THE FREEMAN FARM OF SHELBY COUNTY:
The Story of Cullen Henry Freeman,
His Ancestors and Descendants
THE STORY OF THE FREEMAN FARM
Founding and Ownership of the Farm
On November 1, of 1910, Cullen Henry Freeman purchased 73 acres of land located in Shelby County, part of the Mannon Smith Survey, recorded in the Shelby County Records of Deeds, Vol. 64, page 541 from J. T. Caldwell. The land is located on the west side of the Sabine River, on the border between Shelby and Panola Counties. On a political map, it can be located by tracing the Sabine River to the point where the river ceases to be the border between Texas and Louisiana, and moving slightly West and South. Cullen’s land did not touch the River, but is located where the land rises high enough above the swamps to allow cultivation of crops. The land is located literally as far East as you can go and still farm in Texas. The geological status and history of Shelby County is described by the Texas Historical Association.
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| Ariel View showing location of Freeman Farm with orientation to the Towns of Logansport and Joaquin with the Sabine River and the Texas-Louisiana Border |
On that same day, Cullen Freeman and J. T. Caldwell signed and recorded a warranty deed with a vendor’s lien on the same 73 acres. Under the terms of the deed/lien, C. H. Freeman agreed to pay $600 for the 73 acres. At the time of purchase, he paid Mr. Caldwell $200 down. The downpayment consisted of $50 cash, a mule valued at $50, and a roam horse worth $100. The remaining $400 would be paid in 5 installments due on Nov. 1, each year for the next four years 1911, 1912, 1913, and 1914. It should be noted that the Nov. 1 purchase date marked the end of the growing season, and the time when cotton farmers sold their crops, paid their bills, and counted the cash money they had on hand to last until the next harvest. Reading the purchase agreement, I could only wonder how Cullen planned to plow his new farm without his mule?
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| Ariel View of Freeman Farm, from the farmhouse and barn to Freeman Lake, with pastures, ponds, and fields. |
L. L. Freeman, who loved to make a good business “deal,” used to tell that his father, Cullen Henry, bought 73 acres for $600 and then sold 24 of those acres for $600, literally getting his remaining 49 acres for free. It is true that Cullen sold 24 acres of his original purchase to R. H. Lee on Jan. 21, 1914, as recorded in Vol. 92, page 383. Caldwell’s records indicate that the final payment on the 73 acres was made in 1914, but the release of the vendor’s lien was not completed until March 11, 1915, and not recorded until June 28, 1917. It is found in Book 89, page 334 of the Shelby County Land Records.
March 11 of 1915, also marks the date of Cullen Henry’s second land acquisition. On that date he purchased a “home place” from Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Barron. The purchase is described as approximately 1.5 acres, and Cullen paid $40. He paid $21 down, with a lien for the remaining $19 due on Oct. 15, 1915.
With this purchase, Cullen’s holdings were slightly over 50 acres.
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| Ariel View showing Site of the original home place purchased from the Barron's. Also shows log cabin and Mayhaw pond. |
The newly purchased 1.5 acres adjoined the Freeman Farm, and had access to the road (as it was then configured). On this spot, Cullen built his home, and planted crepe myrtles. The crepe myrtles still stand, guarding the remains of the old chimney, and other artifacts of the home, which stood there for over half a century. The “home place” is not located on the new road (FM 3174), but the Freeman grandsons visit the site, and the May-haw pond located nearby. A log cabin, built in 2010, is located behind the May-haw pond, near the century-old Freeman “home place.”
On June 27, of 1917, Cullen filed papers at the Center Court House, proving his ownership of both properties. The transactions were almost 3 years old before they were filed. Apparently, Cullen waited until it was convenient to handle both filings in a single transaction. Both were recorded by Clerk of Court R. H. McCauley in Book 89 on pages 334 and 335.
The purchase and final payments for the farm, was a major event in the life of the 40-year-old Cullen Henry Freeman. His ancestors crossed the Atlantic in 1624 in quest of land; and his forefathers moved westward from Jamestown, pushing ever further into the frontier, always seeking land. However, after his father’s death 1876 in Arkansas, Cullen did not work his own land. For over 20 years he farmed family land and other men’s land. His new farm in the Sabine River Bottom had personal, economic, and symbolic meaning for Cullen, and his attachment to the land has been passed to his descendants. (see Family History in Section II)
The major portion of Cullen Henry’s original acreage (always over 50 acres) has remained in the possession of his direct descendants for three generations, spanning over 100 years. Cullen’s son Larnell Lee (L.L.) Freeman acquired the farm after his parents’ deaths; and added 5 acres to the original farm in 1946. The multiple transactions that led to this succession are described in detail in the following paragraphs and in the Documentation in the attached appendixes.
In 1938, when he sold 1.5 acres to his son, Larnell Lee Freeman, Cullen described his holdings as 50 acres not including the “home place.” Cullen, who died in the summer of that year, may have anticipated his demise, and sought to have L. L. and his family near Mattie after his death. On his 1.5 acres, Larnell, a master carpenter, built a 3 bedroom home, where he raised his family. L.L. and his wife lived in that home until 1988, when their son, Charles built a new home on the same location, where L.L. and Britt Annie “Shug” resided until their deaths in 1990 and 2005 respectively.
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| Close Ariel View of Freeman Farm, showing farm house and barn. Not shown are the farm office and equipment shed. |
Cullen died on July 28, 1938, and his probate was conducted on Jan, 7, 1939. At the time of his death, 1/2 of Cullen’s land went to his widow, Mattie, and the remaining 1/2 was equally divided among his 7 children: David Tillman Freeman, Aver Adell Freeman (Smith/Perkins), Larnell Lee Freeman, Dossie Rose Freeman (Farris), Guy Travis Freeman, Hazel Pearl Freeman (Jones), Bennie May Freeman (Hardin), and Masil Alice Freeman (Vaughn/Kimberlin). In the deeds the children’s shares are described as approximately 3 acres. When surveyed, the actual land in each share comprised 2.7 acres. Cullen’s eldest son, by his first wife, David Tillman Freeman retained his approximate 2.7 acres, which his heirs own to this day. Larnell Lee, Cullen’s second son, who already owned 6.5 acres (1.5 purchased from his father, and 5 purchased from a neighbor) bought out the remainder of his siblings’ shares. The papers associated with L.L.’s purchase of his father’s farm appear at the end of this report. Since Cullen had already sold acreage to his son, Larnell Lee (L.L.), and since the “home place” belonged to Mattie (and was not counted in the estate), the residual acreage, divided among his heirs was less than 50 acres. It should be noted we have not located an official survey, map, or legal title check for any of these early land transactions. L.L. purchased interests in the undivided estate from his siblings and niece. It wasn’t until shortly before his death that L. L. had the farm surveyed and divided, designating the acres belonging to the heirs of David Freeman and Travis Lee Freeman. The heirs choose the acres they wanted, and L. L. gave them titles.
