Born: 22 July 1898, United States
Died: 11 May 1998
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Beatrice Blanchard
The following is republished from the National Park Service. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Beatrice B. Freeland
Yosemite National Park
Park Ranger, 1923-1924
• Born Beatrice Blanchard on July 22, 1898 in San Francisco, California.
• Lived through the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
• Earned a degree in music from University of California-Berkeley in 1920.
• Taught music for two years in public schools in Corning, California.
• Married Edward “Dixon” Freeland on September 30, 1922 in San Francisco.
• Worked as a temporary park ranger in Yosemite National Park during the summers of 1923 and 1924.
• In 1930s trained a group of CCC men into an award winning quartet.
• Lived in six different parks and, as superintendent’s wife, entertained politicians, heads of state, movie actors, heads of state, and others.
• Had a son, Dixon, and daughter, Phyllis.
• Son, son-in-law, and three grandchildren also worked for the NPS.
• Died May 11, 1998 in St. Helena, California.