7 Stories of Conversion and Faith

started a new church, the members being their mortgage. The family then moved to
called McDonaldites. He carried a yellow Sandusky, Ohio. While there, they ac-
cane and on Sunday morning he would quired sufficient resources to return to
stand at the fork of the road and wave Huntersville where they purchased a
churchgoers to his church. farm of 20 acres. While they were in the
process of getting settled down on this
Ann joined this cult and wore the long
farm, an event occurred that would
black veil which was prescribed for the
change the lives of the family forever.
women of the congregation. Later
Mormon missionaries were holding
McDonald had a change of heart and for-
meetings and preaching in the area.
bade the wearing of the veil, but Ann per-
sisted in wearing it. Two deacons were
instructed to put her out of the church,
but "they never laid a hand on her" for
she walked out and never returned.

Thomas and Ann Marry

Ann and her family had come to Can-
ada eleven years before the Freestone
family arrived. Thomas and Ann became
acquainted, fell in love and were married
on August 1, 1837. Thomas was 41 years
old and Ann was 24. One year later the
couple was blessed with the birth of a
son George.
After another year, Thomas decided
to move his family to the United States of
America. Accordingly, they packed their
belongings and set sail for America. Ann
was expecting their second child. As the
ship sailed by the Nebo lighthouse near-
ing Boston, in American waters, Ann gave Ann Fall Freestone. 1812-1888 2nd
birth to their second son, James, on May Great-grandmother of Orva Jeanne
5, 1840. Hence, James, became an Ameri-
can citizen, having been born in Ameri- The missionaries were holding a
can waters. meeting in a school house where they
Thomas and Ann established a new would preach and explain the doctrines
of Mormonism. James attended. He was
home on a 40 acre farm in Huntersville,
very much impressed, and when he told
Harden County, Ohio. The next five chil-
his mother about the meeting and urged
dren, all daughters, were born in Hun-
her to attend the next one, she did.
tersville.
Up to this time both the Freestone
When illness struck the family, it be-
and Fall families had been active mem-
came necessary to sell the farm to pay off
bers of the Methodist Church. The family