NEW ZEALAND PHOTOGRAPHER AND CALIFORNIA ARTIST - Frank Berry Standish

Frank Berry Standish

I made my first trip to Los Angeles in 1979.  Once I had decided to make a pilgrimage to the land of the stars I put a list together of everything I wanted to see.  Item #1 of course was the grave of Rudolph Valentino at the (then) Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery.  The second item was also cemetery related:  I wanted to go to Forest Lawn.  I have been in countless cemeteries both in the United States and elsewhere, and I can truly say that there is no cemetery quite like Forest Lawn.  Dr. Hubert Eaton truly was a visionary when he created the first "Memorial Park."  

During the years as I collected Forest Lawn memorabilia I picked up three postcards, each of which portrayed in living color some aspect of Forest Lawn.  Here they are:

The Wee Kirk O' the Heather

The Little Church of the Flowers

 

Memorial Court of Honor

On the backs of each of these postcards it said "From the Painting by F. B. Standish."  Before we go any further into Forest Lawn, let's see what we can "dig up" about F. B. Standish.

Frank Berry Standish was born in Chelsea, Middlesex, England on March 10, 1860 to William Standish (1815-1901) and Mary E. Berry (1818-1868).  William Standish was a Yorkshire born artist who specialized in animal painting.  Frank's grandfather John Standish (c.1767-1850) was also an artist, so it seems that Frank came by his talent naturally.

Frank's parents had married November 28, 1838 in St. Peters Church, Leeds, West Yorkshire England.  They were blessed with a total of three children:  Charles William (1839-1913),  Florence Catherine Mary/Mrs. Joshua Taylor (1856-1918) and Frank Berry (1860-1944).

Frank makes his first appearance in the 1861 Census of England.  The family was living at 46 Stanley Street, Chelsea:

46 Stanley Street, Chelsea

The family consisted of:  William (45 years old), Mary (43), Charles (23), Florence (5) and Frank (1).  William said his occupation was "Animal Painter", and Charles said he was an "Engineer". 

Frank's mother, Mary Elizabeth Berry died May 22, 1868 at home, which was at that time 135 Kings Road, Chelsea, Middlesex, England.  The Chelsea Antiques Market occupies that site today.  She was forty-nine years old.  She was buried at the Brompton Cemetery in West Brompton, Plot AJ, 176.6, 89.0.  There is no photo of her grave on her Find a Grave memorial page.  Currently there are 2,261 open photo requests for the Brompton Cemetery, so it is unlikely that a photo could be gotten that way.  The cemetery will provide full burial records plus a photo for 31 Euros so we will have to do without a photo of her grave.

Frank next appears in the 1871 Census of England.  At this time the family was living at 10 Downs Park Road, West Hackney, London:

10 Downs Park Road, West Hackney, London

The family now consisted of:  William (53 years old), Florence (15), and Frank (11).  William reported his occupation as "Animal Painter".

It must have been hard to make a living as an "Animal Painter" because on April 26, 1878 William Standish was convicted of "stealing money" and sentenced to one year of hard labor at the Bedfordshire Gaol (Jail).  

Bedfordshire Gaol

Here is the record of his conviction:

After his release in 1879 he resumed his activities as a pickpocket - but not for long.  Here is the whole sordid tale from the London Standard newspaper from October 20, 1880:

By 1880 Frank has decided that he has had enough of his father's escapades and left England altogether - he moved to New Zealand.  

The New Zealand Electoral Roll for 1880 shows Frank Berry Standish is living at 233 North Belt, Christchurch, New Zealand.   That address no longer exists.  His occupation is listed as "Photographer."

In 1885, photographers Frank Berry Standish and Alfred Ernest Lyttelton Preece founded the studio Standish and Preece.  The original partnership lasted only five years.  Standish moved to California in 1890 but the business retained his name. It remained Standish and Preece even after Preece retired in 1945.  Standish and Preece lasted for 135 years, not closing until 2020.

Alfred Preece

On September 11, 1888 Frank Berry Standish married  Eleanor Gordon Cross (1869-1946) at the Holy Trinity Church, Christchurch, New Zealand.  The groom was 28 years old and the bride was 19. 

