The Pastor's Wife by Diane Fanning Read Free Book Online Page B

War II, Knoxville felt the impact of the United States government again when the village of Oak Ridge—twenty miles west of the city—became the site of the Manhattan Project, a secret federal nuclear installation. The city benefited from another federal project in the fifties—the development of the interstate highway system during Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration. The city lies on U.S. Route 40, the long and winding highway that connects Wilmington, North Carolina, on the east coast, to Barstow, California, in the west. All these government programs boosted the economic growth of Knoxville, which positively impacted the standard of living enjoyed by Freeman family decades later.
    Knoxville is a place of unquestionable beauty. The great debate is whether the most glorious season is spring or fall. The blooming of a great profusion of dogwoods and azaleas announces the arrival of the warm weather with a breathtaking display of whites and reds, highlighted by the intense, fresh green of new growth. Every autumn, the brilliance of the golds and reds racing down streetsand over mountaintops make the area glow like an exquisite work of art.
    Mary grew up on Frontier Trail in a predominately white, modestly affluent neighborhood in southwest Knoxville. Her family attended the Laurel Church of Christ, a 200-family congregation known for its ministry at the University of Tennessee. Her father Clark served as deacon. They lived the life dictated by the guidelines and prohibitions of the Church. The man was the literal head of the household in every way. Clark’s word was law. He made all the decisions for his family.
    When Mary was 2 years old, her sister Patricia was born. Patricia’s life did not get off to an easy start. She was born with cerebral palsy and developed spinal meningitis and encephalitis as an infant. She suffered from significant mental retardation and physical disability. Eventually, she was capable of reading words off of a page, but she had no comprehension of the meaning behind them.
    Mary was close to and very protective of her little sister. Even though Mary had a room of her own, she usually slept in Patricia’s bed with her. She put a pillow between them to keep from being banged up in her sleep by the metal braces Patricia often had to wear.
    Mary attended Mount Olive Elementary School. At home she had a strict upbringing, where rules were made to be followed without question. She learned to mind her manners and respect her elders. She was a quiet and obedient child—reserved and soft-spoken, just like her mother.
    When Mary was in middle school, her parents took in a child named Shannon as a foster daughter. Shannon’s four siblings were spread out in other homes. When the Freemans submitted a request to serve as foster parents for all five of them, they were denied. The state insisted that each child have his own bedroom.
    Mary offered to sleep on the sofa and give up hers, since there were no rules requiring a biological child to have her own space. Instead, Clark Freeman, a home improvement contractor by trade, built an addition to his home. He hopedthat all of the kids could live with his family—but, if that still wasn’t the case, at least the siblings would have a place to come together for visits on weekends and holidays.
    By the time Clark finished the project, the five children were re united with their biological parents. Once again, the Freemans were a family of four. Clark bought homes from individuals and from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, renovated them and sold them. He earned his living “flipping houses.” Mary Nell was a teacher for the Knox County Schools. Although certified for the classroom, she chose instead to go to homes and instruct those children temporarily unable to attend school for medical reasons.
    On April 15, 1987, tragedy struck the Freeman home. Mary Nell was giving her youngest daughter