Montgomery E. FREELAND. The vital and attractive little City of Mount Ayr, judicial center of Ringgold County, claims as one of its veteran business men and honored and influential citizens the representative merchant whose name initiates this paragraph and who has here been engaged in the mercantile business more than forty years.

Mr. FREELAND, who has been a resident of the Hawkeye State since he was a child of about three years, was born in Edgar County, Illinois, in the year 1861, and is a son of Francis A. and Eliza (KIRBY) FREELAND, both of whom were born in the State of Indiana and both of whom were honored pioneer citizens of Iowa at the time of their death, the father having here developed a pioneer farm and his entire active life having been one of close association with agricultural and live stock industry. The ancestral line of the FREELAND family touches both Scotch and English stock of sterling order.

Montgomery E. FREELAND, as before stated, was about three years old when, in 1864, his parents came to Iowa, the family home having been established on a pioneer farm near Corydon, Wayne County. On that farm he passed the period of his boyhood and early youth and in the meanwhile he profited by the advantages of the common schools of the locality. His early experience in connection with the activities of the home farm fortified him excellently when he engaged in independent farm enterprise, as a progressive exponent of agricultural and live stock industry in Wayne County. In 1886 he married, and in the following year he and his wife established their residence at Mount Ayr, in which fine little community he initiated in 1891 his independent activities in the general merchandise business, of which he has here continued a successful and representative exponent during the long intervening years, his substantial business having as its foundation fair and honorable policies and effective service.

Mr. FREELAND has proved one of the liberal and progressive citizens of Mount Ayr, where he has served not only as a member of the municipal council but also as city treasurer, besides being called to other positions of community trust. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, and he is a delegate to its state convention, at Cedar Rapids, when Hon. Albert B. CUMMINS was made its nominee for governor of Iowa. Mr. FREELAND is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, and the religious affiliation of the family is with the Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1886 Mr. FREELAND was united in marriage to Miss Kittie McVEAY, daughter of John and Bettie (HARDY) McVEAY. The death of Mrs. FREELAND occurred in the year 1909, she having been survived by no children. In 1911 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. FREELAND to Miss Marjorie DOWLING, of Mount Ayr, and their one child is a son, John, who is, in 1930, a student in the high school of his home city. Mr. and Mrs. FREELAND took into their home and reared with parental solicitude two little girls, Edna FREELAND and Edna DOWLING the former being now the wife of Domino ROBERTS, with residence at Champaign, Nebraska, and the latter being a student in one of the leading Iowa training schools for nurses. Later she married in Chicago and is now living in California.

HARLAN, Edgar Rubey, LL. B., A.M., Curator of the Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa. A Narrative History of The People of Iowa with SPECIAL TREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR, INDUSTRY, BUSINESS, ETC. Volume IV. The American Historical Society, Inc. Chicago & New York. 1931.

Photograph courtesy of grandson Phil Freeland

M. E. FREELAND was born in Illinois, January 6, 1861, and was one of a pair of twins. He was called Ned and his brother Nat. In 1864, he moved with his parents to Corydon, Iowa. His education was acquired in the city schools but he never attended high school or college. He came to Mount Ayr in 1887 and clerked in the HUGGINS dry goods store for a few years, then in the INGRAM store for a few months.

In 1891, he went into business for himself, and has been in business for more than forty years. he ran a store when he sold hoops, bustles, chignons, and boots, and when there were no ready-made clothing for women nor children and no ready-made underwear for anyone. Cotton hose were sold for summer wear, and winter hose were knitted at home from Meeks woolen yarn of which his store carried a large line.

He has been married twice, his first wife being dead many years. His second wife was Marge DOWLING. They have one son, John Edward, who was graduated from the Mount Ayr high school with the class of 1931.

Mr. FREELAND belongs to the Masonic Lodge, has served on the council and school board, and as city treasurer, and is a member of the Methodist Church. He has always been honest, courteous and upright in all his business dealings, and is respected by all who know him. He owns the largest and best dry goods store in Mount Ayr, and a fine home in the west end.

There were two pair of twins in his father's family, all boys. John married Mary K. HILL. NOTE: He died in 1935.

LESAN, Mrs. B. M. Early History of Ringgold County: 1844 - 1937 p. 72. Blair Pub. House. Lamoni IA. 1937.

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, February of 2009; updated June of 2010