Twelfth Generation

15064. Berniece Emma PHILBRICK was born on 12 April 1912 in Dustin, Holt, Nebraska. She was actually born at the stroke of midnight between April 12th and 13th. Her father had the choice and selected the 12th so that she would never have a birthday on a Friday the 13th.

As a young woman she made pets of crows and taught them how to speak. She discontinued schooling after 10th grade in Manchester, Kingsbury Co, SD.

She appeared in the census on 17 January 1920 in Stuart, Holt, Nebraska. Age 7, born Nebraska, parents born Iowa, living with parents. Name on census: Busnce A. Philbrick.

She appeared in the census on 10 April 1930 in De Smet, Kingsbury, South Dakota. Age 17, born Nebraska, parents born Iowa. She had recently married and she and her husband Darrell were living with her parents. Name on census; Bernice Freeman.

Berniece died on 9 November 1972 at the age of 60 in De Smet, Kingsbury, South Dakota. She became debilitated with emphysema and died at DeSmet Memorial Hospital one week after her son Dan's wedding. She was buried in DeSmet Cemetery southwest of town.

Berniece Emma PHILBRICK and Darrel Victor FREEMAN were married on 23 September 1929 at the Congregatonal parsonage in DeSmet by pastor W. C. Bessliever. in De Smet, Kingsbury, South Dakota. She was living with her family on a farm northeast of DeSmet at the time.

After the marriage they lived on the corner of Hwy 25 and Front St. on the north side of DeSmet. They operated a service station, garage and eatery across the highway west, then a service station and garage across the street north, and then a service station and garage on Main St. where he also vulcanized (re-capped) tires. During World War II (1942-45) they lived in Glendale, CA where Darrel became chief salvage inspector for Lockheed Aircraft's Burbank and Vega plants. Within days of VJ day they returned to DeSmet where Darrel farmed and delivered petroleum products. In 1948 he opened Freeman's Service garage with the local Case implement dealer; he eventually took over the business and relocated to his earlier location on Main St.

The Freemans were active in local and state government. Darrel served on the school board, two terms as county commissioner, and later as a lobbyist at the state house for the association of county governments. Berniece was an elections supervisor. Darrel was also justice of the peace for a decade or so, while he was Kingsbury County Highway Superintendent. He developed an expert paving crew and experimented with a new hard-surfaced road construction using lignin (tree sap) with dirt, gravel or whatever was available.

After Berniece's death, Darrel soon retired as superintendant, and worked summers all over SD as an on-site road construction consultant (using lignin). He married one of Berniece's best friends, Margaret Ann McNerney ACKLEY at Aurora, MO on 15 Apr 1974. They continued the summer consulting and wintered in Harlingen, TX. After Darrel's death Marge moved to the farm of her son ken outside Aurora, MO; they moved into Aurora in the mid 1990s.

Darrel Victor FREEMAN, son of George Wendell FREEMAN and Ida Mae BLUE, was born on 24 August 1907 in Larchwood, Lyon, Iowa. He was born on the family farm northeast of Larchwood and was the fourth of five children.

The family farmed a mile west of Lake Preston, Kingsbury Co, SD from 1911 until they lost the farm in the Depression. Darrel attended Lake Preston High School through 9th grade. He accepted a dare to ride a bucking bronco at a rodeo and got a job riding at rodeos until he broke his leg. For a period of time then he worked at a pickle factory in Wisconsin before opening up a service station and garage in Lake Preston in the late 1920s. He then moved to DeSmet, the county seat. He was very resourceful, building machines for different purposes, restoring wrecked cars, etc.

He appeared in the census on 10 April 1930 in De Smet, Kingsbury, South Dakota. Age 22, born Iowa, parents born New York. He was a farm laborer and had recently married. He and his wife Bernice were living with her parents. Name on census: Darrell V. Freeman.

He died at the home of son Dallas of a second bout with cancer on 26 January 1980 at the age of 72 in Estherville, Emmet, Iowa. He was buried beside Berniece in DeSmet Cemetery.

Berniece Emma PHILBRICK-1456 and Darrel Victor FREEMAN-1458 had the following children: