Pearl Lenora Freeman

Published 7:52 am Tuesday, December 11, 2018

October 19, 1931 – December 1, 2018

Pearl Lenora Freeman was born on October 19, 1931, to Cort and Agnes Siedelman in Vernonia, Oregon, at the family home. She went to be with the Lord on the 1st day of December, 2018. She was 87 years old.

She attended the Vernonia Schools from 1st – 12th grades. Farming was her family’s way of life and she and her younger brother Vernon helped their parents do everything, from gardening to caring for the animals. Pearl loved having horses and spent a lot of time riding. Immediately following high school, she married the love of her life, Herb Freeman, and they had five children.

Pearl worked at GAF while Herb dabbled in many different entrepreneurship adventures in the surrounding areas of Portland. In 1968, they moved to Central Oregon where they started a well known restaurant, “Freeman’s Drive-In”. Over time, they began taking an interest in antiques and slowly phased the restaurant out to begin their antique store, which they had for 4 years. In 1978, they decided to leave the area and try their hand at a mobile home park that they almost completely remodeled and upgraded in only one year. After one year there, they sold the park and moved to Grants Pass where they purchased a small acreage. They remodeled and sold a year later to be able to purchase 40 acres in Culver, Oregon, finally able to build a home from the ground up. They built and groomed the property for three years and then decided it was time to retire and do some snow birding. They purchased a lot in Yuma, Arizona and made many friends that they looked forward to seeing each winter.

Pearl was appropriately named “Perky Pearl” by her traveling friends, as she was always full of zest and the most beautiful smile. Herb and Pearl would return in the summers to spend time with their children and many grandchildren and help with their homes and properties. Pearl loved being with her family. She also loved her Lord. She spent every morning with her Bible in hand reading scriptures and praying. On Sundays you could find her cozy in her bed watching her favorite pastors on television.

Pearl is survived by her five children, Althea (Robert) Meyer, Peggy Cordiner, Randy Freeman, Nanette Smith and Bernice Gates; 11 grandchildren; 13 great- grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild; and her kitty companion, Cola. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother, husband of 67 years and two granddaughters.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Humane Society of the Ochocos. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.