Mariman Crit ("M.C." or "Ol' Crit") Freeman was an Oklahoma pioneer and one of the benefactors of the New Zion Church and Cemetery in Lincoln County. The land on which the Church and Cemetery sit was a part of M.C.'s homestead, which he established as part of the Oklahoma land run that opened Sac and Fox country for settlement.

Born in Barren County, Kentucky, on September 8, 1853, his mother, Eliza Jane Delph, died four days later, possibly from complications from childbirth. His father, Caleb Lemuel Freeman, and Caleb's sister, Sarah Freeman, raised M.C. Sarah did not marry and lived on or near Caleb's farm her entire life. Caleb's farm was located near Prewitt's Knob, Kentucky, in an area settled by M.C.'s paternal grandfather and great grandfather almost 40 years earlier.

M.C.'s full name was Merriman (or Mariman) Crittendon (or Crittenden) Thomas Freeman. He was named after his grandfathers, Merriman Delph and Thomas Freeman. The name Crittendon appears to have been a popular name of the time, one shared by a prominent politician, John J. Crittenden, who had served as Kentucky's Governor and Senator and twice as Attorney General of the United States before M.C.'s birth. Later in life, M.C. appears to have dropped the name Thomas and primarily used the initials "M.C." in place of his first two names.

In 1862, M.C.'s father married Caroline Rebekker Redford. The couple had five children: Lena Lucinda, Kittie B., John William, Frank Caleb, and Eugene Frank. Kittie, Frank, and Eugene died between 1891 and 1894 and are buried with Caleb and Caroline at the Cave City Cemetery in Barren County, Kentucky.

In 1883, M.C. and Flora Belle Berry were married by a minister of the Christian Church of Glasgow. Flora was a school teacher, and the marriage ceremony was conducted at her parents' home near Glasgow, Kentucky. The couple had their first child, Orland Estmer, in 1886. Their second child, Tessa ("Tessie") Clyde, was born in 1889. Tessie died five months later and is buried in the Young Cemetery south of Glasgow, Kentucky.

In 1891, as part of the Oklahoma land run that opened what became Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties, M.C. moved his family to a 160 acre homestead in an area known as "The Oaks" about four miles east of Chandler, Oklahoma. M.C. and his family joined other allied families from Barren County, Kentucky, and elsewhere in opening up the new territory. (The obituary of his wife indicates that the family spent the year before the move to Oklahoma living in Texas.)

These families came together to construct a church on the southeast corner of the Freeman homestead, New Zion Church. Before the church was built, Bettie D. Bradshaw, the sister of M.C.'s wife, died on June 4, 1892. She became the first person buried in what was later to become New Zion Cemetery. That same summer and fall, the families completed construction of the small, log church. In 1936, the structure would be replaced with the present stone building.

New Zion Church was officially organized under the Church of Christ denomination on July 22, 1894, by L. F. Feuqua, who was the church's first minister. M.C. was named a deacon, and he and his wife were charter members of the church's board of directors. For more information about New Zion Church and many of the Oklahoma pioneers buried at New Zion Cemetery, please see the article posted at Oklahoma Cemeteries.

In 1895, M.C. and Flora had their second son, Elvin Delph. The family lived in a small log cabin that M.C. had constructed on the Freeman homestead. During this period, the family occasionally cared for the children of Flora's deceased sister, Bettie Bradshaw. Bettie's second husband, Jefferson Davis Bradshaw, had died in 1894 and was also buried at New Zion Cemetery. Bettie's children were ultimately raised by Bettie's siblings, Kate Bragg Berry Rowland and John Thompson Berry.

In 1916, at the age of 63, M.C. and his wife purchase property in Chandler, where the couple lived for the remainder of their lives. M.C. and Flora celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in January 1933. The celebration was reported in the Chandler and Lincoln County newspapers.

M.C. died on June 25, 1935, and was buried at New Zion Cemetery. Flora lived until April 25, 1940, and was buried next to him. Their son Orland Estmer lived much of his life in Bisbee, Arizona. He died in 1946 in Phoenix, Arizona, and was buried near his parents at New Zion. Orland's wife, Occa Jefferson Cunningham Freeman, continued to live Phoenix, marrying twice after Orland's death. She died in 1969 and was buried near Orland, her marker also bearing the surname of her third husband, Lloyd Martin.

After Flora's death in 1940, the remainder of M.C.'s original homestead passed to his sons, Orland and Elvin. The property was eventually sold, with certain descendants retaining the mineral rights under the homestead to this day.

The foregoing memorial was written by Scott Day Freeman, the great grandson of Mariman Crittendon Thomas Freeman, on October 28, 2013, and last updated on April 21, 2014.

Kentucky, Birth Records, 1852-1910 n
Name: Mirriman T C Freman
Birth Date: 8 Sep 1853
Birth County: Barren
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Father's Name: Caleb L Freeman
Mother's Name: Eliza J Delph
County of Residence: Barren
Above information from Laura J Stewart F-A-G # 47412616 10/15/13

Mariman Crit ("M.C." or "Ol' Crit") Freeman was an Oklahoma pioneer and one of the benefactors of the New Zion Church and Cemetery in Lincoln County. The land on which the Church and Cemetery sit was a part of M.C.'s homestead, which he established as part of the Oklahoma land run that opened Sac and Fox country for settlement.

