Chauncey M. Frazee 42

I have only heard one story about Uncle Chauncey - and it appears to be a victim of the Telephone Game.  It was that Chauncey worked as a chauffer for a star in Hollywood and drove a huge Duesenberg sedan.  When that was replaced, they offered to sell it to Chauncey for a very small amount, but Chauncey declined thinking that he had no need to waste his money on it. What would he do with it?  Of course, when I was told the story, a 1930 Duesenberg sedan would have been worth a quarter of a million dollars and it would have been a great investment.

I wish I could clear up this story 100%, but my research is also clouded by speculation but is based on facts that I have found.  First, Uncle Harry also worked as a chauffer based on the 1910 census, and as they were living in California, Uncle Harry might have driven for a Hollywood movie star. Next, Chauncey was hired by Clark Browning of Toledo, a real estate investor, who from 1895 to 1915 hired and replaced several staff, but Chauncey lasted for 25 years. He and Elizabeth apparently sold their little home and moved in with Harriet after Mr. Browning died in 1931.  It would appear that Mrs. Browning, who was childless and 25 years older, had strong maternal feelings for the Frazees who had lost their only child, Adam, as a stillborn in 1915, shortly after he was hired.  Any transfer of title for a fancy car, would have been only that.  The car would have been kept in the same garage and filled up with the same gas.  Also, considering that the story was probably from the family reunion in Oceanside in 1937; Chauncey was 48 and Mrs. Browning was 74 and it would make more sense that she would be dying in a short time and he would most likely inherit the car.  Few people would imagine that she would outlive him by sixteen and a half years.

What follows immediately is Chauncey's obituary which I transcribed word for word from the newspaper. It seemed like such a tragedy to include without correction, that I wrote up a better obituary for him.

FRAZEE—CHAUNCEY, 2135 Park-

wood Ave., Nov. 15 (1939) Husband of

ary, Collingwood Memorial, where

Elizabeth, brother of Alma, Harry,

Services will be Friday, 2:30 p.m.

Interment Woodlawn.  -- TOLEDO

BLADE, Nov. 16, 1939.

FRAZEE – CHAUNCEY, 50, caretaker for Mrs. Harriet Browning of 2135 Parkwood Ave. died Wednesday, November 15, of (unknown, unnatural causes).  Mr. Frazee was born in Oceanside, California to Doniphan and Martha Frazee, December 18, 1888. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Mroczkowski Frazee, a sister and four brothers, nine sisters and brothers-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by their only son, Adam.  Services will be held at Collingwood Memorial, Friday, 2:30 p.m. Interment will be at Woodlawn Cemetery, 1502 West Central Ave.