1 Life and Times of William Jordan FLAKE 1839-1932 Ron Freeman, 2011 291 N. 2620 W. Hurricane, UT 84737 435-635-8011
[email protected] 2 Introduction For my 34th birthday, 15 Jan 1973, as a gift my father presented me with Osmer Flake's biography of William Jordan Flake.1 In his dedicatory to me, my father wrote: My dear son Ron: It's a pleasure to present you this record of a very small portion of your grandfather [error: great-grandfather] Flake's life and accomplishments. I was privileged to know him and the writer of this book.2 . how fortunate we would be if even such a sketchy record were available more frequently. As portrayed, he played a major role in the colonization of Utah and Arizona. May it afford you an even greater appreciation of your progenitors. xxx Your Father & Mother I was grateful for the present my father gave me on that occasion. As a young boy, I made the trek with my family to Snowflake from northern Utah annually, and I enjoyed staying in the old Freeman home and spending time with the Turley cousins. Since those days, I have read Osmer's biography of his father, and other historical accounts such as Lucy H. White Flake's journal, Roberta Flake's book on her mother, Joel Flake's autobiography, Al Levine's books on Snowflake, etc. Much of what we of the 4th, 5th, 6th generations know of William J. Flake has been gleaned from the book written by Osmer and the other by his sister, Roberta.