- Born: 6 Dec 1906, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States 1 5 6 7 12 13 14 16 17 18
- Marriage (1): Leona Hope Jackson on 13 Feb 1945 in Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States 1 2 3
- Died: 11 Oct 1986, Puyallup, Pierce, Washington, United States at age 79 1 5 13 14
- Crem.: 16 Oct 1986, Sumner, Pierce, Washington, United States 19
Cause of his death was Cerebral Embolus, Bilateral due to Encephalitis.5
Another name for Freeman was Earl F. Rathburn.18
Noted events in his life were:
Residence, 20 May 1910, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 18
Residence, 1915, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 20
Residence, 30 Jan 1920, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 21
Education: Graduated Sedan High School, 24 May 1926, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 22 23
Employment: First Baptist Church, Jun 1926-Sep 1926, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Jesse A. Rathbun - Farm laborer, Sep 1926-Feb 1928, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: John W. Burch - Farm work, Mar 1928-Nov 1928, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Jesse A. Rathbun - Cutting Wood, Dec 1928-Jun 1929, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Ralph L. Dilley - Farm Work, Jun 1929-Aug 1929, Dodge City, Ford, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Jesse A. Rathbun - Cutting wood - winter fuel, Sep 1929-Mar 1930, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: A. B. Randals - Farm Work, Mar 1930-Sep 1930, Longton, Elk, Kansas, United States. 24
Residence, 7 Apr 1930, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 25
Employment, 11 Apr 1930, Lafayette, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 26
Residence, 11 Apr 1930, Lafayette, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 26
Employment: Cal. W. Floyd - Farm Work, Sep 1930-Oct 1930, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: James E. Fadley - Farm and Dairy work, Nov 1930-Oct 1931, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Nathaniel Brown - Farm Work, Grafton School District, Nov 1931-Jul 1932, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Clayhton L. Fadley - Dairy work, Aug 1932-Dec 1932, Independence, Montgomery, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Self employed - Cutting and selling wood, Jan 1933-Mar 1934, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: E. A. Dilley - Farm Work, Apr 1934-Jul 1934, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Cal W. Flody - Farm work, Aug 1934-Sep 1934, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Self employed - Cutting and selling wood, Sep 1934-Dec 1934, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 27
Employment: Tom B. Jacks - Sawmill, Jan 1935-Jun 1935, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: CCC Camp - Soil Conservation, Jul 1935-Sep 1935, Red Wing, Goodhue, Minnesota, United States. 24
Employment: Chautauqua County - Road work, Oct 1935-Nov 1935, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Self - Employed - Farming, Dec 1935-Dec 1936, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Residence, 1937, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 1
Employment: Kanotec Refinery - Repair Work, Jan 1937-Mar 1937, Arkansas City, Cowley, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Allan Casement - Farm work, May 1937-Jun 1937, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway System - Steel Gang, Jul 1937-Sep 1937, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24 Worked in Sedan, Kansas; Colorado; and New Mexico.
Employment: Walt Crammish - Farming and mining, Nov 1937-Dec 1937, Paradox, Montrose, Colorado, United States. 24
Employment: E. A. Slates, Jan 1938-Mar 1938, Bedrock, Montrose, Colorado, United States. 24
Employment: Rathbun Blacksmith - Repair work, Mar 1938-Jul 1938, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway System - Steel Gang, Jul 1938-Dec 1938, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24 Worked in Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Employment: Rathbun Blacksmith, Jan 1939-May 1939, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24
Employment: Atchison Topeka, Santa Fe Railroad - Steel Gang, May 1939-Jun 1939, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States. 24 Worked in Kansas, and Colorado.
