I am trying to find out as much as I can about my 83-year-old mother's father while she is still with us and can enjoy what I discover. Frank Marion Carson (1879-1932) died when she was a baby. My mother has two bad photos of him and the following story from her mother.

Frank's dad, Francis Alexander Carson, died when he was young and the kids had to go live with an uncle and work in his store. Frank's mother was Isabelle and may have remarried to another Carson as Frank wrote her name as "Isabelle Carson" on his 1917 draft card. Maybe she married his uncle (her brother-in-law).

Frank thought his uncle took or squandered his inheritance so he and his little brother, Charlie, stole from the store and ran away. Frank was 16 at the time and Charlie was younger. They went to Colorado to pan for gold and then to other places out west. Frank then joined the merchant marines and traveled the world. I don't know what happened to Charlie. They also had a sister who did not join them on their journey. Frank and Isabelle were from Kansas City, Missouri. His dad, Francis Alexander Carson, was born in New York. I do not know Frank's uncle's name or the type of store.

Frank came to Tampa, Florida to join the Spanish American War in 1898 but his wife, Grace, tried to collect a pension from the military after he died and they had no record of him. He liked Florida and stayed after the war, eventually settling in Palm Beach, Florida per the 1910 census, which showed he was then a fisherman.

Frank then became one of the founding fathers, and a councilman, of Pompano Beach, Florida. He still fished but also truck farmed (sold produce out of his truck). He planted hundreds of palm trees throughout the area - eventually becoming known as the Johnny Appleseed of palm trees.

At age 53 Frank got sick at home. His wife was tending to him but he told her to go see why the baby was crying (my mother), which she did. When Grace came back into his room he had died, probably of a heart attack.

If you can help me find out anything on Frank or his family I would greatly appreciate it. I cannot find anything on him prior to the 1910 census. Nothing I've found on people with the same names as his parents makes any sense so please do not rely on any info I've saved about them in my Gillette Family Tree or Carson Family Tree. Thank you in advance.