BENJAMIN FRALEY (FRALICH) FAMILY

In 1842 or 1844, the Fralich’s Family (later anglo-saxonized as “Fraley”) came from Lancaster Country, Pennsylvania to Wheatland and Naperville Townships Illinois. The Copenhagen Church history indicates there were 20 families who came in this movement. These families most probably came by wagon train. These families had settled in Pennsylvania in the years of 1731-1737. They were led out of Silesia (a part of what is currently southwest Poland) to Saxony (a part of what is currently southeast Germany surrounding Dresdon, Germany) and then to the New World by Count Zinzendorf in search of religious liberty. Some of these families were the Hartmans, Slicks, Givlers, Swilleys, Bombergers, Zentmeyers, Brown, Hughes, and Frailichs (Fraley), and maybe Eichelbergers.

Adam and Susanna Hartman brought with them a family of nine children. Mrs. Susanna Hartman was expecting her 10th and last child. The train included her second child-Elizabeth Hartman who was married to Benjamin Fralich and were expecting their first child (Jeremiah Fralich (b.1844)). Think of walking from Pennsylvania to Illinois in those conditions. Even if they got to ride, it was in a springless seat.

Elizabeth (Hartman) Fralich was born May 14th 1824. Benjamin Fralich was born June 9th 1818. They married sometime in 1843. Their baby, Jeremiah Fralich, was born August 22nd 1844, a few months after their arrival. Jeremiah Fraley (1844) joked that it took him longer to get here (into this world) because he took the longer way to come-by way of the Erie Canal. His Aunt, Polly (Hartman) Hillegas, was born that same year (1844).

Adam Hartman bought a quarter section in two parcels. The farm is the present Springbrook Golf Course. This farm was in the family until 1968 when the Naperville Park District bought it. Even in the beginning of the 20th century, it took two men to farm 160 acres (a typical size family farm) with horses. 

There was a settlement called Copenhagen at the northeast corner of Illinois Route 59 and 83rd Street, and remnants of that settlement survive today. It consisted of a school, church, blacksmith shop, post office, and several homes. The Hartmans and other families settled in the surrounding area of the Copenhagen Settlement. At that time, a train was expected to be built through this area. 

In due time, Benjamin Fralich (1818) bought the farm from his father-in-law for $11,000, and Adam Hartman moved a mile east on 83rd Street to where it intersects Plainfield-Naperville Road. Benjamin Fralich also changed his name to “Fraley” because the local people were not pronouncing the “ich” in the proper German manner.

In 1868, Jeremiah Fraley (1844) married Mary Hartronft (1850-1938), and they lived with the Fraley folks and helped farm. May (Hartronft) Fraley was born in Naperville, Illinois in 1850 and attended Naper School when tuition was required to attend school there. Her mother died when she was 14 years old, so Mary Fraley finished the year taking her five year old sister, Armeda Hartronft, along to school to take care of her. Then Mary kept house for her father until he remarried three years later and she married Jeremiah Fraley (1844). Mary Fraley always said she was “almost 18”. Her father went to the goldfields in 1854. The Naperville Sun published a diary of that trip. He did not find gold but plied his trade of blacksmithing and was able to return home by walking across the Isthmus of Panama. 

By 1879, Mary Fraley and Jeremiah Fraley had five children, but four of them died of diphtheria within 16 days. The then baby, Carrie Fraley, alone survived (she married Edward Eichelberger). Two years later, Harvey Fraley, and in 1883, Franklin Fraley was born. Franklin Fraley was the father of Bruce Fraley.

Jeremiah Fraley (1883-1967) married Jane McPherson (1887-1972) on September 8th 1910. She was born in Cherokee, Iowa. When she was eight months old, her father died of typhoid fever. They were homesteading in Cherokee, Iowa, and there were Indians across the Little Sioux River. Her mother, Agnes (Patterson) McPherson (1986-1959) returned to this area to make her home with her brother, John Patterson (b. about 1857). The first Patterson (Mungo Patterson (1816-1906)) came to Wheatland Township in the year 1844 with father-in-law Robert Clow (1787-1870) and family as a result of being married to the second Clow child as well as daughter Agnes (Clow) Patterson (1814-1890). Grandmother (Agnes Patterson McPherson )(1860-1959)) made her living by helping out when mothers were sick or having babies. She would be up early, making the fire, and taking care of all the other work too besides the new mothers and babies. 

Jane (McPherson) Fraley (1887-1972) attended North Central College when it was called Northwestern Academy. Then she taught Springbrook School for three years making $30 per month. Her room and board cost $10 per month, so she was able to save almost two thirds of her salary. Before her wedding, her aunt, Mary (McPherson) Patterson gave her a trip to England, Scotland, and Paris, France.

Franklin and Jane (McPherson) Fraley farmed the Fraley family farm and eventually bought it. Both of their mothers lived with them. Mary (Hartronft) Fraley (1850) lived until 1938, and Agnes (Patterson) McPherson (1860) lived to 1959. Agnes was 99 years old. Franklin and Jane Fraley had five children – Mary Agnes Patterson, Olive Davis Schillinger, Bruce Fraley, Florence Gregory, and Carolyn Darfler. During the Depression, there were 10 people at the dinner table. Nevertheless, anyone coming at mealtime was always invited to eat with the Fraley family.

Franklin Fraley (1833) died in 1967 at the age of 85 years. He had served his community as a Trustee at Wheatland Salem United Methodist Church and on the Copenhagen School Board when four schools consolidated into Granger School. Jane Fraley died in 1972 and also at the age of 85 years as her husband. Their family motto could be: “For God, For Country, For Community, and Family”.

11/01