Mary Free
November 21, 1902
Manning Monitor

Death of Horace "Hod" M. Free's Mother.
Horace M. Free returned home from La Grange, Indiana, last Saturday where he went to be present at the funeral of his mother. We clip the following obituary from the La Grange paper.

Mary (McCarty) Free, was born in the city of Sligo, Ireland, in 1826; died in Huntington, Indiana, November 7 1902, aged 76 years.

Mrs. Free's father, Patrick McCarty, came to the United States in the early forties, settling in Huntington, Indiana, whither she followed him when but 14 years of age.

In 1844, she was united to marriage to Daniel Free and resided in Huntington until 1851, when the family moved to Risdon, (now Fostoria) Ohio, where she resided until 1854, when she settled in La Grange, where, she resided continuously until the time of her death. Mrs. Free was the mother of eleven children, five of whom survive her and all being present at the funeral of her they loved so well.

Her husband, Daniel Free, died November 16, 1901.

Some four weeks ago the deceased paid a visit to the friends of her earlier days and about a week after her arrival an old and complicated trouble, hernia, returned which, together with inflammation of the stomach baffled the skill of the physicians, and she passed peacefully away, surrounded by her children, a nephew, two nieces and friends of her girlhood days. Laudations and comments regarding the life and character of Mrs. Free are unnecessary; her life history is her monument.

Her four sons, C.C. Free, of Denver, Colorado; Hod M. Free, of Manning, Iowa, D.D. Free of Battle Creek, Michigan; W.H. Free, of this city, together with her daughter, Mrs. C.F. Whitaker, her husband and son, her niece, Mrs. Robert Simonton, and nephew Charles Brandt, of Huntington, were in attendance at the funeral. The funeral services were held at the M.E. Church, Sunday afternoon, November 9, 1902, at two o'clock, Rev. R.C. Jones, officiating.