- Research and notes I have found on my 3rd Great Grandmother Betsey Strait Free.
Census -
1810 - age (under 10) - Coffee Island, Wabash co., Illinois
1818 - 8 in household
1820 - age (under 18) Manville, St. Clair Co., Illinois
1830 - age (20 - 30) St. Clair Co., Illinois (married)
1840 - age (30 - 40) St. Clair Co., Illinois
1850 - age 47 Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory
1860 - age 56 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
1870 - age 66 Salt Lake Co., Utah - Sugar House Ward - living next door to Oliver
1880 - age 76 Salt Lake Co., Utah - Sugar House Ward - living with Oliver (age 38 - unmd)
1900 - deceased
Will - Utah State Archives - film #63,117 #l069
In the matter of the estate of Betsy Free
Salt Lake City Aug 6th, 1884
Sugarhouse Ward
Betsy Free will her property to be divided (equally) equely between her 5 children begining with
Preston at the west side
Louisa next
Hannah next
Titha next
Vira next.
the house and grainry to be equaly devided according to its value with her surviveing
children. I want Emelines children to come in first and take any thing the wont in the house.
After I give Jane what I wont to. I wont the rest of my house hold furniture to be devided
equaly according to value with my surviving children. I wont my funeral expensed to come
out of what is on the place.
Betsy S. Free (signed)
Witnessed: Louisa F. Wells and Hannah C. Wells
In the probate court of the Co. of S.L., Territory of Utah In the matter of the Estate of Betsy Free
deceased - Decree of Distribution.
Rulon S. Wells, administrator of the estate of Betsy Free, deceased having on the 19th day
of April 1889, rendered and filed herein a full account and report of his . . . for the final
distribution of the estate; . . . And it appearing that said account is in all respect true and
correct, and . . .; that the residue of money in the hands of the administrator . . . was
$128.89; that since the rendition of said account the sum of $34.25 has been expended by
him as necessary expenses . . . that the estimated expenses of closing the estate will amount
to $94.64 . . . The Court further finds that Ella Young Empey, Hyrum S. Young, Lorenzo
D. Young, Alonyo Young, Ruth Y. Johnson and Odella A. Harrison, children of Emeline Young
a deceased daughter of Betsy Free, have by deed surrendered their rights to all of said
estate and assigned the same to Louisa F. Wells, Preston S. Free, Sarah Elvira Kimball,
Hannah C. Wells and Talitha C. Smith and their heirs and assigns.
It is further adjudged and decreed that the said final account . . is hereby distributed as
follows: to wit To Preston S. Free, Hannah C. Wells, Talitha C. Smith and Sarah Elvira
Kinball, children of said deceased, each and undivided 119/630 of the residue of said estate
the same being and undivided 1/6 of the said estate to which said parties are heirs and else
1/5 each of that portion of said estate assigned to them and Louisa F. Wells by the heirs of
Emeline Young, deceased, as aforesaid.
To Daniel Hammer Wells Jr., Frances Louisa Wells, Rulon Seymore Wells, Emeline Young
Wells, Eliza Free Wells, Clara Ellen Wells Hedges and Melvin Dickinson Wells, children of
Louisa F. Wells, a deceased daughter of said Betsey Free, deceased, each and an undivided
17/630 of the residue of said estate, the same being the 1/6 to which their mother Louisa F.
Wells, a deceased daughter of said Betsy Free deceased, inherited from said estate and also
the 1/5 of the interest in said estate assigned to her in connection with others as aforesaid by
the children of Emeline Young, deceased. To Emeline A. Young Crosby and Louisa W.
Ferguson, children of Emeline Young a deceased daughter of said Betsy Free deceased each
an undivided 1/54 of the residue of said estate.
To Walter Conrad and Winifred B. Conrad each and in common and undivided 1/108 of
the residue of said estate. . . (then lists a piece of land) North 1/2 of the SW qt of
section 20 township 1 So Range 1 E Salt Lake Meridian, to wit: . . . (also another piece
of land described as follows): Beginning in the centre of a (4) . . . the total amount of which
being 19 & 23 one hundredths acres (19.23/100) more or less.
