FREEMAN, John Daniel (Danny)

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona Friday, January 17, 2003 John D. (Danny) Freeman, age 91 of Prescott, Arizona died in Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix on January 13, 2003. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Norita, sons, Barrie of Redding, Ca., and Wendell and family of Ft. Worth, Texas, daughter, Judy Power and family of Alamogordo, N.M.; sisters, Mildred Childress of Tulia, Texas, Mattie Hobbs of Reserve, N.M., Chloe Khunley of Lubbock, Texas, and brother Mac Freeman of Pahrump, Nev.; three grandsons, one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter. Danny was born in Tulia, Texas in 1911, and lived there until 1931, leaving to attend New Mexico State College in Las Cruces, N.M. He began working for the Soil Conservation Service in 1935, starting when that agency was in it's infancy and continued to work in the southwest for the next 32 years. He married Norita Voelker of Bisbee, Arizona in 1940, and moved to Prescott in 1941. After retiring from the Soil Conservation Service in 1967, he spent almost five years in Vietnam as an agricultural advisor for the Agency for International Development of the U.S. Department of State. Following Vietnam he spent some time teaching at Yavapai Community College, wrote the history of the Prescott Rodeo and the history of the local chapter of the Society for Range Management. He continued to research many subjects of interest to him, mostly about Prescott and the American Cowboy. Danny was very active in Prescott community affairs his entire life. He was a driving force in the Yavapai County Fair Association and Prescott Frontier Days, was a member of Smoki and Westerners, along with other civic organizations. He also was very active with the livestock industry in Yavapai County and northern Arizona most of his adult life. He was a member of the Yavapai Cattlegrowers and 4-H. Danny was a charter member in the Society for Range Management and was the national president in 1959/60 era. He also served in many state offices for the organization. He became the first editor for the Society's "Rangeman's Journal", a magazine of and for the ranch practioner. All those who knew him will miss his enthusiasm, his wit and his loving kindness. The families will miss his love, support and guidance. Viewing will be held at the Hampton Funeral Home, 240 S. Cortez, between 4 and 8 p.m. on Friday, January 17, 2003. Services will be held at the First Congregational Church, Gurley and Alarcon Streets, Prescott, at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 18, 2003. Arrangements are under the direction of Hampton Funeral Home. The family requests money in-lieu of flowers be given to Prescott Frontier Days Foundation, P.O. Box 12004, Prescott, Az., 86304. Courtesy of Pat Wilson.