Holy Trinity Church, Christchurch, New Zealand

Eleanor Gordon Cross was born February 7, 1869 in Dunedin, New Zealand, the daughter of Frederick James Cross (1841-1910) and Elizabeth Smith (1840-1918).  They married January 7, 1862 in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Frederick Cross was a Banker by trade.  Frederick and Elizabeth were blessed with nine children:  Henry (1863–1895), Frederick (1864–1902), Eleanora Gordon/Mrs. Frank Standish (1869-1946), Robert John (1870–1888), Agnes Darroch (1871–????), Frances Jane (1874–1892), Charles Edward (1876–1943), James Edmund Willougby (1878–), and Mabel Liddell (1882–1891).   

On July 04, 1889, Frank and Eleanor Standish were blessed with a daughter, Elaine Maud Standish (1889-1976).

The partnership with Alfred Preece was dissolved on 17 March 1890 and Frank Standish left Christchurch to live in California,  Before he left, he realized that it would literally cost a fortune to ship all of his household goods from New Zealand to San Francisco.  So he decided to sell all his household effects at auction in April.  Here is how the auction was described:

180, Salisbury Street West, Near Park Terrace.

Tuesday, 8th April 1890, at twelve noon. Under the esteemed favour of the positive orders of F. B. Standish, Esq., who is leaving the Colony, MESSES A. BEAUCHAMP & CO. will hold a perfectly unreserved SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION, On the Premises, as above, of beautiful furniture and household effects. Valuable paintings, choice gems of works of art, curios, bric-a-brac, contained in a refined and well-appointed home.

A house built in 2000 occupies 180 Salisbury Street West today.

There seems to be some discrepancy as to when Frank Standish and his family left New Zealand and came to America.  Some sources say 1890, some say 1891, and others say 1898, but inasmuch as all their household goods were sold on April 8, 1890 I think it is safe to say that they emigrated in 1890.

The San Francisco Chronicle in its issue of June 22, 1890 list Standish as part of the "Art Department":

And no, I don't know what a "Zincographer" does.  Perhaps photograph zinc tombstones???

The 1891 San Francisco Directory shows Frank Standish as a "Lithographer," living at 2618 Webster.  A modern building occupies that spot today.

Here is a sample of some of the work he did for the Chronicle.  From the issue dated April 23, 1893 - note his name in the lower right corner:

By 1895 Standish and his wife were moving up in the world.  This is an item from the Santa Rosa section of the "Out of Town Personals" column of the San Francisco Call from August 1, 1895:

The Occidental Hotel, Santa Rosa, California:

The 1896 Directory shows him as the "Chief Artist for the San Francisco Chronicle," and living at 634 Polk Street:

634 Polk Street, San Francisco

The June 6, 1896 issue of the Chronicle reported some bad news about the Standish family:

The 1897 Directory shows him as an "Artist," and still living on Polk.

The 1898 Directory shows him still as an Artist, but now living at 901 Golden Gate Avenue.  A park occupies that spot today.

The 1899 Directory shows him as "Artist-Chronicle," still at 901 Golden Gate.

The 1900 Directory shows him as "Illustrator-Chronicle," living at 1306 Hayes:

1306 Hayes Street, San Francisco

The 1900 US Census shows the Standish family living at 1308 Hayes Street.  The correct address was 1306 Hayes.  The family consisted of:  Frank B. Standish (40 years old), wife Eleanor (32) and daughter Elaine M. (10).  Frank and Eleanor said they had been married eleven years.  Eleanor said she had given birth to one child, and that child was alive in 1900.  Frank said he immigrated in 1890, Eleanor and Elaine in 1891.  Frank gave his occupation as "Artist (newspaper)".

Frank's father William Standish died in London on January 11, 1901.  It is not known if they had any contact after Frank moved to the United States.

By 1901 Frank Standish opened his own studio at 246 Sutter Street, although he continued to do work for the Chronicle.  This is from the issue dated August 24, 1902:

Here is the site of Standish's studio on Sutter:

246-250 Sutter Street, San Francisco

Frank Standish and his family lived in San Francisco until the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906.  After that he was unwilling to stay in San Francisco and moved to Berkeley where he set up a commercial art business.

