Donald Gracey

Narrative:

     Donald Gracey was born on 31 Jul 1899 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.¹ He appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, in the household of his parents.²
     Donald attended Southwestern Presbyterian University, Clarksville, which moved to Memphis in 1925 and is now known as Rhodes College, after which the campus was used by Austin Peay State University.^19,20
     Donald registered for the draft for World War I on 12 Sep 1918, while living in 611 Madison Street, Clarksville, Tennessee, reporting he was employed as a student at Southwestern Presbyterian College.³ He drafted into the U.S. Army 5 Oct 1918, at Southwestern Presbyterian University, Clarksville. No details of his service have been found. He was discharged 10 Dec 1918.^21,22
     He appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, in the household of his father, Julien Frank Gracey.²³
     Donald attended University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, for the 1919-1920 and 1920-1921 terms. While there he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.^24,25,26
     Donald, and his brother-in-law Sidney Baxter Outlaw, were in business together as the Grange Coal Company, in Clarksville in the fall of 1924. The business seems to have been short-lived, as no mention of it has been found of it outside of that time period.²⁷
     His father died 6 Apr 1929 without a will, so under the law Donald 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.²⁸ 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.²⁹ 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.³⁰
     Donald married Finley Elder, daughter of Martin Wallace Elder and Sarah Finley Williams, on 12 Nov 1929 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee, with Rev. J. H. Lacy officiating.^11,12,13
     Donald and Finley appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, at 226 Castle, enumerated 7 Apr 1930, reporting that they owned a home valued at $4,000, and owned a radio.³¹
     Donald and his siblings decided to transfer the trusteeship of the estate inherited from their parents to their brother Julien, which was done 17 Aug 1932.³² 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.^33,34 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.³⁵
     Donald operated a "loosefloor," where loose leaf (as opposed to bailed) tobacco was stored and auctioned to buyers, in the Gracey Warehouse for many years. He announced he would continue to operate that business there under a long-term lease when the warehouse was sold by the new owners of F. P. Gracey & Bro. in May 1937.^36,37,38 Donald engaged in other businesses as well. In Apr 1936 he announced that he and Mack Bellamy had become agents for the Superfex, an oil-burning refrigerator being marketed to rural households without electricity. The agency was operated in an office on the first floor of the Gracey Warehouse.³⁹ In late 1940 Donald and Mack Bellamy moved their loose floor operation a half block away, to the J. T. Biggers factory building.⁴⁰
     Donald and Finley appeared on the 1940 Federal Census of Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, in the household of her mother, reporting that they had lived in the same house in 1935.⁴¹
     Donald registered for the draft for World War II on 16 Feb 1942, while living at 122 Glenwood Ave., Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, reporting he was self-employed.⁴²
     He was involved in establishing a burley market in Clarksville in 1947, and served terms as president of the Clarksville Board of Trade and the Clarksville Loose Floor Association.⁴³ He sold the last of his tobacco interests, in the Bright Leaf Warehouse, on 2 Jan 1979, and retired.⁴⁴
     Donald died on 14 Jan 1986 in Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee, at age 86.^14,15,16 He was buried on 16 Jan 1986 in Greenwood Cemetery, Clarksville, Montgomery Co., Tennessee.^17,18