My mother's sister, Minnie Woodard married William Jackson "Will" Freeman, born 1888, his father was John Henry, in the Big Lick Community on Indian Creek, Pope County. John Henry's father was Mose Wineburg Freeman, (1846) son of Lazarus, son of Isaac Freeman, the common ancestor.

Freeman Descendants of friends and family from Newton County, Arkansas include: Doyne and Helen Heffley, through their grandmother Callie Cavin, and Lillie and Alta Lee Heffley, through their grandfather Uriah (Rye) Freeman, and many other friends and neighbors.

Following is a letter I received this week from a Freeman descendant asking for information on his ggggrandparents, Isaac and Spicey Freeman who moved to Arkansas from North Carolina and settled at Tarlton, Arkansas in the 1830s. Since I already had "The Freeman Connection" as a future limb on the Woodards family tree, I am including his letter. Freeman Cousins and other Freeman Friends will be interested in his information on their North Carolina roots.. (CR)

Email April 16, 1998 from Jerry Freeman --30115 Dover --Flat Rock,Mich.48134

"Hello Colleen, I found your web page thanks to Patti Woodard. My ggg grand parents,Isaac and Spicy Freeman moved from Buncombe County,N.C. in the 1830's settling in Newton county Arkansas,listed in 1850 census.I noticed on your webpage you have a spot for the Freeman connection.I was wondering if there is a connection between the two.I would appreciate any help."

" I'm also a descendant of Mary Woodard and Job Ramsey."

Sincerly, Jerry Freeman

April 16, 1998--Email from Colleen Haynes Rongey to Jerry Freeman

April 16, 1998---Email from Colleen Rongey...

"Hello Jerry...Thanks for your note about the Freemans...The connection of the Freemans to the Woodards was from Ephraim Woodards daughter Minnie Woodard married William Jackson Freeman. Minnie was my mother Iva Woodard's sister.

Another connection between the Freemans is in the Tarlton Cemetery. The land around the Cemetery was the farm of my grandfather Ephraim Woodard and the adjoining place was homesteaded (or bought) by Isaac Freemen when he moved to Newton County in the early 1800s. I did not know until now when you are telling me he moved from Buncombe Co, NC there. This was the same county the Woodard's moved from to NC in early 1850s. Our ggggrandfather who first moved there was Isham Davis Woodard and he settled in Searcy County, Calf Creek, the adjoining county to Newton Co. Grandpa Eph moved his family to Bass in Newton Co and the farm is still in our family.

I grew up in Newton Co with all the Freemans and still see a lot of them since I have been writing some of the history. Am interested in your connection to Mary Woodard and Job Ramsey. Who was her father, etc? Again, thanks for your letter. Colleen Rongey

Minnie Woodard Freeman and William Jackson Freeman Family in the Big Lick Community near Indian Creek....

April 18, 1998 Another letter from Jerry Freeman...

"Hi Am I ever glad to here from you, you're the first person i've found that has a connection to the Freeman's in Arkansas. "

I have William Woodard and Elizabeth ? as Mary Woodard's parents.That is as far back as i have on Mary and Job Ramsey's parents are John Ramsey and Elizabeth ?

In case you didn't know Madison County,N.C.was formed in 1851 from Buncombe County,N.C.after 1851 some information con be found in Madison county on the Woodards,Ramseys,and Freemans.

My gggrandfather Moses,Isaac and Spicy's son, stayed in what became Madison County,N.C. I know very little of Isaac and Spicy's family that went to Newton County,do you have any infor mation on them that you would be willing to share?

If so, thanks if you do, you can email to me or by mail at my address. Best Regards, Jerry Freeman

April 18, 1998-To Jerry Freeman--

Hello Jerry...Thank you for asking.about the Freemans and Woodards...

We have little info on the Woodards back in Buncombe Co NC.. .Our Woodard cousin Connie Fields has the history back in NC and she will be glad to hear from you. The Ramsey, connection has always been puzzeling to us, and how Isham Davis Woodard (our first Ark Woodard) came to come to Ark, etc...

Would love a copy of your data on the early Woodards in N. Carolina...Am forwarding the history I have collected on the Freemans in Arkansas. Get back with me on this. Colleen

Colleen Haynes Rongey-529 Stewart Ave, New Orleans, LA 70123-504-737-8459...

ROSS & KIN by Greenville James Ross 14 Feb 1980- C-79-92897 Richmond, CA Wife: Vera L.Dean-Ross

Ross & Kin hardcover book of 400 pages covers ancestors who came to Newton, Pope and Johnson Counties in Arkansas before 1850 and descendants. Mainly Freeman and Standridge families, and offshoots of their marriages.