Employment: Martin Brothers - Potato harvest, Sep 1939-Oct 1939, Terreton, Jefferson, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Carlyle Chaffin - farm work, Oct 1939-Jun 1940, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Occupation: Hired man, 11 Apr 1940, Lincoln, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 28
Residence, 11 Apr 1940, Lincoln, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 28
Employment: Elmer Ball - Farm work, Jun 1940-Sep 1940, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Julius Ludwig - Potato harvest, Sep 1940-Oct 1940, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Nielson Brothers - Sheep feeding, Oct 1940-Feb 1941, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Russel Burkman - farm work, Mar 1941-Jun 1942, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Residence: Russel Burkman, Mar 1941-Jun 1942, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 29
Employment: Charles Rickman, Jun 1942-Jul 1942, Terreton, Jefferson, Idaho, United States. 24
Residence: Charles Rickman Farm, Jun 1942-Jul 1942, Terreton, Jefferson, Idaho, United States. 29
Military Service: World War II; United States Army, 27 Jul 1942-15 Sep 1945, , , Washington, United States. 1 14 30 31
Employment: Martin Brothers, 301 Poulson, Sep 1945-Oct 1945, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 32
Residence: 398 1st Street, Sep 1945-Nov 1945, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 29
Employment: Midland Elevators,125 North Yellowston Ave., Oct 1945-Aug 1946, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Residence: Smith Cabins, Nov 1945-May 1946, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 29
Membership: Veteran of Foreign Wars, 1 Feb 1946 to 1 Jan 1947, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 33
Residence: 335 Garfield Street, May 1946-Aug 1950, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 29
Occupation: Truck Driver, 17 May 1946. 8
Residence: 335 Garfield Street, 17 May 1946, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 8
Employment: Cream Top Dairy, 1780 South Yellowstone Ave., Aug 1946-Apr 1947, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Occupation: Truck Driver For Cream Top Dairy, 29 Apr 1947. 9
Residence: 335 Garfield Street, 29 Apr 1947, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 9
Employment: Croney Brothers, No. Utah Street, May 1947-Jun 1947, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Clyde Hess Dist. Co., 207 South Shoup Ave., Jun 1947-Oct 1947, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Eastern Idaho Equipment Company, 686 Shoup Ave., Oct 1947-Jun 1950, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Residence: 335 Garfield, 1949, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 34
Occupation: Mechanic, 11 Jan 1949. 35
Residence: 335 Garfield Street, 11 Jan 1949, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 7 36
Employment: Tractor Sales and Service, Jun 1950-Apr 1951, Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho, United States. 24
Residence: Utah Auto Court, South Yellowstone Highway, Aug 1950-Dec 1950, Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho, United States. 29
Residence, Dec 1950-Apr 1951, Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho, United States. 29
Employment: Clark Concrete Construction Corp., South Highway, Apr 1951-Dec 1953, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Residence: 335 Garfield Street, Apr 1951-Dec 1953, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 29
Occupation: Masonary Manufacturer, Clark Concrete Corp, 31 May 1951. 10
Residence: 335 Garfield Street, 31 May 1951, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 10
Residence: 335 Garfield, 1952, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 37
Employment: Arizona Concrete Company, Dec 1953-Jan 1954, Fillmore, Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States. 24
Residence: Travelers Inn, 4433 E. Vanburen, 22 Dec 1953-1 Jan 1954, Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States. 29
Residence: 1755 S. Lee Ave, 1954, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 38
Employment: Clark Concrete Construction Corp, 1 Jan 1954-Jul 1955, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Residence: Uncle Toms Cabin, Highway 89, 1 Jan 1954-20 Jan 1954, Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States. 29
Residence: Colonial Motel, 29 Jan 1954-18 Feb 1954, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 29
Residence: 1755 South Lee, 18 Feb 1954-Dec 1954, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 29
Occupation: Laborer, Clark Concrete, 27 Aug 1954. 11
Residence: 1755 South Lee, 27 Aug 1954, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 11
Residence: 315 3rd Street, Dec 1954-5 Aug 1957, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 29 39
Employment: Palisade Contractors, Aug 1955-Sep 1955, Palisades, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: American Pipe Company, Sep 1955-Nov 1955, Palisades, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Cahool Construction Company, Nov 1955-Jan 1956, Shelley, Bingham, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Palisades Contractors, Nov 1955, Palisades, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Idaho Tractor Service Equipment, 321 College, Feb 1956-Aug 1956, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Gunther-Shirley Lane, Aug 1956-Oct 1956, Palisades, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: American Fence Company, Oct 1956-Nov 1956, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. 24
Employment: Arrington Construction, 420 W. Broadway, Nov 1956, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Bohi Construction Company, 897 Cleveland St., Nov 1956-Dec 1956, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: F. B. Coburn, 989 E. 19th, Nov 1956, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: P. B. Coburn, 389 E. 19th St., Dec 1956-Jan 1957, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Easter Idaho Construction Company, Jan 1957-Nov 1958, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Residence: 254 3rd Street, 5 Aug 1957-10 Dec 1973, Iona, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 29 April 1, 1957, Freeman and Hope Rathbun bought land in Iona, Idaho, belonging to Henry and Virginia Jackson for the sum of $10.00. Warranty Deed No. 252489. April 11, 1958 Freeman filed a Declaration of Homestead on the above property.