The December 13, 1908 issue of the Oakland Tribune reported that Standish was building a house in Berkeley:

The 1910 US Census finds the Standish family living at 2737 Ellenwood Avenue in Berkeley.  It appears that at some point Ellenwood Avenue was changed to Elmwood Avenue.  

2737 Ellenwood/Elmwood, Berkeley

The family consisted of:  Frank B. Standish (49 years old), wife Eleanor G. (42) and daughter Elaine M. (19).  Frank and Eleanor reported that it was the first marriage for them both, and Eleanor said she had given birth to one child, who was still alive in 1910.  All three said they had come to the United States in 1891 and were Resident Aliens.  Frank listed his occupation as "Artist-Advertising" and Elaine was a student at the University.  They owned their home free and clear, and they could all read, write and speak English.

On May 24, 1914, Frank and Eleanor's daughter Elaine married Dr. Andrew Moon Massie (1899-1925) at St. John's Presbyterian Church in Berkeley followed by a reception at the family home.   The bride was twenty-four; the groom was twenty-five.

Alameda Times-Star - 24 May 1914

Elaine Standish Massie (Mrs. Andrew Moon)

Elaine Standish Massie and her husband were blessed with three children:  Twins Andrew Harper Massie (1916-2003) and James Standish Massie (1916-2001),  and daughter Eleanor Massie/Mrs. Dean Ramsay Underwood (1918-2010).  

The 1920 US Census finds the Standish family still living at 2737 now Elmwood Avenue in Berkeley, California.  The family now consisted of empty-nesters Frank B. Standish (59 years old) and his wife Eleanor G. (49).  As with the 1910 Census they reported that they owned their home and it did not have a mortgage.  They also reported they were not naturalized citizens.  Frank reported his occupation as "Advertiser for an Engineering Company."

Standish also did landscape painting, especially from his visits to the Santa Clara Valley and Marin County. In 1929, he painted a view of the Palo Alto home of President Herbert Hoover, which he gifted to the President's wife that same year:

Herbert Hoover's Home, Palo Alto, California

We do not know for certain when Standish painted his three views at Forest Lawn.  The Little Church of the Flowers was built in 1918, the Wee Kirk o' the Heather was built in 1929 and the Court of Honor at Memorial Terrace was inaugurated in 1931.  It is safe to say that all three were probably painted in the late 1920s-early 1930s.  Here they are again:

The Little Church of the Flowers

The Wee Kirk o' the Heather

The Court of Honor at Memorial Terrace

Elaine Standish's husband,  Dr. Andrew Moon Massie died on January 10, 1925 when he was thirty-six years old.  Here is his Death Notice from the Berkeley Daily Gazette from January 12, 1925:

The cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis.  He was buried in the Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito, California.  Here is his tombstone:

The 1930 US Census finds that the Standish family has moved out of the house they built on Ellenwood in Berkeley.  Their address was now 86 El Camino Real in Berkeley:

86 El Camino Real, Berkeley, California

The family consisted of:  Frank B. Standish (70 years old), wife Eleanor G. (62), daughter Elaine Massie (39), twin grandsons Andrew Harper and James Standish Massie (14),  and granddaughter Eleanor (11).  They owned their home and said it was worth $15,000.00 ($283,000 in today's funds).  (Note: The house was recently assigned a value of $3.1 million dollars).  They did not report whether or not they owned a radio - but I am certain they did.  Elaine reported that she was a widow.  All three of her children were born in China.  Frank and Eleanor Standish were still Resident Aliens, although Elaine had become a Naturalized Citizen when she married Dr. Massie.  Frank Standish listed his occupation as "Commercial Artist" in his "Own Studio", the rest reported no occupation.

