Virgil Freeman

Funeral Services were held 2:00 P.M., Saturday, July 28, 1979 at United Methodist Church. Interment was held at Aurora Cemetery.

OBITUARY: Virgil H. Freeman

Virgil H. Freeman, the son of William and Lucy Curtis Freeman, Nebraska Pioneers from the earliest days, was born January 30, 1898, at the family homestead near Burchard, Nebraska. His death occurred at Aurora, Nebraska, on July 26, 1979. He was 81 years, 5 months and 26 days.

Mr. Freeman spent his youth in the home of his parents who had moved to the Hubbell, Nebraska area when Virgil was four years old. He attended the Hubbell schools and graduated from Hubbell High School. Upon graduation from high School he entered the Fairbury Business College from which he graduated two years later. Having completed his formal education, he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he commenced his business career.

He became the Executive Manager of the Lincoln Elks Club and remained in this position until he went into business for himself in 1930, by opening Freeman’s Pipe Shop. He operated this business of selling and repairing pipes, lighters, and their accessories for twenty-five years. Early during this period he began carving miniature pipes as a hobby. The hobby became an art form, and in 1939, he displayed his miniature pipe collection as part of the “Hobby Lobby Show” at the New York World’s Fair. For this display he received a certificate of merit and a Blue Ribbon Award for excellence. People from all over the world enjoyed Virgil’s beautiful work and ordered reproductions in miniature of their own valuable collections. In addition he was kept constantly busy filling orders from friends and relatives for pipes done according to his original ideas for designs, using genuine briar and meerschaum materials.

On August 16, 1925, he was united in marriage to Ester Wilson at the home of her parents in Marquette, Nebraska. The Freemans resided in Lincoln until 1955, when they moved to their beautiful hilltop farm home near Milford, Nebraska. In November of 1969, they retired to Aurora, Nebraska, where they have since resided.

Virgil was a member of the United Methodist Church in Aurora, and was regular in attendance at Church affairs as long as his health permitted. He was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge for fifty-six years, having transferred from Lincoln to Grand Island after moving to Aurora.

Those who remain to cherish his memory are his wife, Esther; one brother, Vernon of Hastings, Nebraska; one sister, Mrs. Velda Thaller of Fairbury, Nebraska, and several nieces and nephews and other relatives and many close friends.

His parents and one brother, Floyd preceded him in death.