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Husband of Berrien County commissioner dies in farm accident

Posted at 5:26 PM, May 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-03 17:26:53-04

BARODA TOWNSHIP, Mich. —  Police in Berrien County are investigating the death of a farm worker Thursday morning in a barn. He also was a Baroda Township Planning commissioner.

The Herald Palladium newspaper reports Patrick Freehling, 45, was the husband of Berrien County Commissioner Teri Freehling. The Baroda-Lake Township Police Department confirmed his identity in a news release.

The accident happened at the couple’s 200-acre family farm. Details about how it happened are being investigated.

Police responded around 7 a.m. Thursday to a report of a person down in a barn at 11573 Cleveland Avenue, in Baroda Township.

The Baroda-Lake Township Police Department says in a news release “This appears to be a tragic farm incident. There are no signs of foul play. An autopsy will take place at a later time.”

The Herald Palladium reports the Freehlings were married for 16 years and have two young daughters who live on the seventh-generation farm.

Patrick Freehling was a member of the Baroda Township Planning Commission and the Berrien County Youth Fair board.

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department and the Medical Examiner’s Office are assisting the Baroda-Lake Township Police Department with the investigation.