Here are some of F. B. Standish's most well-known paintings:

"Mission Santa Barbara" - Painted 1934

"Grace Deere Velie Metabolic Clinic", Carmel, California

"Mt. Jacinto from the Desert Side"

"A Coastal Scene" 

"1932 Olympic Stadium, Los Angeles, California"

"A view of Blossom Valley with the city of San Jose in the distance", Painted 1929 

The painting above was commissioned by the Muirson Label Company in San Jose, California, supposedly for a label for fruit.  If a label with this image was every created I was unable to find it.

The 1940 US Census finds the Standish extended family still living on El Camino Real in Berkeley.  The family consisted of:  Frank (75 years old), wife Eleanor (70), daughter Mrs. Elaine Massie (48), granddaughter Eleanor (21), and grandson A. Harper (21).  Each member of the family reported that they had completed four years of high school, except for Harper who had completed five years of college.

Frank and Eleanor were still Resident Aliens - the rest were all Naturalized Citizens.  Frank and Eleanor did not report an occupation.  Elaine said she was a Realtor,  Eleanor Massie said she was a "Junior Clerk in University Administration."  

Frank Berry Standish died August 30, 1944.  He was eighty-four years old. Here is his Death Notice from the San Francisco Examiner of  September 2, 1944:

He was interred in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, Main Mausoleum  Columbarium, Second Floor, Section 161, Niche 7, Tier 3:

                                               Photo courtesy Find a Grave Volunteer Gardens of Memory841

Frank Berry Standish - from renowned New Zealand photographer to California Artist - May he rest in peace.

The rest of the story:

Frank's wife, Eleanor Gordon Cross Standish died April 18, 1946.  She was seventy-seven years old.  She is interred with her husband.

Frank's daughter Elaine married Donald Graham (1889-1989) on February 2, 1975.  She had a successful career as a realtor, being a founding partner of Massie and Underwood Realtors.  She died July 5, 1976 in Contra Costa, California.  She was eighty-seven years old.  She was buried with her first husband, Andrew Moon Massie in Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito.  

I first became interested in Frank Standish because of the three postcards of Forest Lawn Memorial Park shown at the beginning of this article.  I assumed that the original paintings were at Forest Lawn.  I was recently informed that the paintings are not in the Forest Lawn collection.  Their current location is unknown.

The internet says that both the San Jose Historical Museum and the Oakland Museum of California have original Frank Standish paintings in their collections.  I recently contacted both museums.  Katrina Anderson, Curator of History San Jose and Meredith Patute Mullins, from the OMCA Research Team both reported that they did not have any Frank Standish paintings in their collections.

If anyone reading this article knows where any original Frank Berry Standish paintings are located, please let me know.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE REAL ESTATE EDITOR - Albert W. "Al" Chase

It has been said that "If Al Chase doesn't know about your real estate deal, it's not worth knowing about."  Al's Find a Grave memorial page says, 

Al Chase, real estate editor of THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE for almost 35 years until his retirement last January, died yesterday in San Antonio, Tex.  Mr. Chase, who went to work on THE TRIBUNE in 1912, was probably the most widely known newspaper real estate editor in the country. 

Before we take a look at the real estate writings of Al Chase, Let's see what we can "dig up" about him.

Albert Winslow Chase was born January 7, 1880 in Riverside, Illinois to David Franklin Chase (1831-1891) and Emily Frances "Emma" Taber (1839-1906).  Some sources spell Emma's last name "Tabor."  

Al's mother had been previously married to James C. Woodbury (1831-1859).  They had been married on June 17, 1857 in LaSalle County, Illinois.  James and Emily had one son:  Frederick (1859-1932).  James Woodbury died in 1859 in LaSalle County, Illinois.  He was 28 years old.

Emily Taber Woodbury married David Franklin Chase on October 11, 1864 in Kane County, Illinois.  The groom was 33; the bride was 25.    

Emily Frances Taber Woodbury Chase

David Franklin Chase

David Chase was a lumber merchant by trade.  He had served in the Civil War, having enlisted on July 16, 1861.  He served as a Sergeant in Battery B (Taylor's Battery), the 1st Illinois Light Artillery and Company K of the 8th Illinois Infantry.  He was severely wounded in battle, and as such received a Disability Pension from the US Government from the time he was discharged on June 19, 1862 until he died.

