Bio: Free, Inger (Mrs. Herbert)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Free, Mattson, Murphy, Richert, Sears, Spuhler

----Source: Excerpt from "The Centennial History of the York Center United Methodist Church, 1880 - 1980.

FREE, INGER (MRS. HERBERT)

The first of the Frees to own the farm in See. 16 was Richard Free. He was a native of Canada. He owned the land as early as 1880, but did not live on it continuously until 1893. His wife, Hannah Armstrong, also came from Canada but was of Irish descent and was a charming lady according to her daughter-in-law, Inger.

When the Frees moved to the Town of York, the main part of the house was there but Will Free built on the kitchen and dining room end and put on the bricks in 1905.

The Richard Frees had seven children - Jennie, born September 18, 1882 and passed away in 1948; Phoebe was born August 30, 1884 and passed away in 1925; Sidney, born January 13,1887, served in World War 1, and never married; Lucy, born February 7, 1888; Ethel, born September 22, 1890; Herbert, born April 23, 1892, passed away in 1971; Gertrude, born July 5, 1894, died May 20, 1978.

Father Richard Free was born October 16, 1853 and died in 1922. Hannah died in 1937. Herbert Free married Inger Searls and they farmed the home farm. Inger was the daughter of James. R. Searls. They came to Clark Co. in 1922 and a year later moved to the Charlie Campbell place (west of George Hates corner) in 1923 and lived there three or four years. The Searls had 11 living children and four who had died in infancy. They were Bertha (Mattson) of Hayward, George and Madge (both deceased), Margaret, who passed away in 1952. Leona lived in Milwaukee, and Minnie is in Memorial Home at Neillsville, where her sister Edna passed away in 1971. Herbert lived in Yakima, Washington. Alice married Herb Richert and lives at Loyal, and Harold lives near Granton.

Inger has four children. Leatrice (Murphy) of Black River Falls, Inez (Spuhler) of Loyal, Viola (Buchholz) of Christie and Don. He still has the home place but has it rented out at present and is trucking.