Frederick William Traudt as a youth in Poplar Bluff. Photo from collection of Brian Kunde.

In 1911 he lived in the “Turner Addition” of Poplar Bluff and worked as a “lather”. It is not clear if he was on his own at this time or still lived with his parents.

Frederick married (first), September –, 1911 in —, —, Hazel M— Sherman. She was born November –, 1892 in Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana, the daughter of William H— Sherman and Lillie May (Moss) Sherman. Hazel was half Cherokee.

Children:

1. John William Traudt, born December 2, 1911 in —, Missouri.
2. Naomi Judith Traudt, born December 31, 1916 in Poplar Bluff, Butler County, Missouri.

The Traudt family, ca. 1919. L-R: John, Fred, Naomi, Hazel.  Photo from collection of Brian Kunde.	Fred and children, winter 1937. L-R: Naomi, Fred, John.  Photo from collection of Brian Kunde

The marriage ended in divorce.

According to his sister Anna, Frederick enlisted in the army and joined the cavalry, serving as a cook, chef and baker. He is said to have been stationed in Hawaii for some years and afterwards in Arizona and New Mexico during the bandit troubles on the Mexican border.

Frederick is known to have served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps from August 2, 1916 to April 5, 1919. Whether this service was identical or in addition to the service cited above is uncertain.

On August 23, 1916, from El Paso, Texas, he wrote to his brother Ted in Missouri that “everything is quiet here now. In fact too quiet.”

According to Anna, on one occasion when he was patrolling the border on horseback, he and his horse both fell asleep, having been on guard duty for twenty-four hours. The horse stepped in a hole and fell on him, rupturing a valve in his heart. He was sent to the government army hospital in Pasadena, California, where he spent two years recuperating.

In April, 1917 Hazel Traudt was living in Poplar Bluff.

In 1919 Fred was discharged for disability and pensioned. According to his obituary he was a veteran of World War I, though in view of his injury and recovery time it is unlikely that he saw active service. His heart problem is said to have persisted all his life.

In 1923 he was living in San Francisco, and put up his mother and sister for a month there that spring when they moved to California from Missouri.

In 1927 Fred went on a trip to the east, taking a job on a boat that went through the Panama Canal. He went to New York to look up his father's family, and called on his Aunt Laura in Brooklyn. On September 6 he was in Newark, New Jersey, where his father had been born. He returned by way of Missouri, where in October he visited his ex-father-in-law Mr. Sherman, and his children. He said the family had no use for Hazel's second husband. He also visited the graves of his father and brother Albert in Poplar Bluff. He reported the town was “pretty well shot.” On the 15th he was staying at the Laclede Hotel, 6th & Chestnut Streets, Saint Louis, and wrote his brother Ted he planned to take the night bus to Detroit and try to accumulate some money there before attempting the return trip to California.

Later Fred moved to Oakland and opened a small restaurant called the “Percolator Shop.” He tried to persuade his mother to settle there as well, but she preferred small towns.

At some point Frederick started living under the assumed name of Harold E. Gray‚ or Harry Gray. He is said to have done this either to conceal his whereabouts from his first wife or to avoid the anti-German prejudice during the First World War.

Frederick William Traudt, ca. 1945.  Photo from collection of Brian Kunde.	Fred and Winifred Traudt, ca. 1933.  Photo from collection of Brian Kunde.	Winifred Litteral Traudt, ca. 1955.  Photo from collection of Brian Kunde

Frederick married (second), January 10, 1925 in —, Winifred Mildred Litteral. She was born October 17, 1905 in San Diego, San Diego County, California, the daughter of Winfield Scott Litteral and Winifred (Mack) Litteral. They had no children, though Winifred had a daughter from a previous relationship, as follows:

Children:

1. Elizabeth Anne Litteral (Betty), born January 11, 1923 in San Francisco, California.

In 1930 the Grays were living at 1303 Fruitvale Avenue, Oakland. Harold’s occupation was given as proprietor of a restaurant.

In 1933 Frederick resided at 1525 Fruitvale Avenue, Oakland, under the name of Harry Gray. His occupation was given as cook.

In 1934 the Grays were living in a house at 1811 27th Avenue, Oakland. Harold's occupation was given as cook. The couple has not been identified in the Oakland city directory after 1934, although Harold is said to have continued to own his restaurant in Oakland as late as the time of the San Francisco World's Fair in 1939.

In 1940 the Grays were living at 1832 Franklin Street, San Francisco California. Harold's sister-in-law and niece Virginia and Barbara Litteral were living with the family. Harold was employed as a sales clerk at a cigar company, Winifred as an office clerk with a telegraph company, and Virginia as an operator with a telephone company.

Harold is reported to have lived in downtown San Francisco before World War II, and in the Sunset District during the war. During this period he is said to have been a hotel clerk.

About 1945 Harold and his wife moved to Millbrae, San Mateo County, California, where they spent their remaining years together. They first appear in the city directory of the year 1946. From that year through Harold's death they lived in a house at 835 Chadbourne Avenue, Millbrae, as Mr. and Mrs. Harry E. Gray. Harold's occupation was given as government employee in 1946, and as tobacco salesman in 1953 and 1954. In 1960 he was employed as a clerk at the Commercial Club in San Francisco.

In June, 1960 he suffered a heart attack while he and his wife were camping in Big Basin, Santa Cruz County, California. He was taken to Menlo Park Veteran's Hospital and died there June 29, 1960. Funeral services were held July 1, 1960 at 1 P.M. from Chapel of the Highlands, Millbrae. Survivors included his stepdaughter Betty Clark, then living in Millbrae, California in 1960. Interment was on the same date at the Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California, in section 2b, site 1546. His grave bears a marker with the following inscription:

Winifred married (second), November 19, 1960 in —, Monterey County, California, Herbert Hamilton Rickey. He was born December 16, 1899 in San Diego, San Diego County, California, the son of Henry Lithgow Rickey and Minnie Galena (Wilcox) Rickey. It was Herbert's third marriage, he having previously espoused Evelyn Crocket, with whom he had one son, Donn Arthur Rickey, and Gerbina Biagi.

Winnifred and Herbert Rickey, December 25, 1962.  Photo from collection of Brian Kunde

Winifred Rickey died March 30, 1978 in Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California. Interment was in San Mateo, San Mateo County, California.

Herbert Rickey died September 8, 1979 in Carmichael, Sacramento County, California. Interment was in San Mateo, San Mateo County, California.