Obituary of Thomas Freeman

Dec. 6, 1922

Terrible in suddenness and bringing grief to probably as many friends as were ever possessed by any one man of this city, came the news
early Tuesday evening, Thomas Freeman, a prominent businessman, had succumbed to an attack of apoplexy while en route to a meeting of his Building & Loan Company.

Mr. Freeman had just left his home at 718 South 4th. St. after the evening meal to attend a meeting of the Lawrence Savings and Loan Company, of which he was President. As he quit his home, he met Clint Perdue, life long friend, and the two walked down the street together. Mr. Perdue stated that he and Mr. Freeman discussed events of their boyhood and that the latter was apparently in good health and a cheerful mood.

Just as the men reached the corner of 4th. & Center Sts. Mr. Freeman was stricken.  His companion was startled to see him stagger and sway backward.  Before he could recover from his astonishment Mr. Freeman had fallen. Help was hastily summoned, and the stricken man was removed to the home of Dr. Hunter nearby.  There, stimulants were administered, artificial respiration was resorted to, and everything that medical science could do was done without avail.  Mrs. Freeman was summoned and reached Dr. Hunter’s residence before the end came, but Mr. Freeman never regained consciousness.

Mr. Freeman was born near South Point, this county, and was 63 years of age.  He has been a resident of this city for the past 30 years, most of which he has been engaged in the grocery business.  For several years he conducted a grocery at 4th. & Lawrence Sts. and later established the Freeman Grocery at 3rd. & Vernon Sts.

He sold the latter business about two years ago and became interested in the Markin-Blanton Co., wholesale grocers, where he was a director at the time of his death.

For the last few years, he has been an active real estate operator and has conducted extensive business in this field. No man in this county probably enjoyed a larger personal acquaintance or had more friends than Thomas Freeman.  Always affable and congenital, his continued success in different enterprises made no change in his jovial disposition. He was known only as Tom to his friends, whose welfare he always maintained a keen interest in.

The success that he achieved and would obtain came solely from his own efforts and is the result of his untiring devotion to business.  From a modest beginning, he fought his way to an enviable position in the business life of this city, and his record has been one of which any man might be proud.

As the news traveled about the city last evening, many expressions of grief were heard, and many, unable to believe the news of his sudden death, sought the telephones to confirm the story. Thomas Freeman has gone. His death has brought to a close a life full of activity, and because of that life, his city is just a little better, and his friends are just a little richer.

In addition to his wife, five daughters survive to mourn the loss of a devoted husband and father.  They are Mrs. Walter Geswein and Mrs. James Dudley of this city, Mrs. Albert Geswein and Mrs. Lucille Minor of Chicago, and Miss Betty Freeman of Huntington, W.Va.

Two brothers and two sisters of this city, Dave and George Freeman, Hattie Stapleton, and Mattie Cornell, also survive. The funeral arrangements, which will be in charge of Bingaman and Jones, were not made last night and will be announced later.

(Friday, Dec. 8, 1922)

All the friends of the late Thomas Freeman are invited to attend the services, which will be held from the residence on south 4th. St. this afternoon at 1:30 o’clock.  A large delegation will officially represent the I.O.O.F. as the deceased was one of that lodge’s most honored and esteemed members.  Interment will be in Woodland with Bingaman and Jones in charge.