In addition to their son Al, there was also an older brother, Franklin David Chase (1878-1937).

Here is Al Chase's birth record from January 7, 1880:

Al also appears in the 1880 US Census.  The Chase family was living in the Village of Riverside, Illinois.  The family consisted of:  David Chase (48 years old), Emily (41), Frankie (2) and Albert (5/12).  David listed his occupation as "Retired Lumber Merchant."  Emily was "Keeping House" and the boys were too young for occupations.  

The 1890 US Census record for this area is lost.

Here is a photo of Al Chase in 1890 at age 10:

Al Chase - age 10

Al's father, David F. Chase died on February 9, 1891 in Saginaw, Michigan.  He was fifty-nine years old.  Here is his obituary from the Chicago Inter Ocean from February 19, 1891:

His body was returned to Chicago and he was buried in Oak Woods Cemetery:

For a time in the late 1800s Al and his mother Emma moved to Malden, Massachusetts.  I don't know specifically why they moved there.  Emma had been born in Massachusetts so perhaps she returned to relatives there since she was a widow.

By 1900 Al and his mother parted company.  The Malden city directory for 1900 reported that Emma had moved to Boston and Al had moved to New York.

1900 City Directory for Malden, Massachusetts

I was unable to find Al Chase in the 1900 US Census.

On November 19, 1906, Al's mother, Emma Frances Taber Chase died in Chicago.  She was sixty-seven years old.  Here is her Obituary and Death Notice from the Chicago Tribune of November 21, 1906:

She was buried next to her second husband at Chicago's Oak Woods Cemetery:

In 1908 Al Chase was living in Boston and working as a stockbroker, a position he had held for several years.  He gave that up in 1909 and went on a European tour for six months.  He returned June 1, 1909 from Antwerp, Belgium aboard the SS Marquette.

Upon his return from Europe he moved in with his brother in Chicago and got a job as a cub reported with the Chicago Inter Ocean newspaper.  He was twenty-nine years old.  

Chase took to the newspaper business and eventually worked his way up to Night City Editor of the Inter Ocean.  

The 1910 US Census finds Chase living with his brother at 1655 East 55th Street in Chicago:

1655 East 55th Street, Chicago

   

The family consisted of Frank B. Chase (31 years old), wife Louise C. (26), brother Albert W. (30) and servant Alma Samnetson from Sweden (30).  Frank and Louise had been married five years, and Louise reported she had not given birth to any children.  Frank listed his occupation as Architect for an Industrial Company, and Al said he was a Newspaper Reporter.  All of them could read, write and speak English.  

In 1912 Al Chase made the move to the Chicago Tribune.  He held a myriad of jobs with the Tribune in his early days there.  He was a reporter, copyreader, feature page editor, and market page editor.

While Al was the feature page editor at the Tribune, he met Audrie Alspaugh (1886-1965).  Audrie was a graduate of the University of Iowa (Class of 1910) and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.  Upon graduation, Audrie started working for the Chicago Tribune, first as a reviewer of new books, ultimately becoming the first full time motion picture critic in the country, who wrote under the name Kitty Kelly. 

 

Audrie Arle Alspaugh was born October 24, 1886 in Kansas to Daniel W. Alspaugh (1862-1931) and Mary Frances Willford (1868-1954).  Audrie's parents had married January 5, 1887 in Lucas County, Ohio.  The groom was 25 years old; the bride was 19.  Audrie was their only child.  Throughout his career, Daniel Alspaugh had various back-office jobs with the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.   

Albert Winslow Chase married Audrie Arle Alspaugh on October 30, 1915 at the home of her parents in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.  The groom was 35 years old; the bride was 29.  Here is the announcement of their marriage from the Chicago Tribune of November 2, 1915:

Here is the announcement of their marriage created by their coworkers at the Tribune and published October 31, 1915:

As mentioned, the first home for the newly married Mr. & Mrs. Al Chase was at 5123 N. Winthrop Avenue in Chicago:

5123 N. Winthrop Avenue, Chicago

 
When the United States became involved in World War I, Al Chase enlisted in the Aviation Service of the US Navy.  During the war, he was stationed at the Navy Gas Engine School at Columbia University in New York.  By the time he left the Navy on June 16, 1919 he had achieved the rank of Ensign.