The Author and publisher, James Ross said when he wrote the book, additions to this book will never end, but my time on earth is limited. Thus, I must publish what I have gathered and leave it to each of you to add to it as life goes on, and to help in the search for the immigrant who got off the boat or the one who met him at the boat.

(Note: I called the family to see about purchasing one of these great history books Mr. Ross and his wife Vera Dean Ross published in 1980, and, alas, none are remaining to purchase. Therefore, I'm writing the parts of the book relating directly to my friends and family at Lurton, and thank the Ross Family for their work on this book, and to Dewey Freeman, son of John, son of Lazarus, son of Isaac, for the loan of the book. After reading through the book last night, I came up with some interesting observations. The ancestors of many Lurton people we knew are in these two families. Colleen-1995)

(Dewey Freeman another ggggrandson of Isaac Freeman, heard of my interest in the history of Lurton, and loaned me a family book from his relatives, the Freeman's and the Standridge's. Written in 1980, it is a hard cover book of 397 pages. I read through the names in the book and was interested to see the family lineage of many of my Lurton friends and relatives.

James Wesley Ross, Sr. (1823-186_)

The Common ancestor of the Standridge and Freeman family. His father was Dr. Josh Holland who met his mother, a Ross girl, when he was teaching in an Indian School in the south. John Wesley Ross was born of this union. Something happened to his parents. He was raised by another family and was believed to come to Arkansas from Tennessee as a scout on the Trail of Tears (1838). He was around 17 years of age. Family story is that he left his family and came to this isolated area of Arkansas because he was always blamed for all that went wrong where he lived before because he was a half breed Indian.

About 1840 James Wesley Ross married Rhoda Ann Standridge who was born in Tennessee on 8 May 1824. On 22 Feb 1859 he bought a homestead for $46.50 in Richland Township in Newton County, near the Richland Cemetery.

Rhoda Ann Standridge was the daughter of Martin (Mart) Standridge and Catherine (Meek) . They had seven children:

Martin Clinton Tarlton "Tal" Ross 1842-1910 (Note: Could this possibly be where the community of Tarleton and the cemetery got its name? CR)

Alexander "Lec" "Coon" Ross 1844-1922
John Wesley Ross, Jr. 1848-1926
Elizabeth
Lucinda Ross
James E. Ross
Rhoda Jane Ross

Martin Tarlton Ross (1842-1910) was discharged from the union army at Ft. Smith Arkansas on 10 Aug 1865 and returned to his home on Richland Creek in Newton County where he married Mary Susan Felikins in 1866. He married a second time and lived in the Indian nation at Talequah in the 1890s. Even though his grandmother Rosie Meek Standridge was reported to have been a full blood Indian, he may never have registered since his name has not been found on any of the Cherokee Rolls.

The Freeman's common Arkansas ancestor is Isaac Freeman, b 1787 NC d 1855. In 1845 he first moved from Buncombe County, NC and settled 2 miles north of Lurton near Tarleton Cemetery. by the use of slaves he brought with him from NC, he proved and received title to his land. Records show he bought additional land from the government. Row 1, Plot 8 of Tarleton Cemetery contains a Freeman colored woman believed to have been the first burial in the cemetery which was about 1865. Tradition around Lurton says the slave was helping him put out a fire they were using to clear ground. She drank cold spring water after being overheated and died of a heat stroke, they buried her in Tarleton Cemetery and began the Cemetery. She is reported to have been one of Isaac Freeman's slaves he brought with him from North Carolina,not wanting to leave them behind, along with her child.

Isaac Freeman's wife, Spicy was born in VA in 1787. In 1860 she lived with her son Levi after Isaac died in 1855.

Their children : Levi Freeman 1807-1873, Lazarus Freeman 1815-1888- Isaac Freeman 1820-Joshua Freeman 1822- Asa Freeman 1827-Catherine Freeman 1838-

When they moved from North Carolina to Arkansas, Isaac Freeman purchased SE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Sec 12, 40 acres, $50.00, Township 13 North of Range 20 West on 18 Nov 1851, Certificate No 5598.

Isaac Freeman (1787-1855)m.Spicy Freeman, b VA 1787 reported to have come to Ark about 1845 by way of Tennessee, Ky and Mo. He settled on land in Richland Township of Newton County, Ark, two miles north of present day Lurton, Ark, in the area of the Tarleton Cemetery. It is said that by the use of slaves that he had brought with him from North Carolina, he proved and received title to his land. (Note; the first person buried in the Tarlton Cemetery is thought to be a woman freed slave who came to Arkansas with the Freemans along with her daughter, because they did not want to be left in Carolina. A brush fire broke out when they were clearling the newground at the back of the (now Woodards) land and she got too hot from the work, drank cold water from the spring and died. A marker is on the grave in the southeast corner of the Tarlton Cemetery "Freeman Colored Woman".

