Ida May Fread

Birth: She was born around 1880 in Missouri or Illinois.  

Family Information: Wife of Walter Fread.

Mother of Alberta, Warren, Lee and Clarence.

Three other children never lived in the colony -- Ivan (who died in 1900 at the age of 2), Clara, (who died in 1914 at the age of 7), and oldest son, Charles.

She was also the grand-mother of Myrtle Fread (daughter of Charles), who lived for a while with the family in the colony.  

Description:  

Pre-Colony History: In 1900 she, Walter and their two oldest sons were living in California with his mother, Clara Fread. In 1910 they were living in California with their children.

The family joined the colony during the early days in California and made the move to Louisiana with the colony, but in August 1919 left for Modesto, California.

In 1920 they were living in California with their children. In November 1920 George Pickett received a letter that told of the arrival of a nine-pound boy at the Fread home.

Home in Colony: In 1930 they were living in the colony with their youngest son, Clarence.  

Job in Colony: In April 1928 Mrs. Swenson and Dixon got breakfast at the hotel while Mrs. Davidson, Allie Belle Hewitt and Mrs. Kemp prepared the noon meal. Mrs. Fread, Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Shutt got the evening meal.

In 1930 she was listed as the hotel manager for the colony on the 1930 US Census.

In May 1930 Maxine Palmer helped the Mesdames Oberleitner, Hewett, Kimball, Hardy, and Lacefield; the Misses Lois Thompson, Bonnie Mason, Florence Case and Rhea Mae Baldwin; and the Messrs. Petersen, Wichman and DeBoer serve dinner under the direction of Mrs. Walter Fread.

In September 1931 she was in charge of the cannery; she and her crew were canning pears on shares.

In May 1932 she and Mrs. Evelyn Miller were issuing buns, jam and peanut butter for the evening lunches.

In March 1934 she was looking after Mrs. Moore. 

Other Info: In 1934 she and Walter celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a party that was attended by many colonists including their sons Clarence and Lee, with Lee's wife Ruby, and son Arthur Lee.  

Post-Colony History: In 1940 she and husband, Walter, were living in Colorado with their son, Warren and his family.  

Death: She died in 1957 and was buried in Colorado.  

Sources: US Census: 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940; "Vernon Parish Democrat": August 9, 1919, November 18, 1920; "Llano Colonist": April 7, 1928, May 3, 1930, May 17, 1930, September 12, 1931, September 19, 1931, May 7, 1932, March 31, 1934, July 21, 1934; Ancestry.com; FindAGrave.com