When Al enlisted, his wife Audrie moved back in with her parents in Glen Ellyn.  By the time of the 1920 US Census Al and Audrie were still living with her parents at 503 Hillside in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.  The Glen Ellyn Bible Church occupies that plot today.  The family consisted of:  Daniel Alspaugh (55 years old) as head, wife May (50), son-in-law Albert Chase (40), daughter Audrey (sic) (32), ward Patricia Collins (15) and maid Linda Krunze (18).  Daniel said he owned his home, and had a mortgage.  Daniel was Audit Clerk for a Railroad, May had no occupation, Al and Audrey were both Editors for a Newspaper, Patricia reported no occupation and Linda Kunze was a General Maid in a Private Home.  Everyone could read, write and speak English.

Al Chase's first byline as Real Estate Editor for the Chicago Tribune was on January 28, 1920.  Here it is:

Chase took up this role at an ideal time.  It was the Roaring Twenties - a time of tremendous growth.  Not only was the economy booming, construction was at an all-time high.  New buildings were going up everywhere - residential and commercial - and properties were changing hands as never before.  From his first column on January 28, 1920, to his last on March 1, 1954, if it was real estate related, and was in Chicagoland, Al Chase knew about it and reported on it.  In all the years I have written stories for this blog, I have often related to you what Al Chase reported to Tribune readers.  Let's take a look at some of Chase's most interesting stories.  

January 28, 1920

April 2, 1922

Developers even referenced Al Chase's column in their own advertisements.  This one is from March 30, 1924:

Almost one hundred years later we used this page as part of the documentation we submitted to gain approval for the Oakton Historic District in Evanston, Illinois.  Even though Al is long gone, his name still influences people today.

When Al Chase started writing about Chicago-area real estate news, it took up just one column.  As the market grew, the real estate news graduated to a full page.  By 1926 the real estate news took up an entire section of the Tribune.  This is from May 23, 1926:

These were exciting times to be involved in real estate in Chicago.

The 1930 US Census shows Al and Audrie Chase still living with her parents in Glen Ellyn at 503 Hillside Avenue.  The family consisted of:  Daniel W. Alspaugh (66 years old), wife Mary W. Alspaugh (60), son-in-law Albert W. Chase (47) and his wife Audrie A. (42).  They told the census enumerator that Daniel and Albert owned the house together ("Joint Deed"), and that it was worth $13,000.00 ($246,000 in today's funds).  The family did own a radio.  Al was the only one to list an occupation - Real Estate Editor for a Newspaper.  I guess "Kitty Kelly" had retired from reviewing movies.

By 1931 the Great Depression was in full flower.  The Real Estate section of the Tribune was gone, and Al Chase's column had been relegated to the Finance Section of the paper.  This is from January 8, 1931:

Al Chase's half-brother Frederick Woodbury Chase died August 23, 1932 in Seahurst Park, Washington.  He was seventy-three years old.  Here is his obituary from the Butte (MT) Daily Post from August 27, 1932:

The location of his grave is unknown.

Al Chase's Tribune columns were so important they were often reprinted verbatim in other publications.  This is from the National Hotel Reporter from February 18, 1932:

Chase was often cited by the National Hotel Reporter during the 1920s and 1930s - the "boom and bust" era for Chicago area hotels.

Unfortunately during the Great Depression Chase had to report on foreclosures of commercial properties.  