Mattie Pearl Thompson Freeman passed away on July 3, 1959, in her daughter Aver Adell Perkin’s home near Houston. Her son L. L. had been managing the farm for her for 20 years, and had already acquired the “shares” of several of his siblings. Mattie’s half of the farm and the “house place” passed in equal shares to her five living children, and to her granddaughter, sole heir of her deceased daughter, Hazel.. Again, L. L. bought out his siblings, purchasing all of the farm with the exception of a 2.7 acre portion. Travis Lee Freeman, L.L.’s oldest son, purchased those acres from his Aunt Bennie. Travis, who was a Master Sargent in the Air Force, planned to return to the farm after his retirement, and purchased the land in anticipation.
Thus, through sequential purchases, L.L. Freeman acquired over 50 acres of Cullen’s original 73 acre farm. Another 5.4 acres were owned by David Freeman and Travis Lee Freeman (both direct descendants of Cullen). These 5.4 acres are owned today by David’s son, and by Travis’s three children, Leslie, Steve, and Lynn (now deceased). Lynn’s sons, Phillip, , Michael, and Tony Magdelano, now own her share.
Upon the death of L.L. Freeman, in 1990, his widow, Britt Annie Nunley Freeman inherited the farm. Their son Charles, in anticipation of retiring to the farm, had already built a new home for his parents. With his Mother’s approval, he bought his brothers’ rights in the estate, and after her death in 2005, became owner of the farm. The records associated with Charles’ purchase of the farm appear in the appendix.
The Table below summarizes the Ownership and agricultural production on the farm over the past century. The agricultural production is discussed in the section following the Table.
OWNERSHIP AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION ON THE FREEMAN FARM FROM 1910-2020
OWNER
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Acquired Farm
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Agricultural Products
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Passed Farm to:
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CULLEN HENRY FREEMAN
1910-1938
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Bought land from J.T. Caldwell. Bought home place from W.L. Barron in 1915. Owned until his death.
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Corn; cotton; tomatoes, sweet potatoes, tobacco; peanuts; apples, peaches; plums; pecans; walnuts; blackberries.. Garden produce; Cattle, hogs, poultry (chickens, ducks, geese) and eggs.
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At his death, the farm passed, 1/2 to his widow, Mattie, and 1/2 to his children.
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MATTIE THOMPSON FREEMAN
1938-1859
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Owned 1/2 of the farm from Cullen’s death in 1938 until her death in 1959.
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Raised a garden and kept the orchard, but left the rest of the farming to her son, L. L.
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At her death, her 1/2 of the farm passed to her children. L. L. bought out his sibling’s shares.
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LARNELL LEE (L. L.) FREEMAN
1938-1991
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Bought 1.5 acres of farm in 1938 and added 5 acres in 1946. Bought out his siblings after Cullen’s death, and owned 1/2 of the farm with his Mother. After her death he bought out his siblings and owned 97%
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Corn; hay; peanuts; tomatoes for market; eggs; chickens; (broiler houses); Cattle and hogs. Timber (pine trees).
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At his death, the farm passed to his widow, Britt Annie Nunley Freeman. During her lifetime, her son Charles bought his brother’s shares in their parents’ estate.
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BRITT ANNIE NUNLEY FREEMAN
1990-2005
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Owned the farm from L.L.’s death until her death. Helped by her sons and grandchildren, some of whom made their homes on the farm.
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Cattle; hay; corn; garden produce; timber. (Over the years, her sons and grandchildren lived on the farm or near-by and helped her keep up the farm. Charles also employed a farm worker to help her.)
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At her death the farm passed to her son Charles, who had already purchased his siblings interests.
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CHARLES CLEVELAND FREEMAN
2005-Present
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Assumed ownership after his Mother’s death in 2005. Has purchased 80 acres adjoining the land held by L.L.; returning ownership of all of Cullen’s land to the Freeman family.
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Cattle (Longhorns, then Angus, and now Brangus). Hay, Planted pecan and fruit trees for future production.
Experimenting with raising catfish and honey production. Developed wildlife with hunting & fishing leases.
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Charles wants to develop the agricultural potential and pass the farm intact to his children and grandchildren. His desire is to keep it a producing farm, owned by the same family for another Century.
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Natural Heirs of David Freeman, and of Travis Lee Freeman
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Own approximately 5-6 acres of Cullen Henry’s original 74 acre farm.
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Have always allowed their acreage to be used as part of the working farm, by the family member who was currently farming.
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Have owned their portions since 1938 and 1956 respectively.
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Operation and Production on the Freeman Farm
Cullen Henry Freeman supported his family by farming. They maintained a large, year-round vegetable garden, and planted and maintained an orchard with pears, apples, peaches, plums, and figs. He grew tobacco, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and watermelons, mostly for family consumption; but also for sale to neighbors in town. Similarly, they kept poultry and sold eggs, meat, and feathers (for pillows and bedding). They raised hogs in the River bottom, and butchered or sold these in the fall. They kept goats for meat, and for clearing the underbrush. Cullen maintained several dairy cows for milk and butter, and ran a few head of beef cattle.
His primary cash crop was cotton; and his secondary crop was corn (for both family and livestock). His best corn crop was harvested in 1919 and his best cotton crop in 1929. The hardwood forests included walnut, pecan, and hickory nut trees; wild blackberries grew along the fence rows; and Mayhaws grew around the ponds and in the swamp between the farm and the Sabine River. The family harvested all of these. When they could, Cullen and his family fished in the nearby lake and River. They ran trot-lines and sold the catfish and gar that they caught.
In short, making a living on the farm was hard. If they could grow it, catch it, or find it, they would. What they could sell, made their cash money; what they couldn’t sell, they consumed.
The Freeman children liked the peanuts and watermelons, which grew well in the sandy loam. The Freeman Farm was excellent for the cultivation of tomatoes. The rise, fall, and vicissitudes of this crop in Shelby County and Logansport, LA is documented in this article on the Industry. The highest years for tomato production came after L. L. Freeman began to manage the farm.
The higher acres of the farm were sandy loam, and excellent for cultivation, however, much of the farm had a thin surface of top soil over white or red clay. When it rained, the clay held the water, and the land was water-logged, drowning young plants. When the rains stopped, the clay dried and cracked open. Growing cotton or corn on these acres was only possible through the development of an extensive drainage and irrigation system. Cullen and L. L. spent much time and effort in digging and maintaining drainage and irrigation. Remains of the system they built still function. Water was plentiful, with multiple springs. Producing water wells were drilled between 18 and 30 feet.
The work on the farm was hard. Cullen took his son L.L. out of school after the 5th grade so the boy could help him on the farm. When the farm-work permitted, Cullen sent L.L. to work in the Haslam Lumber Mill, because the family needed the boy’s earnings. In almost every way The Freeman Farm was typical of Selby County agriculture during this era, as described in this report of the Texas Historical Society.
