Frazier - William
William H. FRAZIER
Source: Montana, its story and biography. Chicago: American Historical Society, 1921, p. 974
The name of Frazier has been associated with the banking history of Phillips County for some years, and one of the soundest financial institutions of this part of the state, the Farmers & Merchants State Bank of Saco, has William H. Frazier as its vice president and he is otherwise interested in the commercial affairs of his locality. he was born at Crawfordsville, Indiana March 6, 1883, a son of Austin H. Frazier, and grandson of William. William Frazier was one of the early settlers of Montgomery County, Indiana going there from Chillicothe, Ohio when all of that part of the state was in the woods and he bore well his part of its development and improvement. He married Mary Ann VanGundy, and they had 9 children of whom one son, David served in the union army during the ware. Austin H. Frazier was born in Montgomery County IN in August 1850 and was reared on his father's farm. He supplemented the educational training he received in the rural schools with a course in the Northern Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso, In and spent some years as a public school teacher. Later he moved to Worcester, Mass where he is now living. He married Mary Adkins, a daughte rof Dr. Adkins who located in Indiana prior to the war between the sattes and Mrs. Frazier was born in that state. She died in 1887, having been the mother of: William H, who was the eldest and miss Nancy Frazier who died in young womanhood at Covington, Indiana. William H. Frazier learned to be a farmer under his father's instruction but perhaps inspired by the fact that Gen. Lew Wallace, author of Ben Hur, was a near neighbor of the family and he as a child played in his dooryard he felt urged to develop his faculties and attended Wabash Collge and after two years in that institution entered the University of Minn from which he graduated in 1907 with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He then became assistant professor of soils and chemistry and he still maintains connection with educational matters as a member of the Saco School Board although he left the schoolroom in Fall 1913 when he came to Montana. On Nov 1, 1913, he assumed the duties pertaining to the position of assistant cashier of the 1st National Bank, Saco holding it for 3 years, when he became one of the organizers of the Farmer & Merchant State Bank, Saco. This bank was chartered May 1916 with a capital of $20,000 and opened its doors for business in thefollowing August with these officials: Harry Vagg, president; William H. Frazier, VP; and Gus Dalquist, cashier and these gentleman are still in office. The bank has a surplus of $5000 and its deposits average $250,000 annually. On Aug 11, 1915, Mr. Frazier was united in marriage at Saco, Montana Alene McGregory, a daughter of Henry and Nellie Harris McGregor. Mrs. Frazier was born at St. Cloud, Mn but she was brought to Montana in childhood and completed her educational training in the University of Montana from which she was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Not only was she a public school teacher but elected county superintendent of schools for Valley County and was holding that office at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Frazier have a daughter, Mary Ann born Oct 28, 1918. Like his father Mr. Frazier is a strong republican and great admirer of Col. Roosevelt to whom he gave his first presidential vote. He is a Mason, belonging to Saco Lodge No. 94, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of which he is a past master nad belongs to the local chapter of the Eastern Star, of which he was the first patron. He is also a member of the Minneapolis Consistory and Mystic Shrine of Minneapolis. During the late war Mr. Frazier was very active in committee work on the various drives as well as a generous personal contributor and through his aid all of the allotments were filled for Saco. A man of education, carefully trained and experienced, he is well fitted for the dignified position he occupies, and his advice is sought and followed in many matters of public welfare as well as private enterprise, and it would be difficult to find one who is held in higher respect by his fellow citizens than he.