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Note: The compiler of this family data is a granddaughter of Richard Freeman . I spent a great deal of time with my paternal grandparents as a chil d. My mother was widowed when I was 17 months old and my sister was b arely 5 months. We then lived with my grandparents until mom remarrie d when I was 3.
I was almost 27 years old when grandpa died. I thought he was the fi nest man I have ever known. Of course, such an opinion from a grandda ughter, is possibly biased. The following article which appeared in t he Galesburg Post shortly after his death led me to realize that my op inion was not at all exaggerated, all who knew him felt the same. I t hank my Aunt Patricia for bringing this article back to my attention a ll these years later. From the column "Around Town" written by Marieth eres Creighton: Typed exactly as transcribed.
RICHARD LEON FREEMAN took great pride on his name. He enjoyed to make a p oint of the nobility and chivalry involved and many a time he signed hi s notes with the equivalent in Italian: Richardo Leone, evocating visi ons of knighthood, Richard the Lionhearted, highness of thought, deepn ess in feeling, righteousness in deeds. Other times he pointed out t hat his middle name, when inverted, spelled "Noel", and so, Christmas, s ynonym of generosity, love and togetherness. As for his last name, he e njoyed boasting how he was just that: a free man antonomastically. He l ived up to it: His interment was a celebration of light, love and frie ndship, right on Fourth of July. Worthily he signed himself: " Free M an" Gone to the grave as flags were flying joyously on Main St. and e lsewhere.
THAT WAS RIGHT. The night before, during the visitation, his honor gua rd of six Knights of Columbus in full attire had remarked that his pas sing away was not an occasion entirely without joy. Rather it was the u ltimate accomplishment. He had givin joy to so many and so many times. H e had loved life in every one of it's manifestations. He had served th e Lord and his fellowman as faithfully as one could do it and he was r eady for his Eternal reward. During a recent ceremony of awards at th e Knights of Columbus, as medals were being handed for 20, 25, 50 year s of service, he humorously asked if there was a 66 year award that he c ould receive. At that moment, his interlocutor was speechless, but as h e laid as state restfully among countless flowers which in life he had l oved so much, the Knights of Columbus presented in his memory, a gold c iborium to be donated to a Priest in a needy company, for daily use du ring the celebration of the Eucharistic Services. The golden containe r had Richard Leon Freeman inscribed on it.
IN THE POCKET OF HIS SUIT, as they were preparing his body for the vis itation, this poem was found , carefully cut from The Galesburg Post, o f which he was a longtime friend and subscriber:
Abou Ben Adhem" (May his tribe increase!), awoke one night from a deep d ream of peace and saw within the moonlight in his room, making it rich, a nd like a lily in bloom, an angel, writing in a book of gold. Exceedin g peace had made Ben Adhem bold and to the presence in the room he sai d: "What writest thou?" The vision raised it's head and with a look m ade of sweet accord answered " The names of those that love the Lord". " And is mine one" said Abou. "Nay, not so" replied the angel. Abou sp oke more low, but cheerily still and said " I pray to thee then, writ e me as one that loves his fellowmen." The angel wrote and vanished. T he next night, it came again with a great wakening light and show'd th e names whom love of God had bless'd. And lo! Ben Adhem's name led a ll the rest!
THIS POEM HAD BEEN FOR A LONG TIME kept on his pocket, upon his heart. O bviously he endeared himself to the idea of love to fellowmen. But eve n more obvious was on Richard L. Freeman his love for God. (END)
More comments from the compiler: The Knights of Columbus dedicated a b anquet room in their Galesburg facility, naming it the Richard Freeman r oom. Grandpa's love of flowers was no doubt taught to him from his sec ond wife, Genevieve, my grandmother. He was the son of first generati on American born parents, an Irish father and a Swedish mother but dev eloped a love of the Italian culture and language in his later years. T his came from his many later years spent with his dear lady friend, Do minica Perardi, an Italian by birth. He learned to speak the language u sing teaching tapes and books so to romance her in her native tongue. I r emember watching him practice, thinking him a lovesick young man all o ver again. Thou they never married or shared a home, she was his clos e companion for over ten years until his death. "Mina" was dearly lov ed by our family, she died in Galesburg in 2001. many times she was kn own to say, the biggest regret she had in life was that she never mar ried "Richardo". My Grandpa lost his mother when he was 18, her mothe r when he was 19, he lost one brother to a tragic death when he was 20 , another lost to mental illness. He was there when two of his daughte rs buried their husband's, one when she was only 22, widowed with an i nfant and a toddler. He buried both his wives, the first along with t heir newborn daughter when he was 32, another child, his only son, died a t birth in 1940. The losses he endured seemed only to strengthen his l ove for those who remained. By total coincidence, his first wife, Th elma, was buried next to the plot which would soon be the resting place f or the parents of his second wife Genevieve. All three of them having d ied in the early 1930's before Grandpa ever met his second wife. He was l aid to rest in St. Joseph's Cemetery next to Thelma. Genevieve is bur ied a few feet away, sharing a plot with her parents. I like to belie ve this coincidence was one of Divine Intervention. Grandpa loved to t ravel and had made a trip to Missouri shortly before his death to purc hase fireworks. On the evening of July 4, 1987, following his burial, h is daughters lit those fireworks at his grave. In early 1997 before I r emarried, my soon to be husband told me to "pick a day". July 4th was t he day of choice, a celebration of life.
OBITUARY
Richard Leon Freeman
d. July 1, 1987 Galesburg, Illinois
GALESBURG- Richard L. "Poss" Freeman, 84, 1132 N. Cedar St., died Wedn esday at 4:17 am in St. Mary’s Hospital.
He was born July 27, 1902 in Galesburg to Michael and Ida Anderson Fre eman. He married Thelma Clark, May 10, 1925. She died August 10, 1935 . He married Genevieve Ryan, October 26, 1938. She died June 7, 1973.
Surviving are five daughters, (names of living edited out) one sister, M ildred Clark, Walla Walla, Wash.; 18 grandchildren and 20 great grandc hildren.
He worked as a railway mail clerk for the U.S. Postal Service for 44 y ears, retiring in 1968. He graduated from Corpus Christi Lyceum in 19 21. He was a charter member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. He w as a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus Council 556 and a f ourth degree member of the Galesburg Assembly. He was also a member of t he Galesburg Exchange Club, American Legion Ralph M. Noble Post 285, an d the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.
Funeral will be held Saturday at 10:30 am in St. Patrick’s Catholic Ch urch, the Rev. Joseph Mc Poland officiating. Burial will be in St. Jo seph’s Cemetery. Friends may call Friday from 7 to 9 pm in Foley-Wats on Mortuary, with rosary at 8:30 pm.
Memorials may be made to Costa Catholic School.[FreemanTree.FTW]
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