Employment: Snake River Equipment Company, Feb 1959-Dec 1961, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: C. C. Anderson Store, Dec 1961-May 1961, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Halverson Construction Company, AEC Site, May 1962, Arco, Butte, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Mel Brown Pump Company, May 1962, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Western Specialty Company, Jun 1962, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 24
Employment: Westinghouse, Nov 1962-Jan 1971, Arco, Butte, Idaho, United States. 27
Baptism: Jehovah Witness, 18 Jul 1969, Vancouver, , British Columbia, Canada. 1
Retirement: Westinghouse Electric Co, 1 Jan 1971, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States. 1
Residence, 28 Apr 1978, Auburn, King, Washington, United States. 1
Residence, 10 Oct 1985, Auburn, King, Washington, United States. 4
Residence: 1450 33Rd St. S.E., Oct 1986, Auburn, King, Washington, United States. 40 41
Occupation: Janitor, Janitorial Service, Bef 11 Oct 1986. 5
Cremation: Woodlawn Abbey Crematory, 14 Oct 1986, Sumner, Pierce, Washington, United States. 5
Freeman E. Rathbuns memories of growning up., Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas, United States
Freeman E. Rathbuns memories of growing up.
Transcribed by Jesse Earl Rathbun from a tape recording made by Freeman Earl Rathbun
In the town of Sedan, Kansas, Chautauqua County, there was a family that lived that lived there by the name of Jesse A. Rathbun and a Freeman Rathbun. And a The remembrance that I have now, Freeman Earl Rathbun, was the first born of their children. And of the places that we lived I can't think of anything earlier than a place on West Main Street. It was a corner of the street. There was a yard that was fenced all the way around. We did not get out of the yard unless mother or father knew of which, when, and where, and why, and all about. So we played safe by being in the yard the whole time. There were some of the neighbors around there that lived in the small town of Sedan, which was only about 1700 or 1800 people. If we was to go out of the yard when Daddy was coming home from work, we could come down the street and meet him, and that was ok.
Jesse A. Rathbun was a mail carrier for the Post Office, on a rural route. One time on the route it was raining, real, quite a bit there. And as you know, there is times when the lightning will flash across the sky and it looked like it just hit the ground. Oh, it was several yards ahead of us. We had stopped for a little bit.
When we were going to school, I was up around six years old. We had to go clear across town, I think about a mile, over across there were the school house was. Mother and dad picked out a certain route that we had to follow, to go to school and then come home. So we always followed that way, and that way they knew exactly what kind of conditions and where, if there was any kind of person was lead astray, why they would know which way to look.
Well ,there was times when we were getting some magazines and dad would read some of the stories in the magazines to us, as we didn't have any radios or anything like that at all. We had in the house a cook stove, a wood or gas, wood most likely. And then there was a coal oil light that we used to have for the lights. Then there was certain times though we sometimes lived in one place maybe thirty days, sixty days, moved to some other house and was there for thirty days, sixty days or such that way.
And after we were in school there for a while there, we had a teacher by the name of Chamis, in the first grade. Then we got promoted to the first grade, and I got to go on. There was one time two colored children in the class, one boy and one girl. And a there were times that we were going to and from school, I would get along with the color children all right, but my cousin, Walter, he couldn't get along with these color children at all.
But as the years go by, why we soon was going to another, moved up on another street and the school house was in the corner of the block, half of the block. And Aunt Martha and Uncle Ed lived in a stone house on the one corner and then we lived in the house the next lot to them.
And well, in the family an increase from one child, then another, and a so forth. Hylas, was the second boy, Olive was the third child, and then John was the fourth.
And one time, in the period of war time, 1914, John, at the supper table one time started to crying and wondering dad and mom kept inquiring, trying to find out why he was crying. He said, "well I don't want daddy to go to war." While we were living in this house, before the war started dad had bought a 19..., I'm not sure of the year, model T Ford. And a there was different people around town that a had some Ford cars, such that way, but they did not take their car out unless they seen my dad to take his car out to go on the mail route. And then they would venture out with the car. But dad used the car, and only one missed a very few trips around the route in a year, three years, I think it was, that he was carrying the mail, instead of using horses. (Do you mean that they were afraid to drive on the road?) It was just something new to them (the car) that they did not, was a little bit afraid to try it without, especially in winter time, but he made the routes quite regular.