21 May 1889
John A. Marshall
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HISTORY OF BETSY STRAIT FREE
Born 30 January 1804 - Kentucky
Died 24 June 1885 - Salt Lake City, Utah
Married 3 August, 1823 to Absalom P. Free
Came to Utah - 21 September 1848 - Brigham Young Company (Capt. of 1st Div)
Husband - Absalom (Capt. of 10)
History submitted by a Great Granddaughter - Rhea Biesinger Brown
Fairmont Camp, South Center Salt Lake County, Utah-Daughters of Utah Pioneers
Information taken from the History of Preston Strait Free by Mae B. Rose, Histories of
Louisa Free Wells & Hannah Free Wells, Vol. 8 Pioneer Heritage (pages 184 & 195),
and Heart Throbs (page 485).
Betsy Strait Free was born, January 30, 1804 in Kentucky, the daughter of Israel Strait
and Mary or Hannah Thompson Strait. She married Absalom Pennington Free on August 3,
l823. He was born March 22, 1798 in Burke County, North Carolina. He was the son of
Andrew and Mary Pennington Free. Absalom and Betsy must have made their home in Illinois
as that is where their first children were born. Louisa was born August 9, 1824, Emeline,
April 28, 1826, John Wesley, August 7, 1827, Hannah, June 9, 1829, Preston, March 13,
1831, Amanda, September 25, 1833 (died young), Telitha, October 1835, Finley C., July 7,
1838, Elvira, August 3, 1840, Oliver, November 18, 1842, Twins - Minerva and Marinda born
in 1841 died young.
Betsy's daughter, Louisa, relates that her father, Absalom Free, was a strict Methodist who
invited the members of his Church to hold their camp meetings at his home. These meetings
were extreemly sensational, the members working themselves up to such enthusiam in there
desire for salvation that they often had to be carried from the mourners into the house.
Betsy Free, who was a hard-shelled Baptist, thought these people foolish and even wicked
to carry on so. Naturally, religion was a bone of contention in the Free household, until two
Elders, Sineon Carter and John Brown called on the Frees and taught them the true gospel.
Absalom and Betsy could readily see this way of life was what they were looking for, and they
were baptized along with their two oldest daughters, Absolam parents and a large number
of relatives. This happened about 1834.
The Free family moved from St. Clair County, Ill. to Caldwell County, Missouri where some
of the Mormons were making their head-quarters. Absolam purchased a farm and built a
good house. He was considered very well-to-do.
The Saints had been driven out of Jackson County and the mobs were ravaging Davis
County, but there was peace in Caldwell County until July 4, 1838, when the anti-Mormons
came against the city of Far West, because they didn't like some remark that Sidney Rigdon
had made in the celebration.
When Absalom joined the organization for defense of the City, he left a sick son at home
with the womanfolk who, with five other families, had to defend their home and their lives.
Once while the girls were on guard on a ridge, they saw part of the mob harrissing an
prisoner. They were schocked to find it was their grandfather, Andrew Free, who they
threatened to shoot unless he would renounce, as they said, "Old Joe Smith and his d-m
religion. The faithful old Mormon bared his chest and told them to shoot, but he would
never deny his religion, which he knew to be of God. The leader declared with an oath,
that any man who could be that brave and true to his religion deserved to live. The mob
released him and he returned to his home.
Once when Betsy Free's daughter was standing guard on the ridge, she saw some men
riding toward the houses where her mother and the five other families were. She ran and
gave the alarm and the women and children hid in the corn field, but Betsy wouldn't leave
her sick son, even though he begged her to do so. Louisa wouldn't leave either of them.
Betsy armed herself with an ax and Louisa had a pair of fire tongs, then they stationed
themselves at either door of the cabin. It proved, however, to be friends that Absalom had
sent to see how they were making out.
After the Saints were driven out of Missouri in 1838 and 39, the Free family returned to
St. Clair County, Ill. and remained there until 1845, when they
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1804 - 1885 (81 år)
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