November 16, 1933

Of course, Chase had to report on the activities of Franklin Roosevelt's Public Works Administration as the country attempted to spend its way out of the Depression:

January 12, 1935

Al Chase reported on the bankruptcy of noted Evanston developer Victor Carlson, who watched as his vast real estate empire slowly fall apart:

August 24, 1935

Al Chase's brother Franklin D. Chase died July 23, 1937 in Evanston, Illinois.  He was fifty eight years old.  Here are his Death Notice and Obituary from the Chicago Tribune, July 24, 1937:

He was buried next to his parents in Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago:

The 1940 US Census shows Al and Audrie Chase still living in Glen Ellyn with one change.  Audrie's father, Daniel W. Alspaugh had died in 1931.  So now the census listed his widow Mary Alspaugh as Head of Household.  She was 71 years old.  Son in law Albert Chase was 56 and daughter Audrey (sic) was 50.  They owned their home but the property that was worth $13,000.00 in 1930 was worth only half that, $6,500.00 in 1940 ($147,000 in today's funds).  The Great Depression decimated real estate values - both residential and commercial.  Al still reported his occupation as Real Estate Editor for a Newspaper.

War was good for real estate, and for getting us out of the Great Depression.  Here is Al's column from December 6, 1941, the day before the day that will live in infamy:

Hard to believe Sears is gone.  I bought my parents' tombstone from Sears.

Like everyone else, Al Chase had to register for the Draft during World War II.  Here is his registration card:

Of course his name is Albert and not Al and he had a middle name: "Winslow."  He was a little guy: only 5' 5 1/2" and 124 lbs.

Yes, war was good for business.  But peace is also good for business - and the real estate market in Chicago was happy to join in the post-war construction boom:

October 13, 1945

By 1946 real estate news was back to being a full page in the Sunday Tribune:

May 19, 1946

In 1947 Al decided to try his hand at reviewing books, like his wife Audrie did way back in 1912:

August 10, 1947

Short and to the point - just like his real estate columns.

Then he tried his hand at reviewing books about home building:

December 7, 1947

By 1950 Al Chase had been writing for the Tribune for thirty years.  In the February 26, 1950 edition, readers got two offerings from Al Chase.  His Real Estate column on page 26:

and his Book Review on Page 108:

All good things must come to an end.  Here is Al Chase's last Real Estate column for the Chicago Tribune from March 1, 1954:

His actual retirement date was January 7, 1955.  Al's retirement was long overdue.  In an age when most people were forced to retire at 65, Al Chase was 75 when he hung up his pen.

After he retired, Al and Audrie Chase wisely decided to avoid the horrendous Chicago winters and spent their winters in San Antonio, Texas.

Al Chase died January 20, 1956 at 703 Rose Hill Drive in San Antonio after suffering a stroke.  

703 Rose Hill Drive, San Antonio, Texas

He was 76 years old.  Here is his Death Certificate:

Here is his obituary from the Tribune of January 21, 1956:

He was cremated at the Mission Crematory in San Antonio.  His cremains were returned to Chicago for final disposition.  He was buried in the Alspaugh family plot in the Allerton Ridge Cemetery in Lombard, Illinois.  Here is his tombstone:

Surprisingly his Year of Birth is listed as "1912."  Al was born in 1880.  1912 was the year he started with the Tribune.  Is he trying to say that's when his life actually began?

Al Chase - proud employee of the once great Chicago Tribune newspaper - may he rest in peace.

The Rest of the Story

Al and Audrie Chase inherited a farm from Audrie's parents, D.W. and Mary Alspaugh.  The farm was called Willow Brook Farm and was on Park Boulevard, 1/2 mile south of Glen Ellyn, Illinois.  It consisted of 43 acres.  It was said to be one of the most beautiful wooded showplaces in the county, traversed by a small stream and containing a small cottage.  The farm had been in the Alspaugh family for years and was especially known for its everbearing strawberries.

Al and Audrie had no children, and Audrie was the last of the Alspaugh line.  After Al's death in 1956, Audrie Alspaugh Chase donated the farm to the DuPage County Forest Preserve District to be used as a wild animal refuge.

Audrie Alspaugh Chase died in San Antonio, Texas on November 19, 1965.  She was seventy-nine years old.  Here is her Death Certificate:

Here is her obituary from the Chicago Tribune from November 22, 1965:

She was cremated at the Sunset Crematory in Dallas, but the ultimate resting place for her remains is unknown.  If she is buried next to her husband Al in the Alspaugh family plot in the Allerton Ridge Cemetery in Lombard, Illinois, her grave is unmarked.