For more than six decades after the Civil War Shelby County remained rural and agricultural as it had been during the antebellum period. The number of farms in the county rose each census year through 1940, as did the population. In 1870 the population of the county was 5,732, and there were 820 farms; by 1940 the population had risen to 29,235 and the number of farms to 4,952. Just as during the antebellum period, the principal food crop was corn, and the principal cash crop was cotton. Each census year between two-thirds and nine-tenths of all harvested cropland in the county was planted in one of these two crops. The largest corn crop was harvested in 1919, when farmers produced 765,420 bushels of corn on 54,517 acres. The largest cotton crop was harvested in 1929, when farmers picked and ginned 22,040 bales of cotton from 90,871 acres. In many ways the majority of farmers in the county were not only growing the crops that had always been grown, but they were also using some of the same methods. Until the 1940s most of the cotton and corn fields in the county were still being cultivated with a mule or team of mules, and the crops were being harvested by hand. In 1940 only fifty-five of the 4,952 farms in the county had tractors, 392 had trucks, and 1,119 had automobiles. Almost 90 percent of the farm houses in the county were not wired for electricity, and more than 90 percent had no telephones. Although the same crops were being produced, with many of the same tools and methods, there were real differences in the lives of the county's farmers.
When L.L. bought the farm from his siblings after his parents’ deaths, he had already been operating it for his Mother. L. L. was a master carpenter, and worked at that trade while operating the farm. His wife and six sons assisted on the farm. He stopped raising cotton when that crop became unprofitable for small farmers. He continued raising corn, and also grew, cut, and sold hay. He had hogs in the river bottom, kept 2 milk cows, and ran a dozen head of beef cattle. He also raised dairy calves that he purchased cheap and resold.
L.L. like many other farmers in western Louisiana and East Texas raised tomatoes for market. Tomatoes were a labor intensive crop, but L.L. had a home-grown labor force in his six sons. The tomatoes were picked green, and sold and shipped from the Railroad Depots in Logansport or Timpson. When prices for tomatoes dropped so low no profit could be made, L. L. turned to chicken farming.
Even before the final purchase of the farm, L.L. built his first chicken house and began raising chickens. L. L. literally built his first chicken house, using wood cut on the farm, and recycled tin and lumber from older structures. His primary expenses were the chicken wire, and the feed and water trays. The operation was not automated. Everything from feeding and watering the new baby chicks to catching the broilers for transport, was done by hand, and the hands were provided by the whole family. Chickens were the primary source of income for the farm for two decades. The profitable years for small chicken-raising operations ended about the same time L.L.’s cheap labor left home for college. In his retirement years, L.L. raised hay and corn. He increased his heard of beef cattle, and cleared additional pastures while planting unused acres in pine trees, which he harvested before his death.
During L. L.’s declining years and during the years of Shug’s widowhood, three of their sons lived nearby, or on the farm, and assisted with the work. The youngest son, Dennis lived for over 30 years about 3 miles from the farm, (but on the Louisiana side of the River). He was Mayor of Logansport for 4 terms. He would often come for lunch with his parents, and put in a couple of hours of chores before heading back to his office. In summers, Dennis’s daughters, Susan, Kathy, and Pam spent happy hours with their grandparents. The second son, Billy was a football coach, and taught and coached at Joaquin, Logansport, and Carthage. After retirement, he became a local pastor for the United Methodist Church and pastored churches in Joaquin, Tenaha, and Center. His work allowed him to help his parents on the farm, especially in the summers. Their 4th son, Dale bought land and a home adjacent to his patents’ home, and lived there for a decade, helping his parents on the farm.
As a youth, Charles’ always planned to be a farmer and farm with his father. He was active in FFA, holding offices and competing. He also liked sports, and hoped to teach agriculture and coach while operating a successful agribusiness. However, his college years coincided with the Cuban Crisis and the beginnings of the Vietnam War. He was led to work with crippled and injured veterans. His career with the Veteran’s Administration and the Army took him far from the Farm for almost two decades. Between 1970 and 1987 he lived in New York, Wyoming, Chicago, and Puerto Rico. In the mid 80’s he was able to use seniority to arrange assignments closer to his aging parents. He moved to Alexandria LA, Bonham, TX, and Shreveport, LA before retiring home in 1998. Even as the family traveled, Charles’ daughters, Jackie Lee and Denise spent summers and holidays in Logansport and Joaquin with their grandparents. With the help of her children and grandchildren, Shug raised an acre garden that could feed all the Freeman families and much of her church family.
Since the early 1980’s, two houses have been maintained on the farm, and one or both have been residences of Freeman family members. Six of the grown grandchildren lived on the farm at different times, and helped in maintenance and production. These included Billy’s sons, Billy David and Dennis Dale; Travis’ daughter Leslie; Dennis’ daughter Kathy; and Dale’s son Jason. Billy David’s two sons; Kathy’s three sons; and Jason’s son and daughter all spent some of their formative years living and working on the farm. The same is true of Charles’ grandchildren, Veronica, Patrick, Sarah and Carlos. Carlos spent a year living with his grandparents and working on the farm. In this way, most of L. L. and Shug’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren have strong personal association and ties to the Farm.
After buying the farm, Charles continued the cattle business. He has improved productivity, and increased the size of the operation. He has purchased an additional 80 acres, and is building additional ponds (both for water and for drainage). He has more than doubled his herd. He began with long-horns, and then transitioned to Angus; and is now raising Brangus. Cattle constitute the primary agricultural enterprise, but Charles is working to diversify.
He has begun replanting the original orchards, created by his father and grandfather, but neglected for many years. In addition, he is planting pecan trees. These should be a cash crop after 10 to 15 years. He is developing three spring-fed ponds and a small lake for the purpose of farming catfish. He employs a half-time manager/worker. In the swamp bottoms between the farm and the Sabine River, there are a variety of wild game as well as feral hogs, and he operates the Freeman Hunting and Fishing Club on forested acres and wetlands.
From its earliest days, making a living farming these acres has been a challenging task. However, after over a century, this land is part of the Freeman Family’s very blood and bone. Charles wants the Freeman Farm to continue to be part of the legacy of his parents and grandparents, and to welcome all the Freeman descendants. Charles’ ambition is to pass the farm on to his children and grandchildren, established and operating in such a way as to make it a sustainable, profitable agribusiness. He is working to pass to his children and grandchildren a producing farm that will remain in the family for another century.
PART II
THE STORY OF THE FREEMAN FAMILY OF SHELBY COUNTY, TEXAS
The Story Begins
When he purchased the farm 1910, Cullen Henry Freeman was forty years old. He had been a resident of Shelby County since he turned 15 in 1885. When Cullen was only 6 years old (1876), his father, Ruben Benton Freeman, III, died. Ruben Benton Freeman, III, was a school teacher, and only 37 at the time of his death. His widow, Nancy Caldonia Swinebroad Freeman was left to raise six children. Their eldest child was 16, and their youngest only one when Ruben died.
