MARYELLEN GORE FREELAND

Maryellen Gore Freeland, 80, Valley Falls, died Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007, at her home.
She was born May 8, 1926, north of Effingham in the Forest Grove Community, the daughter of Fred and Alma Bailey Gore. She graduated from Forest Grove Rural Grade School and attended Atchison County Community High School.
She married Frank J. Freeland on March 12, 1945 at Holton. They lived in the Coal Creek Community north of Valley Falls near the Freeland family farm. They moved to Valley Falls in 1956 and were foster parents to 40 children. Mr. Freeland died Aug. 11, 1990. Maryellen was the site director for the American Red Cross Lunch Program at Valley Falls.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Georgia Evelyn Storant Smith, and her stepmother, Gladys Ritter Small Gore.
Survivors include two sons, Dale I. Freeland, Valley Falls, and Fred H. Freeland, and wife, Donna, Eudora; two daughters, Gladys Bishop and husband, Dennis, Valley Falls, and Gloria Schrick, and husband, Robert, Linnwood; twelve grandchildren, David, Paul, Matthew and Anthony Freeland, Annette Moody, Rebekah Paxson, Gretchen Schreiner, Heidi Hawk, Tammy Brading, Amy Bishop, and Steven and Jason Schrick; twelve great grandchildren, McKinsey,Trinity and Wyatt Moody, Kaitlin, Jonas, Liam and Elijah Paxson, Will, Harper and Sawyer Schreiner, and Laikyn and Nathan Hawk.
A funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, at Mercer Funeral Home in Valley Falls. Burial will be at the Valley Falls Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Jefferson County Hospice and sent in care of Mercer Funeral Home, 810 Broadway, Valley Falls, KS 66088.