27 Dec 2009

Freeman Family History

ohn Freeman, a son of Samuel and Maria Freeman, is the only member of his family known to have relocated to the northeastern part of Kansas. He had been living near his parents and several siblings outside the central Kansas town of Abilene, where they had originally relocated from Pennsylvania.

John Freeman

John F. Freeman and
Amanda E. Fase Family,
c.1900 John Franklin Freeman was born 29 Dec 1852 in Hunterstown, Adams County, Pennsylvania. He married Amanda Elizabeth Fase on 02 Dec 1873 in Pinetown, York County, Pennsylvania. During the next four years, their first two children were born in Pennsylvania before they moved to Dickinson County, Kansas, along with a large part of both of their families. John worked here in the town of Abilene as a plasterer, the same profession both his father and grandfather had followed.

John F. Freeman and
Grandchildren, c.1914 Probably c.1890, John and Amanda moved their family to Topeka in Shawnee County, where their eldest daughter, Jennie, married a portrait artist in 1894. They remained here until c.1895, when they continued on to Atchison, Atchison County, Kansas. They and their children were living on the campus of Midland College in 1900, where John was employed as the janitor, and Amanda was the cook. It is probably no coincidence that Jennie’s husband was then an art instructor at the college as well. By 1910, they had moved to a farm outside of town. John was then employed by the Atchison street department from c.1912-1920.

Painting by
Arthur L. Tice,
c.1930’s Amanda died on 23 Feb 1940 and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Atchison. John died 15 Oct 1941 and is next to his wife. Their children were:

1. Jennie Lake (1874-1953) who married Arthur L. Tice 1894 in Topeka and died there as well. Arthur was an art instructor at Midland College in Atchison who was nationally known for painting portraits and biblical scenes.
2. Bertha Catherine (c.1876) who married William F. Booth 1896 and moved to Topeka, Kansas.
3. Grace Marie (1878-1957) who married Roy C. Clark 1903 and died in St. Joseph, Missouri.
4. Mae Estelle (1880-1931) who married James Servaes 1900 and died when struck by a car as a pedestrian in Atchison.
5. Ada Ella (1882-1966) who married Charles Leonard Garrison 1902 and moved to Colorado by 1911. They moved again to Malheur County, Oregon, by 1918 where she died in Nyssa.
6. Laura Agnes (1884-1959) who married Wiley Chapman 1907.
7. John Elmer (1886-1969) who married Mary Etta "Molly" Freeland 1904, but they divorced. John was later convicted of the murder of his girlfriend which took place on the steps of the Atchison post office in 1916. He was subsequently granted a series of paroles to provide for his ailing parents until 1925, before finally serving his sentence in the Kansas State Penitentiary. He was discharged from prison in 1962.
8. Florence Anna (1888-1954) who married Joseph Leonard Barber 1906 and died in Robinson, Kansas.
9. Maggie E. (1891) who married Orma M. Van Arsdale 1909 and moved to Tulsa County, Oklahoma, c.1913.
10. Vera E. (1893) who married William Bennington c.1914, lived with her husband in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1920, but was divorced and living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1930.

Samuel Freeman

John's father was Samuel E. Freeman who was born 24 Dec 1819 in Hunterstown, Adams County, Pennsylvania. On 30 Sep 1847, Samuel married Maria Thoman who was born 27 Jul 1830 in Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania.

Samuel Freeman and
Maria Thoman, c.1880's Samuel’s obituary says that he began working with his father as a plasterer at the age of twelve, and he worked on the Lutheran College in Gettysburg when a boy. This could only have been the now historic Pennsylvania Hall, the first major building on the campus of Pennsylvania College, now called Gettysburg College. It was completed in 1837 when Samuel was only seventeen years old. Family lore also says that Samuel took his children to hear President Lincoln give his now famous Gettysburg Address with his young son, Henry, sitting on his shoulders. This is entirely possible as the family was still living in the area when the speech was given on 19 Nov 1863 at the dedication of the new Gettysburg National Cemetery. It was near the site of the recent Battle of Gettysburg and only a short walk from Pennsylvania Hall.

In August 1877, Samuel, his wife, and most of their children relocated to Dickinson County, Kansas, and settled on a farm in Grant Township. About 1883, they relocated to another farm three miles west of Abilene where they remained. Maria died here 13 Apr 1900, and Samuel died 10 Mar 1909. They were buried in the Abilene Cemetery.

Samuel Freeman and
Maria Thoman Family,
c.1900 Samuel was clearly a devoted Lutheran, even naming one of his sons Samuel Luther. His obituary tells us that he threw out the first dirt from the excavation for an addition to the Lutheran church in Abilene. He and his son, John, also helped to raise the church bell into its tower. At the time of his death at the age of 89, he was still attending bible classes almost every Sunday. Samuel and Maria had the following children, all before leaving Pennsylvania:

1. Mary Catherine (1849) who married Nicholas H. Wetzel c.1878 but divorced between 1895-1900.
2. George Rudolph (1850) who graduated from Pennsylvania College 1876.
3. John Franklin (1852-1941) previously discussed.
4. William Henry (1855-1949) who married Mazie Alice Porter 1882.
5. Edward Galbreath (1857).
6. Susan Jane (1859).
7. Ellen Rebecca (1861).
8. Margaret Elizabeth (1863) who married Arnold Sexton 1880 in Dickinson County, Kansas.
9. Samuel Luther (1866) who married Mary Ann Peters 1887 in Dickinson County.
10. Jacob Watson (1868) who married Ella Weaver 1896 in Dickinson County.
11. Maria Louisa (1872).
12. Milton McLellan (1875-1883).

Joseph Freeman and Susan Kesselring

Freeman Family Migration to Kansas
1. Frederick County, Maryland
2. Adams County, Pennsylvania
3. Abilene & Dickinson County, Kansas
4. Topeka, Kansas
5. Atchison & Atchison County, Kansas The parents of Samuel were Joseph Freeman and Susan Kesselring who were married in 1818. Susan was born 27 May 1799 in Emmittsburg, Frederick County, Maryland, which is less than a mile across the state line from Adams County, Pennsylvania, where the couple later lived. It is uncertain when or where Joseph was born. The 1850 census shows that he was born c.1775 in New Jersey, but some researchers believe that he was born later than this in England. Joseph died 22 Jun 1855 in Pines Church, Straban Township, in Adams County. Susan died 23 Dec 1898 in the same township. The couple had the following children:

1. Samuel E. (1819-1909) previously discussed.
2. Joseph.
3. Catherine (1824).
4. Lydia A. (c.1833).
5. George W. (1834).
6. William (1835).
7. Mary F. (1838).

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Links

• John Franklin Freeman {fam group, lineage, fam hist}
• Amanda Elizabeth Fase {fam group, lineage, fam hist}
• Samuel Freeman {fam group, lineage, fam hist}