Irville was the third child of Lester and Susie Bird Freeman. He was born
  in Pratt County, September 5, 1911. When Orville was about five, he walked
  up behind his brother, Archie, who was choping wood with a double-bitted axe.
  The axe hit Orville, making a deep gash next to the eye. His brother and
  sister were so scared they hid him in the manger before telling their mother. 
  She gathered cobwebs from the attic and packed the wound! He attended the
  public schools of Pratt County. At the young age of 13 Orville went to work
  on the Shaw Ranch south of Sun City. He was a cowboy for Sillman Shaw until
  he was called into the service in October 1942.
     Mary Esther Phillips was born i Commanche County at the home of her
  grandparents, March 28, 1919. Her parents, Everett and Nancy Septer Phillips
  lived on the Davis Ranch in southwestern Barber County. Esther attended her
  first year of school at Sun City and stayed with the Crane family. For a shy
  country kid this was quite an experience. In 1927 she moved with her parents
  and brothers, Boyd Everett and Ivan Harris, to Lake City. Following graduation
  in 1937 she attended Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas. Her first school
  teaching was at a rural school district north of Kiowa, Union #79.
     Orville and Esther were married August 1, 1942 in Pratt. Esthers taught
  while Orville was in the service and spent the summers traveling as an Army
  wife - from Florida to Washington. Orville was in the Army Air Corps over
  three years. He was home only three days when their daughter, Lesta Nan, was
  born at Hardtner, January 27, 1946.
     Orville went to work for Lloyd Clarke, February 11, 1946 as a dozer
  operator. A job that was to be on a temporary basis has lasted 33 years and
  still going! The Freemans lived in Lake City for six years before moving to
  the Clarke farm. They lived there until 1955, when they moved to their
  present home in Medicine Lodge.
     Esther returned to teaching after Lesta started school. She was at Sun
  City two years and then came to the Medicine Lodge school system until 1969.
     Lesta was graduated from MLRHS in 1964 and then attended Kansas State
  University. September 1, 1966 she married Robert Allen Esser. They now reside
  in Riverton, Wyoming, where Robert is a privite pilot. Their two children,
  Robyn Renee' and Justin Robert make Orville and Esther's life full circle.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 180 
     Submitted by: Esther Freeman