Obituary: Freeman, Harold J. “Ted”
Age 93
“Ted” Was born on November 1, 1919, the first of four children born to Roy and Marjorie Hamon Freeman in St. John, Washington.
Ted died on Monday, December 17 in Clarkston.
Ted grew up in St. John and would go on to graduate from St. John High School in 1938.
After graduation he and his brother Joe, worked for Tommy Williams in his grocery store.
In 1941, Ted went into the Army Air Corps where he would join the Flying Tigers as an airplane mechanic.
He also taught ground school.
He was assigned to Chanute Field in Illinois and also to a base in South Carolina.
He went overseas by ship and later “flew the hump” in Burma with the Flying Tigers.
He returned home in 1945 and he and Joe bought the grocery store from Tommy and Hazel Williams.
In 1947, Ted married Cleona Brown in Spokane.
Three children, Beth, Tim, and Perry, were born to them beginning in 1950.
Ted continued, with Joe, running the grocery store until 1977 when he retired.
All three of the kids worked there at some point and many young people in the community had their first jobs at the Cold Storage Market.
It was not unusual for Ted to go open the store for someone who had forgotten a purchase or after church on Sunday.
Many calls came in at home, and he graciously went to the store to help someone after hours.
After his father-in-law’s death in 1963, Ted fixed up a room in the house for is mother-in-law, Irene to live.
She lived there for several years.
Ted was a member of the St. John First Methodist Church, the American Legion, and the St. John Fire Department.
Ted was a really sound sleeper, and many nights when the fire siren rang, the kids would get up and run to the bedroom to wake him.
Ted took tireless care of his wife, Cleona in her declining years.
He picked her up countless times off the floor and took wonderful care of her until it just got to be too much.
We kids will always look at him as an angel who cared so carefully for our mom.
Ted is survived by his children and their families: Beth and Richard Calkins of Clarkston, Tim Freeman, of Seattle, Perry Freeman and Nancy White of Kirkland; three grandchildren, Chad Hendrickson and Katrina of Spokane, Adam Hendrickson of Clarkston, and Ananya Freeman of Kirkland; two great-grandchildren: Treyson Orr of Asotin and Aili Hendrickson of Spokane; one sister, Lois Lunden and George of Newport, Washington; one brother-in-law, Norman Donaldson of Colville, Washington; and one sister-in-law, Camille Freeman of St. John; a nephew, Eric Lunden of Yakima, Washington and a niece, Karen Lewis of Norfolk, Virginia and two great-nieces, Kristen and Kathryn of Norfolk, Virginia, a step-niece and two step-nephews.
In his later years, Ted was assisted at home by several people, including Suzanne Sweeney with whom he enjoyed playing cribbage.
Camille Freeman also played an important part in his being able to remain at home until he was almost 93 years old.
In 2012 Ted moved to Evergreen Estates in Clarkston to be near his daughter, Beth.
Preceding Ted in death were his parents, Roy and Marjorie, his sister, Dorothy, his brother, Joe, and his wife of over 50 years, Cleona.
He was also preceded in death by his mother and father-in-law, Irene and Quincy Brown, and his brother-in-law Junior Brown.
Ted will be missed by his friends and family.
Graveside services will be on Saturday, December 22 at 10 A.M. at the St. John Cemetery followed by a memorial service at the St. John United Methodist Church at 11 A.M.
There will be a luncheon following the memorial service.
Arrangements have been entrusted to BRUNING FUNERAL HOME OF COLFAX, WASHINGTON.
Online condolences can be made at www.bruningfuneralhome.com.
Memorials are suggested to the St. John United Methodist Church or the St. John Fire Department.