The story goes that Mary left her family's cabin to relieve herself, but as she walked in the dark and icy conditions, she fell and became severely cold. Her body began to stiffen, and she was found the next morning, frozen solid in the snow. The authorities were summoned, and Mary's body was recovered. Initial observations suggested that she had simply succumbed to the freezing temperatures, but as investigators dug deeper, they realized that something was amiss.
Census records from 1880 show the Freeze household in DeKalb County: John listed as “farmer,” Mary as “keeping house.” That bland phrase conceals a reality of 16-hour days—making soap, tanning hides, spinning wool, tending a kitchen garden, and acting as nurse, teacher, and moral arbiter.