Well, with the Negro children, they was all right, as far as I was concerned. They, was the only two color children in my class, for two-three years. But anyway it was just Walter just couldn't not get along with them, I could. (Was it unusual to have them there in your school?) There was very few color children around in the town, I think.
Well, we used to have a new wagon, such that way, and I don't remember now just what all kind of toys we had. But when it come around Christmas time, usually why we all, what we got was things that we needed, like clothes and shoes and those different things. And as on mail route I think it was that dad got a $100.00 a month, and he had to feed the horses, things that way out of his wages, but we made it.
(What kind of games did you play since you could not leave the yard?) Well that I failed to recollect, I suppose just like any other kids, whatever.
I think it was about 1918, when the war was over, and we was living up close to Maggy Thelma's school, where the folks next door named Martha and Uncle Ed's. And one morning the bell rang early, the school bell, and I thought I was late to school. Jumped out of bed, Mom finally convinced us that it wasn't time to go to school yet, and so that it was the end of the war. And during that day sometimes they had what they called burning of Kaiser Bill. And across, catty corner, across from the school was a church, if I remember right, and they had at that place where they had the burning of the Kaiser Bill, a dummy fixed up that way.
But we where we lived there, we could just go out the back gate of the yard and across the alley and we was right in the school yard. So it was not very far to go then. And a later on, in a few years, such that way, going into the seventh and eighth grade, such that way, was over across town to the school and we'd have to go on across town again to school so we had a special route we'd follow to school and back.
Well, in them olden days, the women used wash tub and the wash scrub board in washing their clothes. There was nothing fancy, they made their own soap, and such that way, and used that in cleaning the clothes.
And as the years began to go by, a little bit, why there have been times that we moved some of the other places. We used to live north of Sedan, and out on to a lease. Dad had quit the mail route and he worked for some oil companies. And out on the lease is where he pumped things, that way, he lived in the houses where they had gas or lights for heating of the stove, cooking, and so on, heating the house. And we used to go to school in a Sedan. And well sometimes, well sometimes we would walk in and back and there was times that dad would take us in. We didn't have no school bus or things that way. (Didn't you have a horse to ride?) Well a, no not out there we didn't. And that was about four miles to school.
Then on Saturdays, and such that way, we'd help weld rod lines. Take a bucket of old crude oil, pour a little oil at the post where the oil rod lines was at an active a pump gas from one place to another, from the well to different places.
And we used to get out and hunt rabbits and thing that way, with the dog and chase them in pipes. So we'd get a can and a rod and push the rabbit out of there and the dog would grab him and we'd get a hold of the rabbit and kill him and have some meat. We used to eat the rabbits.
Concerning washing machine, later we was living out on Uncle Tiny's place and we had a washing machine that could be run by hand, had a foot business at the bottom, and we could run the washing machine by either place, by the hand or foot peddle and so sometimes one foot on the foot peddle and one foot against the handle and push one and then the other and keep the machine running.
(What were you doing when you were doing it?) Oh sometimes, when we were reading or just whatever happened to be.
And then we used to different times before we lived out there, we would go out different times Uncle Tiny's and Aunt Rosy's there would be a lot of relatives all gathered around for a dinner and enjoying the day. ("Would there be homemade ice cream?" Hope Rathbun) Yes there would be homemade ice cream. Uncle Tiny had a walnut tree around there too, and in the fall such that way there would be walnuts and a ready to break open and eat, such that way too. They had chickens and cow, such that way. It was a kind of a farm. I don't remember how big it was, there was two fields and a hay. (Was this your dad's brother or your mothers?) My daddy's sister and her husband, was Uncle Tiny Wall and Aunt Rosy.
("Was this an every Sunday affair?" Hope Rathbun) Well, not exactly every Sunday, but quite often, especially on holidays such that way. And then we used to go to church, Mom and Dad would send us kids to church, and there were times that we didn't miss a Sunday, we was regular, there at every church service that they had and when we was in into the grades of, and then also in high school, such that way, we attended very regularly. They used to have Christmas programs, and of course we were in some of them, as small children.
