Ramona Jean Freer

Ramona (Mona) Jean Freer (née Salminen) passed away March 23, 2026, in Rochester, NY. She was born in Duluth, MN to Ida E. and Dale W. Salminen on February 25, 1938, and grew up in Duluth and Salem, OR. She received a BA in English Literature from Lewis and Clark College and worked variously as a high school English teacher, university departmental secretary, and academic journal editor. She was a talented weaver, spinner, textile artist, and gourmet cook, and enjoyed travel with her family. Her passion for supporting classical music and the arts was notable, as was her volunteer work for the University of Georgia Art Museum, Meals on Wheels, and the Garden Club of Georgia.

She was predeceased in 2019 by her beloved husband of 57 years, Coburn, and by her sister Dolores in 2016. She is survived by her daughter, Meagan Freer (Dan Deptuck), and their children Anneli, Davin, and Kalen, all of Kingston, Ontario; her daughter, Elinor Freer (David Ying), and their children Alina and Nathaniel, of Brighton, NY.

Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Coburn Freer Family Award Fund at the UGA Department of English, or the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.