Thank you so much for all your wonderful suggestions. I have been trying all of them. I do have the original manual. Lucky me. I bought the machine from the grandson of the original owner and he kept all that came with his grandma's sewing machine. It's take a few repeated reading because the language assumes people with more common sense compared to me who I like my manuals to be like YouTube..... someone to hold my hand. Haha.
So I have been oiling these 3 holes near the handwheel.... letting it sit.... then I turn the wheel.... and repeat. I have been doing that everyday since you suggested it. It feels a little looser but it is still stiff. Not what you say turning freely. And I can't take apart that part of the machine because it is solid.
I'm afraid to try heat because I don't know what I'm doing and I don't want to ruin anything but I do have a hair dryer... Do I just point it to the hole? Low setting?