Frederick D. Gardner
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Frederick Dozier Gardner (November 6, 1869December 18, 1933), an
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
businessman and politician from
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, served as the 34th Governor of
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
from 1917 to 1921.


Political career

Gardner was born in
Hickman, Kentucky Hickman is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County, Kentucky, Fulton County, Kentucky, United States. Located on the Mississippi River, the city had a population of 2,365 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census and is classifie ...
; his father was William H. Gardner. H
rose to prominence
in
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
. The only political office he ever sought was a single term as governor, and he narrowly won the election of 1916. However, he did later attend national conventions of the Democratic Party. As Governor of Missouri he oversaw the elimination of the state's debt; it was $2,250,000 when he took office, but the state had over $3,500,000 in the treasury at the end of his term. According to one observer, Gardner was a “progressive-minded governor who kept a good eye on the balance sheet.”A History of Missouri: 1875 to 1919, William Earl Parrish, Gary R. Kremer, Lawrence O. Christensen, 1971 P.199


Businessman

In addition to his political career, Gardner spent 47 years in the funeral industry both as a
funeral director A funeral director, also known as an undertaker or mortician (American English), is a professional who has licenses in funeral arranging and embalming (or preparation of the deceased) involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks o ...
and supplier,Beck, Todd Van. (June 2008) "Gov. Gardner: Funeral Director of the People". American Funeral Director 131(6),72-72 starting his career as an office boy. He worked for the Ellis Undertaking Co.
M. Hermann & Son
Livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol, or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery often includes elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...
& Undertaking, and the Southern Undertaking Co., all located in St. Louis. He eventually owned the St. Louis Coffin Co., and served as its president. He was also vice president of Gardner Motor Co. which operated in St. Louis from 1920 to 1932 an
manufactured
hearses A hearse () is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin to a funeral, wake, or graveside service. They range from deliberatel ...
and
ambulances An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...
. He also operated
casket Casket or caskets may refer to: * Coffin, a box used for the display and interment of corpses * Casket (decorative box), a decorated container, usually larger than about in width and length, but smaller than a chest ** Chasse (casket), a decora ...
manufacturing plants in
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,
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
;
Texarkana The Texarkana metropolitan statistical area (MSA), as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, is a two-county region anchored by the Twin cities (geographical proximity), twin cities of Texarkana, Texas (population 37,33 ...
,
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
; and
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
.Christensen, Lawrence O, (1999) Dictionary of Missouri Biography .


Personal life and death

He married Jeannette Vosburgh in 1894 and they had four children: William King, Dozier, Lee, and Janet Gardner. He was also a
Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
belonging to the historic Tuscan Lodge #360
Masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
Temple. He died December 18, 1933, in
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
, from an infection of the jaw. He was buried in the
Bellefontaine Cemetery Bellefontaine Cemetery is a nonprofit, non-denominational cemetery and arboretum in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1849 as a rural cemetery, Bellefontaine has several architecturally significant monuments and mausoleums such as the Louis Su ...
there with full Masonic rites.


References


External links


Gardner Motor Cars
* 1869 births 1933 deaths American funeral directors Democratic Party governors of Missouri Funeral transport Burials at Bellefontaine Cemetery People from Fulton County, Kentucky {{Missouri-politician-stub