(When did your dad go into the blacksmith work?) Well I was out of school then, but in the school years, in high school used to always attend in the high school that was over in the East side of town. Well I didn't exactly sometimes like school. Second year of high school I dropped out. Course that next summer, though I studied and took the exams before school started and continued, I fell back one year.
There was times we had some the church socials or gatherings that we had to be a home by eleven o'clock or else dad would be coming after us. We couldn't be staying up late of nights and things that way. We went to different parties and things that way when we got up in high school and thing that way. And then there was times when we went some place, oh a, church businesses at other towns. And one time, at one table in this here town where we ate our lunch, they composed a little business, "For we're through and want some more." They a, business kind, I suppose a kind of an assembly of some kind for the young people.
We when out to Uncle Tiny's and such that way and was Fourth of July, things that way, we would go over to Cedar Vale and there would be quite a number of different cousins and relatives around. (Did you have ball games and things when you got together?) Oh yes, there was ball games too. Horse shoe pitches and so on. We'd have big feasts, eat, eat, eat, eat.
(What about the time you had the car the you stuffed the tires with blankets, when was this?) Well, I know that we had different times when we had our own vehicle, that way, Model "T" Fords. We have take one tire and put inside of another and such that way, anything. Because we didn't have sometimes and extra tube to put in something in to make it so we could drive home. ("Wouldn't that make for a bumpy ride?" Hope Rathbun.) Yes. There was a number of different old cars we had,but mostly Model "T". We used to have a Chevrolet and a Star, and Uncle Tiny and Aunt Rosy used to have an Overland car, a big car. Dad drove it several times when he was out and around with all the family. It was an eight passenger vehicle and enjoy a ride out around throughout the country, Sedan, and Cedar Vale, Hewins. Arnold Blankinship lived over there, and Wilkersons lived in Cedar Vale, Aunt Mary used to live in Cedar Vale, Mary Hensly, Uncle Albert used to live out West of town, on a farm. He's was a farmer. We used to go out there different times.
And back in the times when we used have, after we had got a ford car, we had made a trip up to Grant City, Missouri to Mother's home town, and visited some of the relatives up there on Mother's side of the family. Mother's last name before she was married was Freeman. And so we had gone up to Grant City to see Grandpa and Grandma Freeman, and Uncle Ed Freeman, lived up there too. They had about as large a family, I don't remember, between 12 or 13 children in the Freeman family up there. They was out on the farm, such that way, and so the boys would be out around the fields, things that way, and the girls was occupied around the house with things to do.
Oh one time, during high school, such that way, and when the winter time there was snow and ice around. And one winter, I couldn't say exactly which one that was, but anyway there was a whole bunch of young people getting on the sled riding behind cars. And a, I think that I was the second one on that and then Darrel Floyd was on the front. And a, we were going down West Main, there were four of us on there, I think Vera, which became Orval's wife, was on the sled too. There was a rope, the car was pulling the sled and there was cars also park along the side of the street too. Darrel thought that we would have to move over sideways to, we missed one but they hooked onto another one and threw three of us off it. And I woke up in somebody's house, after about an hour, I think it was. But I don't remember now who the one was that was pulling it, someone of the city people. Well, I did not do so much sleigh riding after that.
("Did you do any Ice skating?" Hope Rathbun) Tried to a little bit but I just couldn't keep my feet straight, keep myself upon in the right kind of position at all times. (Did you go roller skating?) I used to go roller skating some and after I got out of school and work to for Failey's dairy, I used to go with them when they wanted to a get through quick on milk delivery and go skating rink and skate awhile.
Well, when we was out of school and such that a way and Dad was in the Blacksmith shop some of those times we used to do some bowling. (Did your dad bowl?) Yes quite a little bit.
I had worked several different places around town. I started out with Uncle Tiny's place where he had a fella working, or had rented his farm in Cedar Vale. And I used to plow and do different chores around there. Plowing of the fields, I used to take the teams, three horses down to plow and on the way down I was going by an orchard. And so I would pick up a half dozen peaches and take them with me on down there and then I would a hitch up the team and start down the row with the plow, a plowing and eating peaches. I would drop the seeds in the soil and the furl and a next year this farmer could tell just how far I went from morning to noon, noon to night, and such that way because there was a row of peaches trees a growing. But the fields was long rows down through a large field.