Nancy and Ruben Benton were married in Tennessee in 1858, and moved to Arkansas in 1859. Their first child, a daughter named Lula was born that same year, and died at the age of 2 in 1861. Their second daughter, Ida was born in 1860. The family had only been in Arkansas a little over a year, when the Civil War began. Ruben did not rush off at the beginning of the conflict, and the couple’s first son, Ruben Benton Freeman IV, was born in 1863.
The 1860 census shows the family living in dwelling #46 in St. Francis, Greene, Arkansas. Those living in the home include R.B., Nancy, “Lonia” (Lula), and an Elizabeth Cooper (possibly a student boarding with the family).
In 1864, four Calvary Companies were raised in Greene County Arkansas, and Ruben Benton answered the call, serving as a Sargent in Davies’ Battalion of the Arkansas Calvary. His unit served in Missouri in battles at Old Jackson, Union, Hermann, Jefferson City, New California, Boonville, Glasgow, Lexington, Little Blue, Independence, and Big Blue. They fought in the Trans-Mississippi Campaign in Western Louisiana. We have not established whether Ruben Benton fought in the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill in April of 1864. His company (Company D) was surrendered by Jeff Thompson on May 11, 1865.
Ruben returned home to Greene County Arkansas about 6 months before the birth of his second son, Joel Edward Freeman, in Oct. 1865. Three more sons, Thomas A. (1868); Cullen Henry (1870) and John Green (1872); and a daughter, Judith Caldonia “Callie” (1875) were born after his return. However, Thomas, like Lula died in infancy (1869).
The 1870 Census for Union, Greene County, Arkansas shows R. B. Freeman and wife Nancy D. Freeman living in dwelling place #51. Their household included “Ida” Freeman, “Rubin” Freeman, Edward Freeman, and Cullen H. Freeman. The family had recovered from the trauma of the War years, and were doing well. They did not know that harder times lay ahead. Rubin Benton, the frontier school teacher and Confederate calvary Sargent was only 37 when he died on Dec. 3, 1876. His grieving widow was the same age.
Left alone, with no close family members, the thirty-seven year old Nancy Caldonia Swinebroad Freeman, decided to move back home to Hardeman, Tennessee, where her mother still lived. With her six children, Nancy made the long move in 1877, arriving in Tennessee in time to spend almost two years with her mother, Elvira Donna Vance Boone Swinebroad, before the 75 year-old, twice-widowed matriarch passed away in 1879.
To fully understand the background that led to the future of the little Freeman Family, it is helpful to know about their roots and family traditions. This little group of Freeman children represented the 10th generation of their family in North America.
The Freeman Family History and Genealogy
We have used this opportunity to write a Freeman Family History to share with the Descendants of Ruben Benton Freeman, III. The detail exceeds that required by the Application Process, and those reviewing the Application my choose to skip over this portion of the Narrative.
The first of the Freeman line arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1623-24 . The following Table lists Freeman ancestors back to Thomas Freeman of Berkshire, in England. While DNA results support the descent of the Shelby County Freeman family from the family of Thomas and his son Bridges Freeman, we cannot be absolutely positive that Bridges was their immigrant ancestor. At least three and possibly four of Bridges’ brothers immigrated to Virginia at about the same time, and gave their sons many of the same names. The best records trace the Shelby County Freeman’s to Bridges (by far the most famous and well-documented brother) but we cannot be certain. For more about the early Virginia Freemans, read: http:freemanancestry.blogspot.com. The shaded lines on the following table indicate the generations linked by DNA to Charles Freeman.
The primary genealogist to study the descendants of John Freeman, Sr. (1640-1711) was
Merrill Hill Mosher. Her book on John Freeman of Norfolk County is the definitive work on his descendants. We have relied heavily on her research for information on John and the following 4 generations, through Reuben Benton Freeman, Sr. However, we differ from Mosher in that we believe that John Freeman, Sr. was the son of either Bridges Freeman or one of Bridges’ brothers who also immigrated to Virginia. We hope to be able to prove this connection conclusively through further Y-DNA studies.
Mosher, Merrill Hill. John Freeman of Norfolk County, Virginia: His Descendants in North Carolina and Virginia; And Other Colonial North Carolina Freeman Families. Heritage Books, 2006. Available from Amazon for $20-$25 in paperback.
THE FREEMAN LINAGE
Birth
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Death
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Wife/ Mother of Son
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Thomas Freeman
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1579 of Wallingford, Berkshire, England
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Aft. 1624 in Preston, Crowmarsh, Besington Hundred, Oxfordshire, England
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Frances Bennett (abt 1578) Married 1/1/1599
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Bridges Freeman
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1603 in Oxfordshire, England
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1665 in Charles City, Virginia
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Bridget Fowler (1605-1650)
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John Freeman, Sr.
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1640 St. Peter’s, New Kent, VA
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23 Jan, 1711, Gloucester, Gloucester, VA
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Hannah Unknown (1650-1711)
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John Freeman, Jr.
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1685 Norfolk County, VA
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1732 Norfolk County, NC.
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Mary Unknown (1690-
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James Freeman
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1710 Bertie County, NC,
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Before 1767 Bertie County, NC
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Unknown Wife
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#David Freeman
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1742 in Mecklenburg, NC
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4/27/1808 Steele Creek, Mecklenburg, NC
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#Mary Freeman (Frizzell )(1743-1779)
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#Ruben Benton Freeman, Sr.
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1772 in Mecklenburg, NC
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3/01/1846, Mecklenburg, NC
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*Nancy Allison (1774-1845)
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#Ruben Benton Freeman, Jr.
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3/02/1792 in SC
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6/07/1857 in Giles TN
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*Judith C. Lavar (1799-1874)
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#Ruben Benton Freeman, III
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7/02/1838 in Elkton, Giles, TN
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12/03/1876 in Clay, AK
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*Nancy Caldonia Swinebroad (1839-1921)
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#Cullen Henry Freeman
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3/04/1870 in Arkansas
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7/28/1938 in Joaquin, TX
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*Mattie Pearl Thompson (1881-1959)
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#Larnell Lee Freeman
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4/23/1907 in Joaquin, TX
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12/27/1990 in Joaquin, TX
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*Britt Annie Nunley (1909-2005)
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Charles C. Freeman
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3/06/1938 in Joaquin, TX
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Living in 2019
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Frances Ruth Jackson
(1939- living in 2019)
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# DNA Links to Father * DNA links to mother’s ancestors
As it turns out, Reuben Benton Freeman, Sr. was doubly related to John Freeman, Sr. (his great, great grandfather). You may note the highlighted name of Mary Freeman (Frizzell), the wife of David Freeman. Both of Reuben Benton’s parents (David Freeman and Mary Freeman (Frizzell) are descended from John Freeman, Sr. David and Mary were 3rd cousins.
