DEL NORTE — Longtime Del Norte resident Freeda Alene Black, 94, passed away Tuesday, March 24, at the River Valley Inn Nursing Home in Del Norte.  She was the last remaining sibling of her family.
Freeda was born in Voca, TX, on January 23, 1926, to Noah and Annie Viola Allen. She was one of 10 children and attended school in Brady, TX where she graduated in 1943 as a Brady Bulldog. She always loved her Texas Bluebonnets.  
While in high school, she was Captain of the Volleyball team, Secretary of her Speech Club and wanted a career as a Stenographer. She met the love of her life, Barney, in 1945.
His sister married her brother so this began a pen pal relationship with Barney while he was in the Navy. When he got discharged from the service they got married on Jan 9, 1946, in Wilmer, TX, after just two weeks of dating!
They finally settled down in Del Norte, where he worked with his father at a sawmill in the Summitville area. People had bets that their marriage would not last two months and boy did they prove them wrong. They had been married 66 years when Barney died in Feb 2012.
After raising their five kids, Freeda then got a job with the Rio Grande Courts system taking dictation.
For many years she was President of the Val Alto Club, loved going Gambling, playing Solitaire, hitting all the local garage sales and enjoyed spending time in the mountains, camping and jeeping.
Truth be told she probably spent more time walking outside of the jeep than riding because Dad’s driving scared her to death on those tiny mountain trails.
She is survived by all five children: Richard (Colleen) Black; Ken (Alice) Black; Kelly (Kathy) Black, all from Del Norte; two daughters: Patsy Black Moreland of Durango and Robin (Craig) Hargis of Carlsbad, NM.
Also surviving are eight grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren; along with numerous nieces and cousins from both sides and a host of friends.
Cremation was chosen and due to the global crisis services are pending and will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to River Valley Inn Nursing Home, in Del Norte, in memory of Freeda Black. Arrangements in care of Strohmayer’s Funeral Home.