Born in Barren County, Kentucky, on September 8, 1853, his mother, Eliza Jane Delph, died four days later, possibly from complications from childbirth. His father, Caleb Lemuel Freeman, and Caleb's sister, Sarah Freeman, raised M.C. Sarah did not marry and lived on or near Caleb's farm her entire life. Caleb's farm was located near Prewitt's Knob, Kentucky, in an area settled by M.C.'s paternal grandfather and great grandfather almost 40 years earlier.

M.C.'s full name was Merriman (or Mariman) Crittendon (or Crittenden) Thomas Freeman. He was named after his grandfathers, Merriman Delph and Thomas Freeman. The name Crittendon appears to have been a popular name of the time, one shared by a prominent politician, John J. Crittenden, who had served as Kentucky's Governor and Senator and twice as Attorney General of the United States before M.C.'s birth. Later in life, M.C. appears to have dropped the name Thomas and primarily used the initials "M.C." in place of his first two names.

In 1862, M.C.'s father married Caroline Rebekker Redford. The couple had five children: Lena Lucinda, Kittie B., John William, Frank Caleb, and Eugene Frank. Kittie, Frank, and Eugene died between 1891 and 1894 and are buried with Caleb and Caroline at the Cave City Cemetery in Barren County, Kentucky.

In 1883, M.C. and Flora Belle Berry were married by a minister of the Christian Church of Glasgow. Flora was a school teacher, and the marriage ceremony was conducted at her parents' home near Glasgow, Kentucky. The couple had their first child, Orland Estmer, in 1886. Their second child, Tessa ("Tessie") Clyde, was born in 1889. Tessie died five months later and is buried in the Young Cemetery south of Glasgow, Kentucky.

In 1891, as part of the Oklahoma land run that opened what became Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties, M.C. moved his family to a 160 acre homestead in an area known as "The Oaks" about four miles east of Chandler, Oklahoma. M.C. and his family joined other allied families from Barren County, Kentucky, and elsewhere in opening up the new territory. (The obituary of his wife indicates that the family spent the year before the move to Oklahoma living in Texas.)

These families came together to construct a church on the southeast corner of the Freeman homestead, New Zion Church. Before the church was built, Bettie D. Bradshaw, the sister of M.C.'s wife, died on June 4, 1892. She became the first person buried in what was later to become New Zion Cemetery. That same summer and fall, the families completed construction of the small, log church. In 1936, the structure would be replaced with the present stone building.

New Zion Church was officially organized under the Church of Christ denomination on July 22, 1894, by L. F. Feuqua, who was the church's first minister. M.C. was named a deacon, and he and his wife were charter members of the church's board of directors. For more information about New Zion Church and many of the Oklahoma pioneers buried at New Zion Cemetery, please see the article posted at Oklahoma Cemeteries.

In 1895, M.C. and Flora had their second son, Elvin Delph. The family lived in a small log cabin that M.C. had constructed on the Freeman homestead. During this period, the family occasionally cared for the children of Flora's deceased sister, Bettie Bradshaw. Bettie's second husband, Jefferson Davis Bradshaw, had died in 1894 and was also buried at New Zion Cemetery. Bettie's children were ultimately raised by Bettie's siblings, Kate Bragg Berry Rowland and John Thompson Berry.

In 1916, at the age of 63, M.C. and his wife purchase property in Chandler, where the couple lived for the remainder of their lives. M.C. and Flora celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in January 1933. The celebration was reported in the Chandler and Lincoln County newspapers.

M.C. died on June 25, 1935, and was buried at New Zion Cemetery. Flora lived until April 25, 1940, and was buried next to him. Their son Orland Estmer lived much of his life in Bisbee, Arizona. He died in 1946 in Phoenix, Arizona, and was buried near his parents at New Zion. Orland's wife, Occa Jefferson Cunningham Freeman, continued to live Phoenix, marrying twice after Orland's death. She died in 1969 and was buried near Orland, her marker also bearing the surname of her third husband, Lloyd Martin.

After Flora's death in 1940, the remainder of M.C.'s original homestead passed to his sons, Orland and Elvin. The property was eventually sold, with certain descendants retaining the mineral rights under the homestead to this day.

The foregoing memorial was written by Scott Day Freeman, the great grandson of Mariman Crittendon Thomas Freeman, on October 28, 2013, and last updated on April 21, 2014.

Kentucky, Birth Records, 1852-1910 n
Name: Mirriman T C Freman
Birth Date: 8 Sep 1853
Birth County: Barren
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Father's Name: Caleb L Freeman
Mother's Name: Eliza J Delph
County of Residence: Barren
Above information from Laura J Stewart F-A-G # 47412616 10/15/13