By LaRae Free Kerr, 15 Jun 2005, Gallatin, Missouri
In 1908 a Free family reunion was held in Salt Lake City. Fortunately, the program survived. This program is the basis of our Free pedigree. And well it should be, for Absalom P Free knew his parents, his grandparents and his great grandfather, Joshua Perkins. He traveled from North Carolina, to Tennessee to Illinois with them. Though A P Free had died twenty-plus years before this reunion, he had, apparently, given his pedigree to Junius Free Wells, the family genealogist. The records of his ancestors were also found in TIBs. If possible, we plan to adopt some of the activities from this program for the 2006 reunion.
In 1976, Ron VanderBeek and I made a research trip to Illinois. We stood where A P Free's farm flourished in St Clair County. We found several living Free descendants. We found historical items almost every place we went as well as legal information in the IRAD shed. I did not find a single Free entry in Hancock County, Illinois. All in all it was a rewarding trip.
On the 8th of April, 1977 seventeen people met at the home of Dennis McFall to organize the Free Family Organization. It was decided to hold a reunion in August 1977. Ray D Free volunteered his home for the reunion. Mary K Decker organized the reunion. Joseph C Free acted as President. Helen Free VanderBeek (LaRae Free Kerr*) was genealogist.
At the reunion 27 Aug 1977 held in Ray D Free's back yard (4545 S 13th E SLC), officers were selected: Joseph C Free - President, Winnifred Boggess - Secretary and Treasurer, Helen Free VanderBeek (LaRae Free Kerr) - Genealogist, Eugene and Evelyn Gibbons - Newsletter Editors, Mary Decker - Betsy Strait rep, Charlotte Meiling - Martha Belcher rep, Armand Whitehead - Elizabeth Jarrold rep, Lory M Free - Annie Hicks rep. The closing prayer was offered by Stanley Free Rock. Others who participated were Diane Swain, Bonnie Meiling, Georgiana Lees, Winifred Boggess, Henry Free, Abbie Wells who d in 1979, and my dear Mom, Myrtle Joy W Free.
The second reunion was held 29 July 1978 at 2 PM with program at 6 PM at the Murray City Park, Pavilion #5. Lory Free provided an accurate reproduction of a handcart, the first most of us had seen.
The third reunion was held 15 Sep 1979 at the Lake Terrace at Sugarhouse Park in Salt Lake City under the direction of Mary Decker.
In May 2005, the Absalom Pennington Free Historical Society was organized with LaRae Free Kerr as President and Jill Shoemaker as Vice President. Other officers are needed. Please volunteer. The goals of this organization include:
1.. an Absalom Pennington Free reunion in July 2006 in Salt Lake City for all A P Free descendants and as many Andrew Free descendants as we can locate
2.. a worthy history of the Free family to be published in 2007
3.. a compilation of all descendants of Absalom P Free and many descendants of Andrew Free
4.. ordinance work completed for all needing it
5.. a Free Family Reunion website which is now complete thanks to Joseph W Free
6.. extension of the Free family pedigree "over the water"
In August 2004, I returned to Nauvoo with my sister and cousins and found enough family information to fill two CDs and many pages. The Nauvoo Land and Records office and the Nauvoo family history center both have information not yet available elsewhere.
Consequently, in a few minutes, I will be leaving for Nauvoo again, 15 June 2005, to do more research there.
*My full name is Helen LaRae Free VanderBeek Kerr. When I had the good fortune to marry Walter Kerr, he asked me to use my middle name. I say I am just trying to use up all my names before I die.