And then after that, there was other places that I used to work around. One time when I was much younger, I was cleaning some bricks for a fella that lived there in town. He would give a I think it was 10 cents a hundred, for cleaning them. And I did a lot of jobs in a way.
And in and around Sedan they had fairs, in the fall. Free fairs, you could go to it, you did not have to pay to get in. They had all kinds of things, the around the merry-go-round, and those different things. An booths, places where they had hamburgers, different food items, candy, cotton candy, so on. (Did the have the rides, Farris wheel?) I think they had, I know a merry-go-round and a few of the small rides. They had carnivals and there was times they had Circus, and they would have their big parades down through town.
(How about the time you were in the school play? Question asked by Hope Rathbun.) Well I still got the book now, but I don't remember now exactly the name of the play. But I think that it was in junior year.
(We're you ever in the choir? Question asked by Hope Rathbun) No I didn't. One class in high school that a when the teacher was not in or was late there was one girl that was a good singer used to sing several different songs. And so the different boys and girls in there, they liked to hear her sing so they would give her different songs that she knew and they all sat quietly in class. Yes I was in that class. I don't remember now which class that was.
(Tell the kids how you made butter? Did you make butter? Question asked by Hope Rathbun.) Well, yes, in making butter we had a stone jar and had a business, a dasher. So we put cream into the jar, and take and put the dash business down into it, and a with a with a lid on there you would take a hold of a handle, up and down, up and down, up and down you would continue and a eventually it would turn into butter.
(Did you ever help your mother doing the house work?) Well, she (Mother) usually managed to see that we did the dishes. And after we get through eating that was the first thing you do your dishes before you go out to play. And that way everything was caught up. Someone would wash and another would dry dishes, such that way.
Well, as we begin to get older and out around, had a car and such that way to go we used to get out and take Sunday afternoons. Five gallon gasoline, it only cost about 65 cents, 15 cents a gallon, in that neighborhood. And sometimes we would take off and go some other town, such that way, Sunday afternoon maybe even go to church somewhere else, that way. (Was that were you got your love for traveling around?) Could of been. And then we'd all see how many different places that way we could go to church. We nearly always attended church somewhere. We used to go to church in a stone building across from the courthouse. And they used to have their Christmas program in that building, then eventually, they build another church building. Hylas and I, and I think John did too, help work on that building. Hauled in a lot of brick, unload and pile up, so as to build the outside of the church. And us boys used to work, I think that we got two days wages out of it, and about three days to donate. (What was a day's wage?) Wages was usually round about a dollar a day, such that way. That was what a lot of farmers paid, a dollar a day. Oh we, that building is still there in Sedan. And as far as I known it is still being used. The first church building that we was in before that is a funeral parlor. It was sold to a man that had a funeral business.
We used to have our gasoline for the cars from this here drips along the gas line. This gasoline was accumulated in the liquid part, would settle down and in kind of a valley like, where the line was going through they had these a special pipe out away from the line that the gasoline would settle down into. And a take that, put it into a car and it was, you might say, a kind of a high test gas that would burn in the car. And that did not cost us anything. If there was a little water into it, then a fella would have to drain that out. But they usually a, when ever any water showed up in it, they would discard that part.
I did work one time in a refinery, as a general laborer, for a while, in Arkansas City. Elmer and his mother lived over there. That was where I got my social security card. That was about when the social security first came out.
I used to haul wood in a model T ford truck. And then I fixed up a model T motor on a chassis with a saw on the back end of it. We'd pull up to a pile of wood and drop the saw on the ground. Already had the water in the radiator or a tank that had been attached. Just crank up the motor and saw up a pile of wood. John used to off bare from the saw quite a bit and I would usually run the saw. And we would just make stove lengths and toss the wood back into another pile. We would saw wood for ourselves. Sometimes we did have a little coal once in a while. Not so much. Sometimes they would ship in some coal. I would sometimes unload coal cars to be hauled from the train to the coal yard.
Well I used to work around the blacksmith shop when Dad was in it.(Two different times.) Well I had got to where I could take and weld a couple pieces of iron together in the forge. And then I could help, ground many and ax. I sharpened up many a picks. I never did do any plows sharpening other that finishing grinding them. Dad sharpened them a lot of them. They were already made. When they ware the point would ware down, he would put a new point on them. And he would weld it in the forge and shape it so that it was right. A lot of them, different farmers, that would bring in several plows shears would leave them there to have them sharpened and ready to use. And there was a lot of other work around, drilling holes for different things.
