W. W. Freeland, well-known Blair man, died at Memorial Community Hospital early Wednesday morning. He had been hospitalized since January and in poor health for several years.

Mr. Freeland was born in Memphis, Tennessee, July 23rd, 1877, and was 84 years of age at the time of his death. He grew up in the south and as a young man engaged in the railroad construction business in partnership with a brother. The men ran “mobile boarding houses” for the railroad gangs, providing meals and lodging in train cars which followed the crews as they built lines across the country.

He came to Blair about 35 years ago and proceeded to invest in a number of pieces of real estate. He never married.

For a time a widowed sister, Mrs. Lillie Bartlett, made her home with Mr. Freeland. She died in 1958.

He is survived by six nieces and nephews, all of California. F. B. Freeland, of Menlo Park, California, is in Blair this week attending to Mr. Freeland’s affairs and a niece Mrs. Marie Kinyoun, of Los Angeles is expected to arrive this week. Other survivors are W. J. Freeland of San Diego, Mrs. Olive Ray of Spring Valley, California, Mrs. Edna Metzger, of Los Angeles, and Clifford Smith of San Diego.

Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at the Bendorf Funeral Home and burial will be made in the Blair Cemetery. The Rev. Magnus Anderson of the Assembly of God Church will conduct the services.

Note: Since the death date was not given, the news article date was used.