Freeman Fountain

Freeman "Doc" Percival Fountain, passed away on February 29, 2016 at Cottonwood Inn Rehabilitation and Extended Care Center in Durango, Colorado.

He was born April 16, 1921 in Hawley, Minnesota to Percival Freeman Fountain and Chloe Mae (Ritteman) Fountain. While he was a child during the depression, he said he didn't really notice as there always seemed to be adequate food and clothing.

Freeman went to high school and college at Moorhead State Teachers College. He was class president his senior year of college and was Conference Champion in the 220 yard dash and a member of the one-half mile relay Conference Champions (Conference record time). This relay team of four men all went on to serve overseas during WWII and were re-united 50 years later. After the reunion, they remained in close contact and their friendship was very important to Freeman.

Freeman enlisted in the Navy Reserves in 1942. He went to Stanford University to study physical therapy and graduated in 1943. During WWII he went into active duty as a Fleet Marine Corpsman and was sent to Saipan where he joined the Second Marine Division. They were sent to Nagasaki, Japan about 6 weeks after the atomic bomb. They set up quarters close to where the bomb hit at what had been the Mitsubishi shipyard. The buildings there had been vaporized and only the girders remained. The girders were bent toward the sea and Freeman recalled that they looked like corn stalks after a windstorm.

After the war, he used the GI Bill to go to medical school first at the University of North Dakota then at the University of Colorado. He graduated from medical school June 10, 1951 and got married to Jerrlyn (Jeri) Jean McGraw the very same day in Denver, Colorado. They had three children spaced 2 years apart and all with first names starting with "D": Diana, David and Daniel.

Freeman did his internship at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, Colorado. While at Fitzsimmons, he was an Army Medical Officer during the Korean Conflict.

He did his Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency at the University of Colorado, then he and his family started a series of moves as he pursued his career in medicine. They moved to Louisville, Kentucky in 1956 where he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. The family returned to Denver in 1958 where Freeman was an Assistant professor at the Colorado University School of Medicine.

In 1960 they moved to Albuquerque where Freeman was Chief of Physical Medicine at Lovelace Clinic and Medical Director of the Bataan Rehab Center. Then, in 1966, they moved to Phoenix Arizona where Freeman was the Residency Program Training Director in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Good Samaritan Hospital.

In 1970, Freeman went into private practice in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He worked at offices in Scottsdale and Sun City, Arizona until his retirement in 1994.

Freeman continued to serve in the Naval Reserve until he retired in 1981 at the rank of Captain, Navy Medical Corps. He wrote many articles that were published in professional journals. He was elected and served four years as Surgeon General of The Military Order of the World Wars and wrote numerous general-interest articles for the Officer Review publication.

Freeman was musically inclined and played drums in the marching bands at Moorhead State College and Stanford University. He sang in many church choirs and in barbershop quartets and choirs, even briefly singing with the Durango Barbershoppers when he was over 90 years old. He always had an electric organ in the house and enjoyed playing old favorites.

Through the years, he demonstrated great talents in wood working, lapidary work, and silver smithing/jewelry making. He enjoyed fishing and spent much time fishing from the dock at the family cabin at Electra Lake. He was an expert at filleting fish (a talent he learned as a boy in Minnesota). He was a hunter and had many of his trophies, including a black bear and a mountain lion, hanging in his house which his wife, Jeri, loved to decorate for the holidays.

He and Jeri loved to travel. On a trip to Japan almost 40 years after the war, Freeman was gratified to see the wonderful recovery that had occurred there; attractive buildings replaced the devastated buildings. Other travel highlights were the trips to Washington, D.C. that he and Jeri did with their beloved grandchildren and a memorable trip he made with his family to Kodiak Island in Alaska during his 2-week active duty in the Navy. He loved the salmon fishing there and catching king crab which were cooked and eaten with melted butter right on the shore.

Freeman loved his pets. As a child he had a crow for a pet (one that he rescued). It rode on his shoulder. Throughout his life, he almost always had a dog. A dog trainer once told him that he was "acting like a litter mate" which, while not meant as a compliment, was taken as one by Freeman. He loved to tell stories and jokes and found great enjoyment in the retelling of them. Who can forget his joke about the method of getting a camel to drink enough water to make it across the desert?

Freeman and Jeri started spending summers in Durango to get out of Arizona heat and to spend time with family. A few years after Jeri's death, Freeman made a final move to Durango. He was a member of the Lutheran Church and his faith was an important part of his life.

Freeman was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Jeri; and a sister Phyllis Irene Cavallin.

He is survived by children Diana Willson (husband Bill) of Durango, David (wife Mimi) of Durango, and Daniel (wife Lori) of Tucson, AZ. He and Jeri were blessed with 6 grandchildren: Sarah Jacobson (husband Shawn), Rebekah Fetters (husband Joe), Angela Fountain, David Fountain, Julie Fountain and Andrew Fountain. There are 5 great-grandchildren: Tiawna Ping (husband Justin), Kyler Jacobson, Matthew Johnson, Nicholas Fetters, and Olivia Fetters. There are two great-great-grandchildren: Zeke Ping and Adelle Ping. Freeman also has many nephews, nieces and cousins.

The family would like to thank the staff at Mercy Palliative Care, Sunshine Gardens, and Cottonwood Inn for their respectful and loving care. "Doc" greatly enjoyed their attention and affection.

There will be a celebration of Freeman's life at Hood Mortuary of Durango at 4:00 PM on Saturday, March 5.