprains and bruises, but the other two were thrown from the car and suffered more serious injuries. They all returned home by train after treatment.²³
     Frank married first Bess Holland, daughter of Gustavus Adolphus Holland and Amanda Genareo Frazier Wynn, on 6 Jan 1914 in Shelby Co., Tennessee, with Rev. E. Stirling Gunn officiating.^11,12,13 It appears that Frank and Bess became acquainted through his sister, Elizabeth, who entertained Bess with a new year dance at the courthouse in 1911, with music by the Clarksville Orchestra. How they met is unknown, but perhaps they had met at school. Why the couple married in Memphis is also unknown. Press accounts of their marriage in his hometown described the marriage "as a complete surprise to many friends in this city." While she was mentioned often in the society pages of of the Fort Worth newspapers before her marriage, no mention of their marriage appears there. They settled in Clarksville after the marriage, temporarily at his father's home.^24,25

An Attempt to Join the Conflict with Mexico --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     A meeting was held in Clarksville on 24 Jun 1916 to organize a machine gun company to be attached to the First Tennessee Regiment, to support the growing hostilities with Mexico. Frank, named as a lieutenant, was reported to be expecting a commission at any time, and the company to be ordered into duty by the following week. The local press reported this development with great excitement, on page one, after the city had waited too long to organize in infantry company.²⁶
     Four days later the local press reported a delegation had gone to Nashville and learned that a machine gun company could not be mustered in until the First Tennessee Regiment was organized, which had not yet happened. The local company was never actually organized.^27,28

Failing to Join Combat in World War I --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Frank was accepted at the Reserve Officers' Training Camp at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, on 17 May 1917, along with a number of other men from Clarksville.²⁹
     Frank was commissioned as Captain in the First Tennessee Field Artillery Regiment 24 May 1917. He was ordered to Clarksville to await further orders.^29,30 Frank registered for the draft for World War I on 5 Jun 1917, while living in 611 Madison Street, Clarksville, Tennessee, reporting he was employed as a Captain, 1st Tennessee Field Artillery. He said he had seven years service with the National Guard, holding the rank of first Lieutenant.¹
     On 6 Jun 1917 Frank, identified as Supply Company Captain, reported to his superior that he had recruited 14 men for his company, all the sons of some of the most prominent people of Clarksville. He said by the end of the week he expected to be able to report more than 30 volunteers for the artillery.³¹
     That fall, under a reorganization of the Tennessee National Guard, the Regiment became the 114th Field Artillery. In Nov 1917 Frank was relieved of his command of Headquarters Company at his own request, and was assigned as adjutant of the First Battalion.^32,33
     For reasons not now clear, Frank decided he wanted to leave the 114th Field Artillery, and he requested a transfer to another branch of the service. When his request was declined, he offered his resignation, which was accepted effective 4 Mar 1918.^34,35
     He then went to Washington and offered his services to the War Department, but concluded getting an appointment would be delayed. So he enlisted in the 95th United States Engineers Regiment as it seemed that unit would soon be sent to France. After two days as a private at Camp Meade, Maryland, he was discharged because of two acute attacks of inflammation of his hear, caused by exposure at Camp Sevier the previous winter.³⁴

Return to Civilian Life --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Frank and Bess appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of Montgomery Co., Tennessee, at Port Royal Rd., enumerated 27 Jan 1920, reporting they owned their farm. His father, Julien Frank Gracey, is listed as living with them, as are two black servants, Alice Johnson, a cook, and Russell McKoin, a farm laborer.³⁶
     He was a farmer, on his own farm in 1920, then joined the firm of F. P. Gracey & Brother where he was in charge of river transportation.^37,38,39 In Nov 1924 he and others announced the introduction of a weekly barge service on the Cumberland River from Nashville to Cairo, Illinois, where freight could be transferred to a federal government-owned line serving the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, as far as New Orleans. The promoters claimed this allowed shipment of baled tobacco from any Cumberland River port below Nashville, including Frank's terminal in Clarksville, to destinations as far as Europe for the first time since the Civil War.⁴⁰
     Frank and Bess were divorced before 1928.¹⁴
     Frank married second Margaret Lura Hawkins, daughter of William N. Hawkins and Addie Johnson Riggins, on 14 Jan 1928 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee, with W. B. Corlew, justice of the peace, officiating.^15,16,17
     Frank and Margaret settled in Detroit, Michigan, after their marriage. What took them there is unknown.^41,42

Dealing with the Family Business --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     His father died 6 Apr 1929 without a will, so under the law Frank and his seven siblings were each entitled to an equal share of the estate. The estate was not divided, but each of the heirs received an undivided one-eight interest in the whole estate.⁴³ 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 to the executors of their father's estate, who was to hold it in trust and pay each of them their share of the rents after expenses.⁴⁴ 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.⁴⁵
     Frank and Margaret returned to Tennessee by 1930. They appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, at 104 Greenwood Ave., enumerated 5 Apr 1930, reporting they rented their home, for $35.00 per month, and owned a radio.⁴⁶
     Frank and his siblings decided to transfer the trusteeship of the estate inherited from their parents to their brother Julien, which was done 17 Aug 1932.⁴⁷ On 16 Nov 1932 they transferred the estate to the newly incorporated firm of F. P. Gracey and Brother, Inc., with Julien as president. Each of them received 125 shares in the new corporation.^48,49
     The firm of F. P. Gracey and Brother, Inc., was sold in Nov 1936, with the new owners saying they would continue to operate under the same firm name with the same employees.⁵⁰
     Frank continued operate a tobacco warehouse after the family business was sold. In 1940 he reported he had worked 45 hours the last week of March, and 52 weeks the prior year.⁵¹
     Frank and Margaret appeared on the 1940 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, at 417 Greenwood Ave., enumerated 8 Apr 1940, reporting they rented their home, for $25 per month, and that they had lived in rural Montgomery Co. in 1935. Their son Frank was listed as living with them.⁵²
     Frank and Margaret moved to Riverside, California, where their son was living, in 1958.³
     Frank died on 17 Feb 1967 in Riverside Co., California, at age 76, at his home.^18,19,20 He was buried in Olivewood Cemetery, Riverside, Riverside Co., California.²¹