In Ancestry Trees, Mary (the wife of David Freeman and mother of Reuben Benton, Sr.) is listed either as the daughter of William Frizzell or William Freeman, but the dates of birth, death, and marriage are the same for both Williams. Additionally, both William Freeman and William Frizzell are shown as husband to Christian Outlaw (and they are not shown as sequential husbands). The same children are listed for both husbands. All the children except Mary are always named Freeman, not Frizzell. I think someone encountered Mary Freeman married to David Freeman and decided the hand written name should be “Frizzell” rather than “Freeman."
There is particular confusion between James Freeman (1718-1784) who was married to Sarah “Sally” Elizabeth Outlaw, and our James Freeman (1710-1767) who was married to Mary Freeman, daughter of Christian Outlaw. Both James’ are given in family trees as the Father of our David Freeman (1742-1808, husband of Mary Freeman/Frizzell and Father of Reuben Benton Freeman, Sr.).
When considering subsequent autosomal DNA results, it is important to keep in mind that there were multiple marriages between the Freeman and Outlaw families. The families lived in close proximity and bought and sold land from each other, witnessed documents for each other, and married. This can lead to confusions in autosomal DNA findings for future generations. For example, the offspring of James Freeman (1718-1784) and his wife Sarah Elizabeth Outlaw and the offspring of James Freeman (1710-1767) and his wife Mary (who was 1/2 Outlaw and 1/2 Freeman) cannot easily be distinguished by autosomal DNA differences after multiple generations. The linage of Ruben Benton Freeman, Sr. through his Mother Mary Freeman (Frizzell) is shown in the Table below:
DOUBLE FREMAN LINAGE OF REUBEN BENTON FREEMAN, SR.
Birth
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Death
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Wife/ Mother of Son
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Thomas Freeman
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1579 of Wallingford, Berkshire, England
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Aft. 1624 in Preston, Crowmarsh, Besington Hundred, Oxfordshire, England
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Frances Bennett (abt 1578) Married 1/1/1599
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Bridges Freeman
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1603 in Oxfordshire, England
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1665 in Charles City, Virginia
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Bridget Fowler (1605-1650)
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John Freeman, Sr.
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1640 St. Peter’s, New Kent, VA
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23 Jan, 1711, Gloucester, Gloucester, VA
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Hannah Unknown (1650-1711)
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William Freeman, Sr.
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1680, James City, New Kent, Virginia
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13 Aug. 1736, Old Chowan Precinct, Albemarle, NC
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Mary (Outlaw) Cording (1675-1736)
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William Freeman, Jr.
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1712 Old Chowan, Albemarle, NC
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17 April 1781, Gates, Gates, NC
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Christian W. Outlaw (1708-1790)
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#Mary Freeman
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1743 Mecklenburg, County, NC
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13 Feb. 1779 Shopton, Mecklenburg County NC
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#David Freeman (1742-1808)
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#Ruben Benton Freeman, Sr.
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1772 in Mecklenburg, NC
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3/01/1846, Mecklenburg, NC
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*Nancy Allison (1774-1845)
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THE FREEMAN’S AND THE BOONE’S
Elvira Donna Vance Boone Swinebroad lived an exciting 75 years. Her father John Boone, Jr. was a first cousin (once removed) of the famous trail-blazer, Daniel Boone, and a 2nd cousin of Daniel’s wife Rebecca Bryan. She lived her entire life on the western frontiers.
The Table below summarizes the Boone Linage of the Freeman Family of Shelby County. The Freeman-Boone genealogy is well-documented, and supported by the results of multiple DNA studies. The shading indicates the generations currently linked by DNA findings for Charles Freeman. While there are uncertainties in the more remote Freeman generations, the research maintained by the Boone Society underlies our Boone research. Both the “paper trail” and DNA results support the ancestry outlined in the following table:
THE BOONE LINAGE
Birth
|
Death
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Spouse
|
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George Boone II
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Nov. 17, 1646, Exeter Devon, England
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England1706, Exeter, Devon, England
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Sarah Mary Uppey, (1646-1726) Exeter, Devon, England
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George Boone III
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March 19, 1666, Exeter, Devon, England
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Feb. 27, 1744, Oley, Berks, Pennsylvania
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Mary Milton Maugridge (1668-1740) Devon, England
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Benjamin Maugridge Boone (Younger Brother of Squire Boone)
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July 16, 1706 Bradninch, Devon, England
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Oct. 17, Exeter, Berks, Pennsylvania
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Ann Marie Farmer (March 3, 1701-Dec. 1727). 1st wife, died after birth of 1st son, John Boone, Sr,
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#John Boone, Sr. (raised by Squire Boone and Anne Morgan Boone after death of Mother,)
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Dec. 6, 1727, Exeter, Berks, Pennsylvania
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Aug. 3, 1803, Huntington Creek, Rowan, North Carolina
(moved here with Squire Boone’s family, including his cousin Daniel).
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*Rebecca Bryan (1735-1820), Opequan, Winchester, VA— Mocksville, Davie, NC. Was the Aunt of Rebecca Bryan, wife of Daniel Boone.
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#John Boone, Jr.
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Feb. 3, 1781, Hunting Creek, Rowan, NC
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Sept. 1858, Gibson, Gibson, Tennessee
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#Elizabeth Little (1770-1848) Rowan, NC to Davie, NC
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#Elvira Dona Vance Boone
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Nov. 20, 1804, Lincoln, NC
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Aug. 31, 1879. Hardeman, Tennessee
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#Henry Green Swinebroad (Feb. 10, 1793-Oct. 11, 1840), Virginia to Lincoln, TN. Son of an orphaned German Immigrant.
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#Nancy Caldonia Swinebroad
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March 27, 1839, Booneshill, Lincoln, TN
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Feb. 27, 1921, Center, Shelby, Texas
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#Ruben Benton Freeman, III (Aug. 2, 1838-Dec. 3, 1876) Giles, TN to Clay, Ark.
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#Cullen Henry Freeman
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3/04/1870 in Arkansas
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7/28/1938 in Joaquin, TX
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#Mattie Pearl Thompson (1881-1959)
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#Larnell Lee Freeman
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4/23/1907 in Joaquin, TX
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12/27/1990 in Joaquin, TX
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#Britt Annie Nunley (1909-2005)
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Charles C. Freeman
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3/06/1939 in Joaquin, TX
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Living in 2019
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Frances Ruth Jackson
(1939- living in 2019)
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# DNA linkage to Charles Freeman
The Freeman Family ancestor, John Boone Sr. was the son of Benjamin Boone, and the nephew of Squire Boone. When baby John Jr.’s mother, Ann Marie Farmer-Boone, died, his Aunt, Anne Morgan Boone, wife of Squire, took the infant into their home to provide care. When Benjamin remarried, his second wife either didn’t accept her step-son, or John Jr. was already bonded to his Aunt Anne and Uncle Squire. John Jr. spent more time with his “second” family than with his father and step-mother. He moved with Squire’s family from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, acquiring farm land not far from their home on Hunting Creek.
