George Freestone

George Freestone was the eldest son of Thomas and Ann Fall Freestone. He was born 18 August, 1838, Prince Edward Island, Canada. He was not yet two years old when he arrived with his parents in the United States. They made their new home on a small farm in Harden County, Ohio. Seven more children were born to them, five in Ohio and one in Utah. When George was fourteen somethng happened that changed the life of the family. Mormon missionaries were preaching in the county and his mother, who was a religious woman, went to hear them preach. She was profoundly impressed by their sincerity and influenced the other members of the famly to attend later meetings. After they were baptized into the new church they decided to join other members who were making ready to travel by ox teams to Utah. A little sketch of his life was written by George just before he died and was sent to the writer by one of his children. The is the story. I was born of English parentage on Prince Edward Island the 13th of August, 1838. When I was under two years old my parents emigrated to America and settled in Harden County, Ohio. "When I was about 13 and Elder of the Latter Day Saints came and preached the Gospel to us. My parents received it and we started for Zion. The next year we arrived at Mt. Pisgah, Iowa in November, 1852. We suffered my prifvations during the winter and in the spring we started for Winter Quarters and when we arrived we found a company of Saints preparing to cross the plains for the Salt Lake Valley. We joined them and I drove four yoke of cattle on a heavily loaded freight wagon across the plains, arriving in Salt Lake the 9th of September, 1853, in Daniel Miller's Company. We moved to American Fork, Utah County and stayed there one year, then moved to Alpine. Here we made our home for many years and in the fall of 1861 I was married to Alice Carlisle,In this same year I hauled rock for the Salt Lake Temple. Four chi ldren were born, all girls. During this time I became a Sabbath School worker and taught in every grade, also became superintendent. I was a captain of a company in the militia of the Territory and served in the Black Hawk war in 1868 "In 1868 my wife Alice died and left me with four children. In 1872 I married Jennie Lind and moved to Bear River, eastern Idaho with the intention of raising stock. Had much enjoyment fishing and hunting. Three children were born there and one died. I remained there seven years and then in 1879 moved to Ashley Fork and endured a very hard winter and lost all my horned stock. Engaged in farming with good success, raising 3000 bushels of grain one year. Bought the first twine binder, also the first stand of bees in the valley (Vernal Honey) I also planted a nursery of fruit and shade trees and supplied the settlers with trees for fruit and shade. I also labored in the Sunday School and became the stake superintendent. When the stake was reorganized I was appointed Bishop, which position I held for 11 years; during that time I was called on a mission to England." George Freestone married, first Alice Carlisle, daughter of Richard and Jane Carlisle 25 Dec., 1861, Alpine, Utah. He was 23 year of age and she 26, and the widow(divorce) of Mr Wilkins, with three children, Richard, Jed, and Jeanette. The daughter married Sam Brown of Provo, Utah. Alice was born 9 Oct. 1835, at Nottingham, England, and died in childbirth 4 Dec 1868. George married second, Jennie Lind, daughter of Jens Christian Anton Lind and Mary Ann Neilson Lind, 12 Aug. 1872, he being 34 and she 17. She was born 26 March, 1855, in Aalborg, Jutland, Denmark, and came with her parents to Utah in 1868. He died 20 August, 1920 and she died 10 August, 1936. George Freestone was a pioneer of Vernal, Uintah County, Utah, and built the first modern home there. Hew fulfilled a mission for the Mormon Church in England, and while there visited relatives at Flixton, Suffolk. In his diary he relates the following: "Feb. 28th, 1894. A beautiful morning. I walked to Flixton the old Freestone homestead, about three miles from Cousin James' place, where father and his brothers and my cousins were born. There is a little church there built of flint stones and gravel cemented together. It stands upon a hill and belongs to the Church of England. It has a tower and spire on which stands a rooster weather vane. In the church yard lie my grandfather and grandmother, but no tombstones mark their graves. Just below the hill stood the house where they once lived and died, but it is gone now and another takes its place. The country round is very beautiful being covered with many groves of trees. I returned the way I came, while many curious thought filled my mind. After dinner I returned to Bungay with Cousin and his daughter Matilda." Jennie Lind Freestone, second wife of George, gives an account of their early married life. They first lived in Bridgeport, Idaho for seven years, where three of their children were born. In 1879 they moved to Uintah County. It took them a month to drive a team of mules with covered wagon from Salt Lake City to Uintah county, arriving there November 6th, 1879. With other new settlers they built a log fort. Their cabin had one room and a dirt roof with no floor or windows. Their fouth children was born here. Food was scarce that first year and many became sick. There was no doctor, but the people had great faith and all the children stricken with dyptheria recovered. The second year the Freestone family was more prosperous and George was soon able to build a two story frame house for his family, which is still standing. The Freestone Family By Clara F. Seeman, pg 5; Rec of Carlisle Fam. consisting of births, marriages and deaths in poss. of George L. Reynolds, R.D. 1, box 345, Vernal , Tuah 84078 Previous church Blessings reconfirmed and ratified for #2 12 Sep 1967 This site powered by The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding ©, v. 9.0.3, written by Darrin Lythgoe 2001-2014. Alpine City, March 18th, 1857 A blessing by Emer Harris, Patriarch, upon this head of George Freestone son of Thomas and Ann Freestone. Born August 13th, 1837, on Prince Edwards Island, B. C., America. Bro. George, I lay my hands upon your head in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and place upon you a father’s blessing. Thou art a Josephite which has come down throu the loins of Ephriam his son, therefore, thou are an heir to the Priesthood which has come down throu the lineage of thy fathers even unto you and thy posterity shall be many and the fruits of the Earth shall also be given unto you and thou shalt have the manifestation of the holy spirit to lead, to lead and guide you throu all your life in as much as thou shalt seek it with all thine heart and the Angels shall administer unto you and thou shalt see Zion in all her beauty and thou shall command the elements and they shall obey you. Thou shalt see the son of man when he shalt come in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory fear not but be of good courage that thou mayest overcome all trials although thou feelest thy weakness at this time the Lord is able to make you strong and mighty in as much as thou shalt put thy whole trust in him and yield thyself in strict obedience all these blessings shall be made sure unto you. And by the authority of the holy Priesthood I seal this a father’s blessing upon your head and in the name of Jesus Christ I seal you up unto Eternal lives. Even so Amen