Winter time we used to use a old steel barrel and have a pipe that a little bit of oil can run down through and drip into the barrel and it would keep the fire going, so a fella would not have to keep coal in the stove to heat the blacksmith shop. Dad used to build different things for different farmers in, used to do quite a bit of wheel work. Then there was the time when there was some of the different ford cars they had to have their front axles straighten where it had been sprung out of shape. And dad used to do a lot of that too.
I used to have an old model T, the first one that I ever bought, a model T that was a touring car. Had three doors and a fella would have to get in from the right hand side. And then the gas tank was under the front seat, so whenever a fella would fill his tank he would have to unload himself and the passenger that sat in the front seat. That, I got that time, only cost me forty dollars. The next one I got cost me fifty dollars and it was kind of a stripped down. Had a kind of a shell over the hood, over the motor, to the front and a shutdown to the gas tank just behind me and had a kind of a seat was made. It was a regular ford but only it did not have the body on it that a regular ford does. I got that ford for fifty dollars and I got two girls along with it. Well, I guess the guy that had it before used to run around with these girls. And so they to ride in the old ford stripped down that way. I was associated with them for a while. They live down toward Peru, and things that way. I used to work for Johnny Birch about that time.
I used to work around a dairy. That was where we got a lot of our milk. And they had ice cream, about every Sunday afternoon. A bunch of the different farmers used to get together and make ice cream.
Well some of the family reunions they used to have water melons, and things that way. Melon type contests eating water melons.
And then when we lived west of Sedan, about, oh half a mile out of town, we used to work for a man that had a saw mill. So I worked around that, hauling logs and off bearing from the saw. That would be taking the lumber from the saw after sawing and piling it up. Well John was off bearing the wood that I sawed. And of course we would go out in the timber and saw down trees and trim them up, cut the good log part out and load them up on the wagons. Take a couple of poles, that would be small trees like, and have some chains. Attach the chain around the pole and wagon wheel on the front and back. Throw the chain underneath the log we would want to load, and then take it on over to the other side of the wagon and hitch it to the team of horses. Speak to the horses and they would walk out, away from the wagon, and that log would roll upon to the wagon.
(Did you ever go swimming as a child out in favorite swimming holes?) We used to go swimming in ponds, as kids, and play in the water. Then there was times we would go fishing and be around the rivers. There was sometimes when the rivers got high in the year. Well they called them creeks, deer creek, wolf creek, and canyon river. One time the only way in and out of town was down the railroad tracks, water was high enough that you could not go down the road someplace. And so a person went to town had to go down the railroad tracks.
Well when I used to work for Johnny Birch, in the Union Chapel area, I used to attend Sunday school and church meeting there. That was north of Sedan, Kansas. And I used to see a girl that was living up there, north of that. And there was times when I also was working over around the Graftin area. There was a farmer there by the name of Brown. I used to work for him. And a so, then I would go back and forth over there to the Union Chapel area. And a, as I would go down the hill where this girl lived, Edith Vanderhook, it was, I used to throw the spark lever up, retard it, on the old Ford Model T, and it would backfire, spit spat spit, quite a bit and they knew that I was coming down the hill. An so I spent a year or two chasing around with her. Then there times that she even took the old Chevrolet that I had and would come back after me a week later. Because I usually stayed right on my job, I lived there. So a about once a week I would wake the car and take off for the Sunday.
Then my daddy's mother was living in Sedan, about a block from where the blacksmith shop was. I used to be out into the Graftin area quite a bit, and there was time I used to go over around Independence on Sunday drives.
I used to go down around Chautauqua, and a, one of my cousins husbands, Bruce Pendergraph and I used to work in a saw mill in the edge of Oklahoma. In a model T truck and a, we used to go down there we batch, saw down trees and make lumber. Then we would haul some of it up therein Sedan. (We're you ever in on Bruce's illegal carrying of whisky? asked Hope Rathbun.) Well I don't know for sure, I didn't see any of it. But still he would take his bed roll, and put it on top of a truckload of lumber and take that up to Sedan.
