G. B. Frazier - A Family Mystery

The day that I discovered this funeral card tucked away in my Aunt Oletha's dresser drawer is still very fresh in my mind.  The early 1990s scanned image does not do the card visual justice.  In spite of weathering West Texas dust, the card has a beautiful black matte background with glittering gold lettering. More importantly, it is the only documentation of the death of my great-grandfather, George Bright Frazier. There are tidbits of his life that have been storied down to the family. Some of which I will share. Beginning with his death working backwards. G. B. Frazier was a local brick mason in the Comanche, Hamilton counties of Texas. At age 65, he and Mr. Little were atop a three-story scaffold braced at the bottom of a gully behind the local school in Gustine, Texas. During the remodel process to remove the second floor of the school, the scaffolding gave way. Both men plummeted to the gully below.  Severely injured, G.B. survived the fall and was carried home and laid to rest on the sofa where he died later that evening. His obituary found in Hamilton County did not list his name correctly but the facts clearly point to G.B. Frazier. In the Hamilton Herald and Record, published September 23, 1921 it reads: "W.S. Frazier of Gustine died on Monday night at his home in that city, his death being caused by falling from the Gustine school building Monday afternoon while building some flues. Mr. Frazier was well known here, having lived here for a number of years. He was a stone mason and assisted in erecting a number of stone business houses here. Mr. Frazier had many friends who will regret to learn of his untimely death." 

After many years into genealogy studies, I finally happened upon his original marriage certificate in Lampasas County, Texas.  Once again, I had to accept a misspelling of his name in the record index.  Even though the document is clearly George B. Frazier and Sarah F. Hill.  They were married in Bell County, however the marriage license remained unclaimed at the Lamapasa Courthouse until 2008.   

Each document brings our family a step closer to understanding the lad that left Kentucky under mysterious circumstances at age 16, Texas bound.  Some say, he was running from the law because he had murdered someone.  The stories differ as to the victim of the crime, some say he murdered his teacher, another version is he murdered his brother by accident.  Nevertheless, the link to his past, his parents remains elusive.