Frederick Hobart Edie Mertz, III, played by William Frawley, is a fictional character in the 1950s American sitcom I Love Lucy. Fred was born and raised on a farm in the midwest, probably in or near Steubenville, Ohio, although in one episode Ethel claims that Fred's mother comes once a year from Indiana. Fred is of Irish descent and has at least one brother. He toured the country in vaudeville before retiring to New York City. He is a World War I veteran and is married to Ethel Mae Louise Roberta Potter Mertz, and they often jokingly make fun of each other. Their wedding anniversary is May 3. Ethel often calls Fred a "fat old goat", and in return Fred calls Ethel the "bottomless pit" due to her voracious appetite. Having been "wiped out" in the Great Depression, he is a penny-pincher and gives Ethel very little money. Nevertheless, Fred always has the money when an investment opportunity comes along. As a young man, Fred was in vaudeville with his friend, Barney Kurtz, as the duo of 'Mertz and Kurtz'. Later, Fred continued in Vaudeville with his wife, the former Ethel Mae Louise Roberta Potter.