John Jr. was apparently less adventurous than his younger cousin, Daniel, but they shared similar tastes in women. John and Daniel both married women named Rebecca Bryan. John Jr.’s Rebecca was the aunt of Daniel’s Rebecca (the niece being named for the Aunt). Thus, Daniel’s children and John Jr.’s children shared both paternal and maternal family lineages (and lots of the same DNA). During many of Daniel’s extended exploratory expeditions, John Jr. and his Rebecca, helped her niece and great nieces and nephews in their father’s absences. John Jr. and Rebecca’s children joined their numerous Boone cousins as the families pushed further and further westward following Daniel’s explorations. In moving from Tennessee to Arkansas, Ruben Benton Freeman, III, and his Boone-granddaughter-bride, were continuing to follow the westward, frontier heritage of the preceding generations of their families.
The Story Continues from Tennessee to Center, Texas — 1885
In total, Nancy and her children spent a decade (10 years) back in Tennessee. Nancy had always been close to her brother Andrew Jackson Swinebroad, and the siblings began made plans to move west to Texas. Their older brother, Henry Green Swinebroad, Jr., had moved from Tennessee to Ellis, Texas, before 1860; but he passed away in 1880, as their plans were only beginning. The 1880 census shows widowed Nancy D. Freeman living in District 14, Lincoln, Tennessee, in dwelling place #65. Living with her were children, Ida, R.B., J.E., C.H., John G., and J.C. Even Judith was designated by initials.
All our family stories say that Nancy Swinebroad Freeman (called Nannie after her arrival in Texas) came to Texas with her brother Andrew Jackson Swinebroad. However, records show Nancy and her children in Shelby County, Texas by 1885; while Andrew’s youngest son Albert Austin Swinebroad was born in Tennessee in 1887. It is possible that Andrew made the journey first with his sister and her family, and after checking out East Texas, returned to Tennessee to bring his family down. Regardless of the timing, the families of the Swinebroad siblings were in Texas by 1890, when they are enumerated in the census.
Between their exodus from Arkansas and their pilgrimage to Texas, ten years passed and the six Freeman children grew up. It is a testament to family unity and loyalty that they all stayed together and moved as a unit to their new home in Texas. Little did they know that their unity and loyalty, as well as their values and character, would be tested by subsequent events. At their arrival in Texas in 1885, the six Freeman children ranged in age from 10 to 25 years. All six would marry in the decade between 1890 and 1901.
The eldest Freeman daughter, Ida was 25 when she came to Texas. She married John David Wilson in Center, Texas, on the 24 of July, 1890. John, a widower, had two daughters by his first wife, and Ida adopted them. Ida and John lived in Shelby County and had a son William Baxter (born in 1891) and two daughters. Selma (born in 1894) and Osteen Frances (born in 1902).
The eldest Freeman son, Ruben Benton, IV, was 22 when he came to Texas; he married five years later, on Sept. 4, 1890, to a Texas girl, Sarah “Sallie” Davis. Their first child, a daughter, named Freddie, was born in July of 1891. Their sons Raymond and Wilson were born in 1892 and 1894.
Joel Edward “Ed” Freeman was 20 when he arrived in Texas. He married a Center girl, Bertha Irene Pleasant in 1892. Their first son, Basil Edward Freeman was born that year, and a second son, Benton Monroe Freeman was born 4 years later in 1896. In 1898, when the little boys were only 2 and 6, their mother died, leaving Ed a widower. His Mother “Nanny” helped him in caring for his small sons. Cullen, who was then 28, lived with his Mother, brother Ed, and the two infant nephews.
John Green Freeman, who was 13 in 1885, married Shirley Gay Colley in 1894, when he was 22. Their daughter Lela was born in 1895; son Johnnie B. In 1997; daughter Erma in 1899; son Carnell in 1901; son Reuben Benton Freeman V in 1906; and daughter Maurine in 1914.
Judith Caladonia “Callie” Freeman, was 10 when her family moved to Texas. She married Robert Joel Wheeler on Oct. 30, 1998 when she was 23. A son, Freeman Elva Wheeler was born no Sept. 17, 1899, and a daughter, Laura Maurine Wheeler, was born in March of 1901.
As the 19th Century drew to an end, and the 20th Century began, the Freeman Family (Nanny and the six children) entered into a period of tragedy. I have tried to piece together the sequence of these years from records and family stories. Many details are missing, but the overall sequence I have tried to piece together as follows:
The 1900 Census shows Cullen Henry (age 30, Farmer) living with his mother Nancy (aged 60 housekeeper) as family #336. As we noted earlier, Cullen Henry was 15 when he arrived in Texas. As he approached his 30th birthday, he was still single and living with his Mother. On the 28th of October of the new Century 1900, 30 -year-old Cullen married Emma Lee Webb, literally the “girl next door.” The Webb farm was adjacent to the Freeman home, and the marriage united the neighboring families. Emma was reportedly a lovely girl, and her family was affluent. The early months were apparently happy, then, Emma Lee had an epileptic seizure. Her bridegroom was woefully unprepared, and totally ignorant of any knowledge of her condition. Emma and her parents confessed that she had suffered from epilepsy since childhood. One doctor they had consulted told them that the “fits” might cease after she had a baby. They had deceived Cullen in hopes that a pregnancy would effect the hoped-for “cure.” Cullen agreed to continue the marriage, although Emma’s “fits” frightened him greatly.
1902 opened to tragedy. On the 16th of March, Joel Edward Freeman died at the age of 37, leaving two orphaned sons Basil and Benton, ages 8 and 4. Five months later, on Sept. 22, David Tillman Freeman, Cullen and Emma’s son was born. However, not long after giving birth, Emma Lee’s epilepsy manifested itself. It is true that one form of epilepsy, typically with onset in adolescence, may end or be reduced in severity by the hormonal influences of pregnancy and childbirth; this was not true for Emma Lee. By family report, Cullen loaded Emma Lee and baby David into the wagon and returned them to his in-laws’ home, declaring that he had been deceived into marriage, and into becoming the father of her child.
At this point the chronology becomes murky. However, I believe that in the Fall of 1902, the Freeman Covered Wagon Expedition to Oregon was launched. The eldest son, Ruben Benton Freeman IV was the leader of the expedition. At the age of 39, with his wife Sallie and children — Freddie, Raymond, Wilson — Reuben Freeman, IV, was ready for new adventures on the far Northwest frontier. He structured the trip in stages, planning to travel mostly in the Fall and Winter until they reached the mountains. During the Springs and Summers, they would stop, find land to sharecrop, and raise a crop for money to fund further travel.
