John Freshour, a devout Lutheran Pioneer, was born on 16 Dec 1732 in Littletown, Lancaster Co., Pa.. He died in Mar 1802 in Greene County, Tennessee, thought that this was an ideal place for house of worship. The first church, Solomon Lutheran Church, to be built on this land belonged to John Freashour, who died in 1804. His heirs made a deed in 1806, for an acre tract on Cove creek, on which a meeting house still stands. John Freshour and Eve Freshour are buried in this Solomom Church Graveyard. A stone has been erected in his honor, by the D.A.R., although they have his birthday incorrect, his death date is 1804, on the stone. Eva his wife, is buried next to him and is marked, "Eve Freshour Died Aug., 7 1806.
From the history of the Solomon Lutheran Church, in 1797, the year after Tennessee became a state, the congregation at Cove creek was founded by the Rev. C.Z.H. Smidth, a reformed German minister. In the 1850 report, we find Solomon Church, referred to as Freshour's stand, in these minutes is a petition from Freshour's stand (this was presumably John's son John Freshour) that they are destitute of gospel preaching and expressing great satisfaction with the services rendered them by the Rev. A. Miller in a visit. On the original cornerstone of the church was placed an almanac, a German Bible and a 10 cent coin. The present building was erected on the same cornerstone of the first two buildings, and on the cornerstone still stands the old Bible, coin almanac, with a new Bible, a 1912 calendar and minutes from the old church.
John Freshour (Froschaur), died Greene Co.Tn., 1804, naming his wife Eve and children as follows. Will:
Book A-P Page 107 John Freshour, Sr. March 2, 1801 Wife, Eave, to have everything as a widow. To daughters, Mary, Susannah, Marget (Margaret?), 8 pounds apiece. To daughter, Elizabeth Rader, land, but don't give it to Peter Rader, can settle on it, his lifetime. To sons, George and John, land adjoing Hutchinson. To son Jacob, 60 pounds. Other children; Eve Stephens, Catrin Winters (Catherine?),Magdaline Foute (Foust?), Mary Freshour. Execs. Wife Eve, John Freshour,Joseph Winters.
Wits: John Lescollet, Zogren Grag?? Giles Parman.
Signed: John (F) Freshour
From the gravemarker at Solomon Luthern Church in Greene Co. TN John Freshaur was born in 1763 and died in 1804. His wife Eve appears to be buried next to him. His will of 1801 lists his children including sons John, George and Jacob. There is a baptism record of a Johannes Froschauer son of Johannes Froschauer and wife Maria Eva on April 30, 1763 in York Co. PA in Jacob Lischy's private pastoral records. Another son named Jacob was baptised on Sept. 4, 1760. Is this the John Freshour of Greene Co. TN who died in 1804?
A Johannes Froschau was born Dec. 16, 1732 to John Georg Froschau at Conewago (old York Co. PA) according to John Casper Stoever's records. Is this the father of John Freshour of Greene Co. TN.
John Georg Froschauer and wife Anna Catharina immigrated from Wachenheim an der Weinstrasse (west of Ludwigshafen Germany) to America on the ship Mary in 1732 according to A.K.Burgert in her book "Palatine Origins of Some Penn. Pioneers". They settled in the Conewago area near Littlestown Adams Co. PA. The records of the Reformed Church there indicate John Georg Froschauer was from Meckenheim (near Wachenheim). Is he the father of Johannes born 1732 at Conewago according to Stoever's records and the grandfather of John Freshour of Greene Co. TN?
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