From Holland St.John - "John was the son of John Freeman I and Rebecca Vine Freeman. His father owned a farm and country hotel four miles west of Albany, New York. At one time he lived on the Rensallers Patroon (Plantation). During the Revolutionary War the Tories burned his tavern. His family was obliged to take refuge in the fort at Albany, N. Y. It was while they were there that our John II was born, in 1783. John had eleven brothers and sisters: Mary (Marie), Elizabeth, Robert, Jane, Sarah, Ann, Engeltie, Sophia, Rebecca, Nellie and Eleanor. John was third from the youngest child. He lived during his boyhood and early manhood about Albany, Cohoes, Schenectady and Guilderland, N. Y. During boyhood, John attended private schools in Albany, and one four miles west of Albany. He was either a pupil or schoolmate of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. John lost his father when he was 17. When he was about eighteen years of age, he married Polly Pitcher near Whitehall, N. Y. in 1801. They soon separated (spring of 1802). Then for several years he made his home with his brother-in-law, Smith Bigelow at Whitehall, N. Y. after his first marriage with Polly had failed. He later lived with another brother-in-law, James Sparks, a shoemaker, at Cooperstown, N. Y. There he worked for Peter Cooper, father of James Fenimore Cooper, as a glass blower. At eighteen John could speak Mohawk Dutch better than English. He also worked on the Erie Canal at Syracuse. He married for a second time to Betsy Babbitt. The marriage took place near Cato, N. Y. at a place called Red Creek about 1810. They had two children: Nancy and Sally. Moving to Cincinnati in 1814, he lost by fever his mother Rebecca, his wife Betsy and his daughter Sally. All died in June of 1814. Upon returning to Cayuga County, N.Y.,he taught school for fourteen terms in the neighborhood of Conquest. John married for a third time to Amanda Lucas on February 18, 1819, in a ceremony by the Reverend Benoni Harris at Conquest, N. Y. Amanda was the daughter of Martha (Brown) and Daniel Lucas. Amanda had been one of his pupils during the early part of 1819. John and Amanda had ten children: Elmena (my great grandmother), Robert Lucas, Daniel, Betsy, Jean Frenandez, Caroline, Archibald Pennell, John Jay, Orrin and William Warren. In September of 1835 John moved his family to Michigan where they remained for three years, moved again in 1839 to Rock County, Wisconsin and in 1854 moved once again, this time to Sperry Township, Clayton County, Iowa. John died of pneumonia in 1858. Amanda died on March 24, 1863. He and his wife Amanda are buried in Garretson Cemetery, Clayton County, Iowa which is located on the Fayette County line."
From Holland St.John - "John was the son of John Freeman I and Rebecca Vine Freeman. His father owned a farm and country hotel four miles west of Albany, New York. At one time he lived on the Rensallers Patroon (Plantation). During the Revolutionary War the Tories burned his tavern. His family was obliged to take refuge in the fort at Albany, N. Y. It was while they were there that our John II was born, in 1783. John had eleven brothers and sisters: Mary (Marie), Elizabeth, Robert, Jane, Sarah, Ann, Engeltie, Sophia, Rebecca, Nellie and Eleanor. John was third from the youngest child. He lived during his boyhood and early manhood about Albany, Cohoes, Schenectady and Guilderland, N. Y. During boyhood, John attended private schools in Albany, and one four miles west of Albany. He was either a pupil or schoolmate of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. John lost his father when he was 17. When he was about eighteen years of age, he married Polly Pitcher near Whitehall, N. Y. in 1801. They soon separated (spring of 1802). Then for several years he made his home with his brother-in-law, Smith Bigelow at Whitehall, N. Y. after his first marriage with Polly had failed. He later lived with another brother-in-law, James Sparks, a shoemaker, at Cooperstown, N. Y. There he worked for Peter Cooper, father of James Fenimore Cooper, as a glass blower. At eighteen John could speak Mohawk Dutch better than English. He also worked on the Erie Canal at Syracuse. He married for a second time to Betsy Babbitt. The marriage took place near Cato, N. Y. at a place called Red Creek about 1810. They had two children: Nancy and Sally. Moving to Cincinnati in 1814, he lost by fever his mother Rebecca, his wife Betsy and his daughter Sally. All died in June of 1814. Upon returning to Cayuga County, N.Y.,he taught school for fourteen terms in the neighborhood of Conquest. John married for a third time to Amanda Lucas on February 18, 1819, in a ceremony by the Reverend Benoni Harris at Conquest, N. Y. Amanda was the daughter of Martha (Brown) and Daniel Lucas. Amanda had been one of his pupils during the early part of 1819. John and Amanda had ten children: Elmena (my great grandmother), Robert Lucas, Daniel, Betsy, Jean Frenandez, Caroline, Archibald Pennell, John Jay, Orrin and William Warren. In September of 1835 John moved his family to Michigan where they remained for three years, moved again in 1839 to Rock County, Wisconsin and in 1854 moved once again, this time to Sperry Township, Clayton County, Iowa. John died of pneumonia in 1858. Amanda died on March 24, 1863. He and his wife Amanda are buried in Garretson Cemetery, Clayton County, Iowa which is located on the Fayette County line."
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