It is not entirely clear how many members of the Freeman Family joined the caravan. In addition to R. B. and Sallie and their children, we know that the matriarch, Nancy Caldonia (Nannie) and Ed’s two boys, Basil and Benton (called Benerd), went along, escorted and cared for by Cullen (now without wife or child).
The youngest daughter, Judith Caldonia “Callie,” with her husband Joel Robert Wheeler and their children Freeman Wheeler and Laura Maurine Wheeler, joined the caravan headed for Oregon. Callie was pregnant and expecting her third child when the expedition set out.
We don’t believe that the oldest daughter, Ida and her husband John David Wilson left their farm to join the expedition. It is unclear whether John Green Freeman and his wife Shirley, and their three children joined the wagon train. If they did, they returned to Texas and North Louisiana where they subsequently made a permanent home.
As we understand, the wagons made it to Oklahoma before planting season arrived. There they stopped to make a crop to finance their travels. Thus, it was in Oklahoma, on August 29, 1903, that Callie was delivered of her third child, Caldonia Loraine Wheeler. Less than 2 months later, Callie died on Oct. 11, in Durant, Bryan County, O.K. Joel was widowed, and had 3 children, including an infant 2 months old to care for.
After burying Callie, Joel decided to return to Shelby County, where he would have family to aid him in caring for his orphaned children. Nannie, who was caring for the 2 month old Callie Loraine knew that the baby needed her in order to survive.
Nancy Caldonia (Nannie) now had five orphaned grandchildren to help care for. She decided she should return to Shelby County, Texas, with Joel and her 5 grandchildren. Cullen knew his Mother needed him. He had been “foster father” to Basil and Benton for most of their lives, and was now the only father the boys had. He wanted to turn his back on the troubles he had left behind in Texas, and go forward to the brave promise of good land and prosperity in Oregon. He was undoubtably conflicted. In the end, Cullen abandoned his dreams of the Oregon Territory, and as a devoted son turned back to escort his Mother, his bereaved brother-in-law, and five small children on the long trip back to Shelby County.
I think that the winter of 1903-1904 may have been a low point in Cullen’s life. In less than a year, he had buried two of his five siblings, and said a permanent farewell to a third. He was almost 34; he was bitter about what he considered betrayal by his wife and in-laws; he had lost his only son; he had 3 dependents, his Mother and orphaned nephews. He was a farmer who had no land of his own, and his hopes of making a prosperous new life on the Oregon frontier had been destroyed by death and misfortune. I believe he carried the bitterness of his lost dreams with him throughout the remainder of his life.
However, Cullen wasted no time rebuilding his life. On Dec. 29, of 1904, he remarried. His second wife was Mattie Peal Thompson, daughter of William Jefferson “Billy” Thompson and his wife Georgia Augusta Waller Thompson. During the first six years of their marriage, Cullen and Mattie had three children: Aver Adell (1905-1969), Larnell Lee (L.L.) Freeman (1907-1990), and Dossie Rose Freeman (1909-1990).
It is not clear where Cullen and Mattie made their home during the first 6 years of their marriage, but I believe they lived with Nannie, Basil, and Benton. When Cullen married, his nephews were 8 and 12 years old. By the time of Dossie’s birth (1909) they were in their mid to late teens.
1910 marks a monumental year in the life of Cullen Freeman. This 40-year-old farmer and father of 3, bought his own land. After farming other men’s land for over 20 years, he now owned his own farm. Having led a wondering existence for much of his life, he would make his final home on these acres in the Sabine River bottom.
The 1910 census was not well-conducted or recorded in Joaquin. The family name was written as “Truman” rather Freeman, and many given names were garbled. Living in the home in Justice Precinct 4 (at Joaquin and Cotton Ford Rd.) were seven family members: Cullen, Mattie, Ava, Larnell, Dossie, Basil, and Benton. While Cullen’s nephews were listed with the family, Nannie Freeman was not.
In the 1910 census, Nanny Freeman (age 71) is shown as living with her daughter Ida, in the John D. Wilson household in Justice Precinct 7, Shelby, Texas, on Center & Garrison Rd. It is believed that for the remainder of her life (1910-1921) that Nannie moved between the homes of her children, living awhile with each. Basil and Benton stayed with Cullen and Mattie until they joined the military and later married .
Cullen’s first year of farm ownership was marked by the birth of another son, Guy Travis Freeman (1911-1981). Three years later, a third daughter, Hazel Pearl “Hazzie” (1914-1941) joined the growing family. The exact location of the home where Cullen and Mattie lived between 1910 and 1915 is not known. However, in 1915, Cullen acquired a desirable house site, and built the family’s new home. The remains of that house are visible today, and the crepe myrtles Mattie planted continue to bloom. Two additional daughters, Bennie May (1916-1985) and Masil Alice (1922-1974) were born in the new home. bringing the number of children to severn.
Both Basil and Benton (called Bennard) served in the U.S. Army in WWI. Basil served from Sept. 19, 1917, through April 17, 1919. Benton served from Sept. 4, 1918 until Feb. 3, 1919. Basil married Edith Grace Greene in 1920 or 1921, not long after he was mustered out of the military. Their first son Carl Edward Freeman, Sr. was born in 1922, their daughters Paula in 1924, Bette Jane in 1928, and Bonnie in 1942.
Basil was like an older brother to Cullen Henry’s children; and the children, especially L. L, returned the brotherly love and loyalty. They remained faithful friends until their deaths. Basil lived 106 years, passing away on Nov. 15, 1998, in the Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jackson, Louisiana. He had a loving and close family and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The 1820 census lists Cullen H. Freeman, age 49 as a farmer and head of household in Justice Precinct 4, Shelby, Texas. Household members included his spouse, Mattie Freeman, “Avon” Freeman, “Larnel” Freeman, “Dansy” Freeman, Guy Freeman, “Henry” Freeman, and Bennie Freeman. “Henry” must have been “Hazie.” I have been unable to locate Nannie in the 1920 census. Her health was failing, and she did not have long to live.
Nannie lived to be 82, passing away on Feb. 28, 1921. She is buried in the New Prospect Cemetery near Timpson in Shelby County, Texas. Her son, Cullen Henry, close to her in death as in life, choose to be buried beside her.
Benton Monroe Freeman, affectionately called “Bennard” by his family married Bertie Lee Farris on June 5, 1926. The Farris family lived near the Cullen Freeman Farm in Joaquin, and Benton’s niece, Dossie married Birtie’s brother Thomas. Benton and Bertie had 3 children: Vera Lorene (1931-2012); Bobby Gene (1935-2019); and Billy Glen (1938-?). Benton and Bertie were divorced, and when he contacted tuberculosis, he returned to the Freeman Farm, where he spent his last years. L. L. and Shug nursed him in their home until he was able to live independently in a mobile home, located on the Freeman Farm. He passed away on June 4, 1974.
