FREED, ABRAHAM

The Friedt/Freed Family of Pennsylvania

 Abraham Friedt/Freed and his wife, Maria Myer/Moyer/Mayer came from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, ca. 1790 and settled on a farm in South Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Their daughter, Susanna Freed b. 1789 d. 1871, married Andrew Rowe, who was instrumental in founding the Church of the United Brethern in Christ at Barren Run, a small community near Smithton, Pennsylvania. This younger couple is buried at the church cemetery (now United Methodist) with most of their children. Abraham Friedt was a Mennonite minister who died in 1832 in South Huntingdon Twp. I have located the grave of Abraham Freed at the Pennsville Independent Cemetery (in nearby Fayette County) but another Freed researcher claims that is her ancestor. The wife's stone cannot be read and there is a son, Abraham, buried with them. I have no record of our Abraham having such a son, therefore I am still searching for the graves of Abraham and Maria Freed.

The children of Abraham Freed and Maria Mayer are: John, Jacob, Mary Elizabeth, Peter, Elizabeth, Barbara, Catherine and Susanna. Daughters Elizabeth, Barbara and Catherine went to Wayne County, Ohio following their marriages and Catherine was deceased by 1832 when their father died.

Members of a Freed family are buried at a Mennonite Cemetery at Everson Valley (also in Fayette County) known as McNeese or Alte Menist Cemetery. (In the earlier years it was called Sherrick's Cemetery as it was on part of the Sherrick farm and a Sherrick was the first to be buried there.) A Peter Freed buried there who may be the son of Abraham and Maria (Mayer) Freed, but again another researcher has claimed him as her relative and not ours.

I was born and raised in the Fay-West area of Pennsylvania (along the border of Fayette and Westmoreland Counties). Following is my descent from this Freed Family: 

1) Abraham Friedt/Freed m. Maria Myer/Moyer/Mayer
   2) Susanna Freed m. Andrew Rowe
      3) Elizabeth Rowe m. William Davenport
         4) Catherine Davenport m. David Sechrist Shirey
            5) Ella Mae Shirey m. (Wesley) Braden Nichelson
               6) Erma Grace Nichelson m. Raymond Michael Suchocki
                  7) LaVonne Rae Suchocki(me) m. Donald Emerson Hanlon

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