No documentation remains to indicate how they might have met, although there are a couple clues. On a map of Michigan in 1893, Columbia Township is about the center of Jackson County, (this is where Freeman was born). Minerva was born in Somerset in Lenawee County – on the 1893 map, Somerset is in the upper left hand corner of Lenawee County, which is adjacent to Jackson County. So they apparently did not live that far apart. Also, I find Minerva’s brother (James) living on the farm adjacent to Zetus’ farm in Cement city, Lenawee County, Michigan.. Undoubtedly she must have visited her brother (or perhaps even lived with him) and met Freeman.

They seemed to have moved around within Jackson and Lenawee County Michigan after their marriage. Their second child, Carol, was born in Woodstock Township, Lenawee County, Michigan. On the 1900 census record (which is the only one available after their marriage -the 1890 census record was destroyed), it indicates that they were renting a farm and at that time were living in Blackman Township, Jackson County, Michigan. Minerva’s death record indicates that she died in Parma, Jackson County, Michigan in 1905 and Freeman’s death record indicates that he died in Spring Arbor Township, Jackson County, Michigan in 1907. She died of premature child birth and he died of heart failure. When he died in 1907, he left 6 unmarried children still living at home with him. Census records still need to be examined to determine the whereabouts of the children after their father’s death. At least one of the children went to live with Zetus & Harriet Swartout, their grandparents.

They had 7 children, 6 of which lived into adulthood:

1) LEE GRAND FLINT SWARTOUT, born 17 Jun 1888 in Michigan. He married FLORA MASON on 22 Aug 1911.

2) CAROL SWARTOUT CREGO born 23 Sept 1890 in Woodstock Township, Lenawee County, Michigan. She married Richard Sheldon Crego on 12 Oct 1908 in Cement City, Lenawee County, Michigan. She died on 28 Dec 1970. They were the parents of 14 children.

3) DONALD LEONARD SWARTOUT born Jul 1893 in Jackson County, Michigan. After his parents died, he went to live with his Aunt Carrie Swartout Lewis.  He married Anna and were the parents of a daughter and a son. He died on 08 Dec 1960 in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio.

4) HARLEY SWARTOUT born 18 Jan 1896 in Michigan. He died on 29 Apr 1959.

5) HARRIET EMMA SWARTOUT born 05 Jan 1899.  After her parents died, she went to live with her grandparents, Zetus & Harriet Swartout.   She married HOLLIS MARCO FORBES on 13 Aug 1916. They were the parents of 4 sons. She died on 12 Nov 1976 in Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan.

6) CLIFFORD SWARTOUT born in 1900 and died in 1901