Cullen’s oldest son, by his first marriage, David Tillman Freeman (1902-1957), married Mildred E. Halbert (1912-2007) on Nov. 29, 1936. They had two children, Robert David Freeman (b. 1943) and Charlotte Ann “Charlie” Freeman (b. 1947).
Cullen and Mattie’s oldest daughter Aver Adell married Pope Watson Smith on Sept. 18, 1922. They had one son, Alford Wayne Smith (1933-2008). Pope passed away on July 14, 1947, and about 1950, Aver married Marion Franklin Capers Perkins (1908-1972). Aver died on Jan. 17, 1969, in North Hollywood, CA.
Cullen and Mattie’s oldest son, Larnell Lee (L.L.) married Britt Annie “Shug” Nunley on Aug. 7, 1926 in Logansport, LA. They had six sons: Travis Lee Freeman (1928-1964); Billy Rae Freeman (1929-2012); J. C. Freeman (1931-1955); Verlon Dale Freeman (1933- present); Charles Cleveland Freeman (1938-present); and Harold Dennis Dennis Freeman (1940-2007). L. L. And Britt Annie lived on the Freeman Farm for most of their lives.
The third child of Cullen and Mattie — Dossie Rose Freeman (1909-1990) married Thomas Luther Farris (1906-1978) on July 12, 1925. They had three daughters, Helen Vidona Farris (1926-2009), Betty Estelle Farris (1929-2011), and Margaret Ann (1941- present) and one son, Thomas Luther “T. L.” Farris (1935-2015).
The second son of Cullen and Mattie, Guy Travis Freeman (1911-1981) married Ollie Bertha Newman (1912-2000) and they had one daughter, Lavonda Freeman, born in 1928. From his second marriage to Melva Virginia Brock, Guy had three children, Judy Paulette Freeman (1946-1970), Michael Travis Freeman (b. 1951), and Randy Allan Freeman (b. 1963)
Hazel Pearl Freeman died tragically at the early age of 27 leaving one daughter, Ethyl Marilyn Jones (1936-2000), as an orphan only 4 years old. Mattie, an aging widow, raised Marilyn on the Freeman Farm. Britt Annie and L.L. Freeman and their boys lived near Marilyn and helped Mattie raise her. Britt Annie taught Marilyn to sew, and Marilyn was a gifted seamstress. Marilyn married LeRoy Heacock, and they had a daughter and a son.
Bennie May Freeman (1916-1985) married Ray Anderson Hardin (1915-1997) on June 27, 1936, in Gary, TX. They had one adopted son, Marion Keith Hardin, born in 1958.
The baby of the Cullen Freeman family was Masil Alice Freeman (1922-1974). On June 3, 1944, she married Artie Elsworth “Price” Vaughn (1909-1976). They had two children, Dan Kerr “Danny” Vaughn (1945-1977) and Gloria Jean Vaughn (1947-2015). Masil’s second husband was J. D. Kimberlin (1918-1987). The were married on Nov. 9, 1950 in Wichita, TX. They had one son, Jimmy Don Kimberlin.
THE LARNELL LEE FREEMAN FAMILY
Larnell Lee “L. L.” Freeman married Britt Anne “Shug” Nunley on Aug. 7, 1926, in Logansport Louisiana. They had six sons: Travis Lee (1928-1964), Billy Rae (1929-2012), J. C. (1931-1955), Verlon Dale (1933- present), Charles Cleveland (1938-present), and Harold Dennis (1940-2007). All six were born on the Freeman Farm.
Travis Lee Freeman (1928-1964) married Theda Ilene Cofer (1932-2007) on October 15, 1950 in Dewey, Oklahoma. They had two daughters Lavonda Lynn (1951-2011) and Leslie Susan (1961-present) and a son, Stephen Lee (1955-present).
Billy Rae Freeman (1929-1912) married Lou Ann Nixon at the First Methodist Church of Joaquin on Aug. 5, 1950. They had two sons Dennis Dale (1951-present) and Billy David (1955-present).
J. C. Freeman (1931-1955) died young in a tragic accident shortly after returning from military service. H served in the military police in Germany during the Cold War.
Verlon Dale Freeman, called Dale (1933-present) first married Mary Catherine Christian (1934-1986) on June 5, 1956 in Grayson, Texas. They had one son, Gregg (1959-present). On June 13, 1969, he married Vanda Sampson. They had two sons, Jason (1970-present) and John Paul (1974-present).
Charles Cleveland Freeman (1938-present) married Frances Jackson Freeman (1939-present) on Aug. 18, 1959, in the First Baptist Church of Logansport, LA. They had two daughters, Jacqueline “Jackie” Lee (1960-present) and Denise Ruth (1962-present).
Harold Dennis Freeman, called Dennis (1940-2007) married Katherine Thomas (1940-present) on Jan. 1962, at the First United Methodist Church of Logansport. They had three daughters, Susan Denise (1962-present), Katherine (1965-present) and Pamela “Pam” (1969-present).
L. L. and Shug had thirteen grandchildren, who called them Granddad and Nannie, and loved them very much. They currently have 29 great grandchildren, and 10 great, great grandchildren.
THE CHARLES C. FREEMAN FAMILY
Charles was born the year his grandfather, Cullen died, and his father, L. L. took over management of the Farm. The Freeman Farm was over a quarter of a century old at that time. Charles was raised on the farm, which has been his spiritual “home” for all his life. While he moved around the country during his middle years (30’s and 40’s), he moved back to Louisiana and East Texas to be near his aging parents. He retired and returned “home” in 1998, after the death of his father. At that time, he assumed a management role, and completed his acquisition of the farm property. At the turn of the century, the Farm was 90 years old. Charles was living in the Log Cabin near the original “home place” in 2010 when the Farm reached the Century mark.
Charles and his wife Frances recently celebrated 60 years of marriage (Aug. 18, 2019). Their older daughter, Jackie Lee is a retired English teacher. She and her husband, Col. Angel Perez (USArmy, retired) have a home on the Freeman Farm, and a winter condo in Orlando, FL. They have a son and a daughter. Their son, Carlos (named for Charles) L. Perez, is an artist living in Richmond, VA. and working at Virginia Commonwealth University. Their daughter, Veronica Lee Perez Mueller, is a dentist in private practice in Prosper, TX. She is married to John Christian Mueller, a Plano Firefighter. Veronica and John have one son, John Christian Mueller, Jr. (called “J. R.”) who is now four.
Their younger daughter, Denise Freeman McGrade, is a dentist in private practice in Plano, TX. The widow of Stephen McGrade, Denise has a son and a daughter. Her son, Patrick McGrade, a physician, is completing his first year of residency at Baylor-Scott White Medical Center in Temple, TX, where his wife Samantha is a physician’s assistant. Sarah Katherine McGrade, Denise’s daughter, is currently completing a Master’s degree at the London College of Communication.
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