I met Mr. Freeman on my first visit to the Hannan House art class, but we didn't really talk until last week. Today (Friday) we continued our conversation.

Until his Cambridge, Massachusetts home and studio burned to the ground in February 2008, Mr. Freeman, aged 92, was still working at his profession as a master craftsman. His area of expertise was restoring porcelain figurines. Apparently, the Royal Doulton company and other porcelain makers would recommend Mr. Freeman to their customers so he never had to advertise. People would come to him from all over the country asking him to repair their valuable figurines. He was highly respected in the field and his work appears in a number of books and magazines.

On the day of the fire, Mr. Freeman escaped with his life and nothing else, not even one photo of his beloved wife who had died a few years earlier. Soon after the fire, Mr. Freeman came to Detroit to live with his daughter. Until he enrolled in the art class at Hannan House, he knew no one except his daughter here in Detroit. All his friends--and I gather there are many--are back east. Yet, there is not a trace of self pity in the man.

Today I learned that Mr. Freeman is also a musician. He started on the violin at a young age and later moved to the viola. He has played in numerous community orchestras. To make enough money to leave his native St. Louis, the young Mr. Freeman played mandolin in a band that would play 3-4 gigs a night where they'd pass a hat for donations. This was in the 1930s.

Each story I hear makes me more grateful that I started this project. These people are our national treasures and we must preserve their stories for future generations. I am committed to being part of this work.