There was one time I used to work for Ed Castile, and he was setting up tanks and used to be down in Oklahoma. We would be putting together tanks for oil for the oil fields.
I was also went from Sedan out to western Kansas on the extra gangs. Attachinson, Topeka, and Santa Fa Railroad. Well a, we would be in western Kansas, out in Colorado, Colorado down heading toward New Mexico. I went with Earl Slates and his brothers out into Western Colorado, some friends I had in Chautauqua. And a then a one winter time, out in there I used to work for a man who was doing some drilling in the hills to find some of clonadium, that they used in some steel and stuff special, and eventually some of it was used in making atomic energy. And off up in the mountains out of a Paradox, I think was the name of the little town in Colorado.
There was one winter I left there in the valley, I rode out to and over through Gunnison hitch hiking, over the pass to Diabalo, just hitchhiking, started out in February and March. I did not know how much danger that really was until I got over to Gunnison. I stayed in Gunnison over night. I started out on foot out of Gunnison to go to Sedan. Then I caught a ride with a fella going across over the mountain. After crossing the mountain I caught the train down to Diablo. The next day, I hitch hiked to Dodge City. Then the next day I caught another ride on a truck to Dodge City. I stayed with some people I knew there. The next day I caught another ride to Arkansas City. Then I caught another ride on into Sedan. Mom said that she expected me in that day, she had that feeling.
(How did you, John and Hylas come to come to Idaho?) John went off out into Utah in the CC, I think it was. I spent time in the CC in Minneapolis area Wisconsin. John was out in Colorado. And he stayed there. Then another year I was out in Colorado, then I went on out , no I do not remember now. I had an old car, where I go it I don't know now. But I drove it out into Idaho. I stayed around with Uncle Ernest for a while. Hylas came later after we were already out there. The Slate boys and I was around Ogden, Utah, picking cherries and fruit for a while. Then I went on up to Idaho Falls and John passed along somewhere. Any way we were both up there.
A lot of this is just rambling around, some of it is not in the order of times that things happened but just a as a fella happened to think of events in the past years. Maybe some time later I may get things lined out into some order the way things have been in the past few years.
We used to have Easter breakfast off out at Bushes Falls, I think it was, from the Church. I think if I would had done things like a lot of different one was around Sedan, Kansas, looking over the papers that I have seen and subscribing to Sedan Times Star, there is still some of the old timers living in the area that I knew. Ages, people begin to be older all the time. Not many of them left now. I see in the paper some of the different ones I knew or had known in the Nursing homes. There was a time in the younger days. Uncle Tiny was having a well drilled on his place, He had a large system like that had hard water. Had a system , with hard wood over it. Used to sit out there and teach the children reading and writing.
Uncle George lived in Manhattan . He was the author of one of the Kansas spellers that was used in schools.
Uncle Ed used to work around the oil fields, drilling rigs, things that way. He could lift a very large weight. He was a good size man. He had cancer, a place on the side of his neck that kept growing larger. He died. He had two boys and two girls.
(Talk about where your Dads mail route was.) It was about twenty nine miles around his route. He went out west of town and around the one
. Areas back in through some of the southern part of the county and back into Sedan. It took about all day with a little team of horses and buggy to make the route. With a car it was much quicker.
(We're you born at home or born in a hospital?) At home, they did not have a hospital.
I do remember one time when we lived out there west of town, we had a little wagon that we hitched to one of the cow's horns and a rope tided to the wagon, around and around the lot they went, the cows went. I was not one of those riding in the wagon. They took a marry chase until they fell out of the wagon. There was another time that couple of us was riding a horse down the road bare back and we slid off. This old horse put a foot right on my stomach, but he hopped over us not touching us at all. We got back on the horse.
I left Sedan about 1939 and ended up in Idaho Falls. From there I have been there for quite a few years.
(The tape ends at this point.)
Freeman married Leona Hope Jackson, daughter of Logan Henry Jackson and Irene I. French, on 13 Feb 1945 in Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States.1 2 3 (Leona Hope Jackson was born on 27 Jan 1925 in Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States,7 8 9 42 43 died on 29 Oct 2007 in The Dalles, Wasco, Oregon, United States 43 44 45 46 and was cremated on 31 Oct 2007 in The Dalles, Wasco, Oregon, United States.). The cause of her death was Undetermined Natural Causes.5
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