1850 Census, Arkansas-Isaac Freeman, 63, b. NC

Spicy Freeman, 63, b. VA
Asa Freeman, 23 b. NC
Catherine Freeman, 12, b. Tennessee.

Other children of Isaac and Spicy Freeman:

Levi, 1807-1873
Lazarus, 1815-1888
Isaac, Jr. 1820
Joshua, 1822
Asa -1827
Catherine 1838--Levi, Lazarus and Joshua had families of their own in 1850

No wife for Levi was listed in any census. One source says that his wife was an Indian, and that the enumerators did not list Indians.

Levi Freeman family was counted in the 1850 census as:

Levi Freeman, 35, B NC
Solomon, 17
Spicy, 16
Elizabeth 14
Mose W, 10-Edmond 7.
by 1860 they added another child: Frances age 5-born in Arkansas

Lazarus Freeman,1815-1888- b. son of Isaac and Spicy Freeman, b Buncomb NC Died in Pope Co. buried in Rushing Cemetery north of Dover. Lazarus Freeman married first Rhoda Freeman. Descendants reported Lazarus and Rhoda Freeman were cousins, but no parents were reported for Rhoda. Lazarus served in the Civil war from 5 Feb, 1864 until 8 Aug 1865. His wife, Rhoda died before he arrived home from the Civil War. (Information furnished by Charles Harris of Ft. Douglas who stated he was present when "Rhody" Freeman died and helped bury her.

Lazarus & Rhoda Freeman children:Isaac, Mahaly "Tee", Jobe Henry, Mary, Mose Wineburg, William Riley, Aaron,

Mose Wineburg Freeman, b 1846, son of Lazarus & Rhoda (Freeman) sources say he was buried in Sugar Hollow at the foot of Ledford Mountain. At one time Mose W. Freeman lived down Piney from Treat, Ark. Another time he lived on the Treat-Dillion Road on or beyond the Waterman Mountain. At one time he may have lived in the Big Lick Community on Indian Creek.

(1st) m Minerva "Nervie" Ann (Hobbs) Freeman and had the following children:

John Henry Freeman, 1868-1919-(father of William Jackson "Will" Freeman)

Isaac, Rhoda, Rachael, Celia, Lulu, others.

John Henry Freeman m, Rebecca "Becky" Elizabeth Dunlap on 9 Sept, 1886. They lived in the Big Lick Community on Indian Creek, Plpe Co, Ark,

Their children: William Jackson "Will" Freeman (1888-) Martha Jane, Julie, Nettie, George Washington "Wash", Jessie James, (1895), Louis, Rachel, Mose.

William Jackson "Will" Freeman (1888-) son of John Henry and Elizabeth, m. Minnie Woodard in 1908.

Their children: Truman Freeman, m Adelia Brown in 1927 and they had Mildred Louanne, William Doyle. They divorced and Truman married Henrietta. They had one child: Wayne Freeman.

Lloyd Freeman, Gracie, Erta Mae Freeman, m. Orel Carrol, Norma, J. H.

Uriah "Rye" Freeman (1857-1935) Son of Joshua and Spicy Freeman, m. Permelia Angelina Moore on 1 Feb 1880.

Rye and Angeline living in Pleasant Hill Township in 1900 census:
Ollie M. Freeman, b nov Ark 1884
Spicy L. Freeman, b Sept 1887m. Johnny Bryant
William Freeman b. Dec, 1889
Docia Freeman, b Apr 1892
Bailey M Freeman, Nov 1897
Andrew Freeman, 1898-1978
George Freeman m. Pernie

Ollie Freeman b. 1884- m Brother Dan Hefley Their Children:

Berry Hefley, m. Gladys Burdine
Hettie Hefley, m Lee Hicks
Alta Lee Hefley, m Herbert Hampton
Wilburn Hefley, m six times.
Lillie Hefley m.Earl Vanderpool
Devoe Hefley, m. Bonnie, d 1994

Andrew J. Freeman, b 29 Nov 1898 at Lurton in Newton Co, d 28 Nov 1978, buried Cowell Cemetery. M. Bessie Norton, daughter of Jeff Norton, merchant at Deer, Ark. their children:

Garland Freeman, Dover, Burl Doy, Pelsor, Carl E, Pelsor. Lela Lusso, Fairbanks, Alaska, Violet Ruth, b 1922, d 11 Oct 1933, buried at Cowell Cemetery

(These folks were were friends and neighbors to all of us in Southeastern Newton County in the early days. The Freeman-Woodard Connection is a Newton County legend. Colleen Haynes Rongey)

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