A Short Biography of Henry Frech

Henry Frech, my great-great grandfather who was the father of my great-grandmother Jessie (Frech) McMaken

The original text appears to have been scanned in, thus the last name "Frech" is repeatedly rendered as "Freeh." The correct name is "Frech."

Henry Freeh. — More than sixty years ago, when he was a lad of about 
ten years, this venerable citizen of Fort Wayne accompanied his parents 
on their immigration from Germany to America, in 1853, and the family 
home was establisher on a pioneed farm in Aboite township, this county. 
Here the subject of this review lived up to the full tension involved in 
reclaiming from the forest a productive farm and eventually it devolved 
upon him to develop a farm for himself. In the most significant way did 
he honor and show his loyalty to the land of his adoption when the Civil 
war was precipitated, for he was one of the sturdy young men who went 
forth from Allen county to do valiant service in defense of the Union. 
As a soldier of the republic he made a record that shall ever reflect dis- 
tinction and honor upon his name. Mr. Freeh was born in the Kingdom 
of "Wurtemberg, Germany, October 8, 1843, and thus he has now passed 
the psalmist's span of three score years and ten, so that, having borne 
the heat and burden of the day, he has justified himself to the world and 
well merits the gracious peace and prosperity that attend him now that 
he has retired from the active responsibilities that long developed upon 
him. He is a son of Henry and Christina (Exter) Freeh, of whose six 
children four attained to maturity, the subject of this review being now 
the only survivor of this sterling pioneer family of Allen county. The 
other three who grew to maturity in this county and who have passed 
from the stage of life's mortal endeavors were Frederick, John and 
Christina. Upon coming to Allen county, in 1854, Henry Freeh, Sr., 
purchased eighty acres of timbered land in Aboite township, and his 
initial work was to make a clearing for the little log house which he built 
as the family home. He eventually improved a productive farm and on 
this old homestead he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives, 
their names meriting enduring place on the roll of the sterling pioneers 
of Allen county. Both were zealous communicants of the Lutheran 
church and in politics he became a staunch supporter of the cause of the 
Democratic party. Henry Freeh, Jr., the immediate subject of this sketch, 
acquired his rudimentary education in his native land and as a boy at- 
tended for a time the pioneer district school in Aboite township, though 
he early found that the arduous work of the home farm demanded the 
greater part of his attention. He did well his part in reclaiming the land 
and continued to assist his father until there came the call of higher duty, 
with the outbreak of the Civil war. In 1862, at the age of eighteen 
years, he enlisted as a private in Company B, Twelfth Indiana Infantry, 
and with this gallant command continued in service until the close of the 
war, when he received his honorable discharge. He took part in many 
of the important engagements marking the progress of the great conflict 
and was always found at the post of duty. He took part in battles at 
Richmond, Kentucky, Vicksburg, Mississippi and Jackson, Mississippi, 
and in connection with the memorable Atlanta campaign he participated 
in the battles of Missionary Ridge, New Hope Church and Kenesaw 
Mountain, as well as the siege and capture of Atlanta July 22-28, 1864. 
Thereafter he was with his command in the engagements at Jonesboro, 
Savannah, Columbia, Bentonville and Raleigh, in connection with Sher- 
man's historic march to the sea, and within his military career he was 
in every southern state except Texas and Florida. He marched more than 
six thousand miles, and Frank Aveline, the original captain of his com- 
pany, met death in the battle of Missionary Ridge. Mr. Freeh w^itnessed 
and assisted in the burning of the city of Columbia, South Carolina, and 
after the final surrender took part in the Grand Review, in the city of 
Washington. After his return to Fort Wayne Mr. Freeh was here en- 
gaged in the ice business for a time and then bought eighty acres of 
unimproved land in Aboite township. His first domicile was a primitive 
log house which he erected on his land, and he cleared an dimproved 
the farm, to which he later added forty acres. He made this one of the 
fine farms of the township and the excellent buildings that now mark 
the place were erected by him. He remained on the old homestead until 
1912, since which time he has lived retired in Fort AVayne, where his 
home is at 754 West Superior street. Mr. Freeh has never faltered in 
his allegiance to the Republican party and his first vote for president was 
cast for President Lincoln, he having been at the time in service as a 
soldier of the Union. He has vitalized the more gracious memories and 
associations of his military career through forty years of appreciative 
affiliation with the Grand Army of the Republic, in Sion S. Bass Post, 
No. 40, at Fort Wayne. He was reared in the faith of the Lutheran 
church and has ever held to the same, as did also his loved and devoted 
"wife, the supreme loss and bereavement in his life having come wh^n 
she was summoned to eternal rest June 13, 1914. On October 4, 1870, 
was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Freeh to Miss Jennie Birely, a 
daughter of David and Anna (Bowser) Birely, who came from Pennsyl- 
vania to Allen county many years ago and here passed the residue of 
their lives. Concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Freeh brief record 
is entered in conclusion of this review : Frank is the owner of a valuable 
ranch in the state of Colorado, where he maintains his home ; Anna is 
the wife of John Clark, of Perry township ; Ida is the wife of Grant 
Simmons, of Huntington county; Charles resides upon and operates the 
old homestead farm, in Aboite township ; Jessie is the wife of Henry 
William McMaken, of Aboite township ; and Florence is the wife of Carl 
Garting, a farmer of Lake township. Mr. Freeh receives from his chil- 
dren the deepest filial devotion and takes just pride in the fact that he 
has twenty-one grand-children. 

Source: THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE INDIANA 
A REVIEW OF TWO CENTURIES OF OCCUPATION OF THE REGION ABOUT THE HEAD OF THE MAUMEE RIVER 

By 
B. J. GRISWOLD