OBITUARY: Willie Joe Freeman

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Willie Joe Freeman, age 86, of Portland, passed away on November 27th, 2022, at Alive Hospice in Nashville, TN.

Mr. Freeman was born on June 14th, 1936, in Sumner County, TN.

He was married to Joan (McCoin) Freeman on December 27, 1959 who survives him.

He is also survived by his children, Cynthia “Cindy” Freeman of Cincinnati, OH, Rita (Curtis) DeLozier of Columbia, TN, & Stephen D. “Steve” Freeman of Portland, TN; grandchildren, Lauren (Darek) Boyd, Justin (Ashlyn) Freeman, Jordan (Chelsey) Freeman all of Portland, TN, Hannah DeLozier of Indianapolis, IN, Jarrett (Camille) DeLozier of Franklin, TN; great-grandchildren, Tateum, Lila Paige, Hudson, Baker, Carter, & Lila Camille; brother, Jackie (Judy) Freeman of Franklin, KY; sister in law, Patti Greenberg of Nashville, TN; many loving nieces and nephews, & numerous friends.

Joe was predeceased by his parents, Willie Odell Freeman & Allean (Carter) Freeman; siblings, Opal Freeman, Jewel Freeman McWhorter, Jean Freeman Taylor, Paul Freeman and Charles Freeman as well as his brother-in-law, O.B. McCoin, Jr.

He was a loving husband, father, Papa, great-Papa, friend and neighbor that will be missed by all that knew him. He never met a stranger and always seemed to know someone no matter where he went.

A life-long farmer, he operated a multifaceted operation over his lifetime, with row crop and hay being the primary operation at the time of his passing. He loved nothing more than caring for the land and sharing his knowledge of being a good steward to all around him. He also started Freeman Logistics, LLC to diversify the farming operation. He was a member of the Sumner County Farm Bureau, serving as a director since 2011 and was made a lifetime board member prior to his passing. He also served on the Sumner County Soil Conservation District from 1986 and was Chairman at the time of his death.

Believing in bettering his community, he served as a Sumner County Commissioner from 1972 to 1978 and again from 1982 to 2002. He also served as a board member on the Sumner Regional Medical Center for many years. Of the Baptist faith, he was a member of First Baptist Church of Portland.

Visitation for Mr. Freeman will be on Tuesday, November 29th, 2022, from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm & on Wednesday, November 30th, 2022, from 4:00 until 8:00 pm at Wilkinson & Wiseman Funeral Home. https://www.wilkinsonwiseman.com

Funeral services for Mr. Freeman will be at 11:00 am on Thursday, December 1st, 2022, at the Portland First Baptist Church with visitation one hour prior to the service at the church. Bro. Tim Colovos, Bro. Greg McCoy, & Bro. Donald Taylor will be officiating the service.

Interment will be in Restlawn Memory Gardens in Franklin, KY.

Justin Freeman, Jordan Freeman, Jarrett DeLozier, Darek Boyd, Luke Carrico, Homer Dale Mayes, Lanny Taylor, Alvin Dorris, & Leonard Lamb will serve as pallbearers.

Mark Bennett, Brent Thacker, Tony Jones, Jason Stratton, Lucas Brooks, J. W. Yates, & Wayne Kelly will serve as honorary pallbearers.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to a scholarship they are creating in Joe’s memory; The Joe Freeman/Freeman Farms Memorial Scholarship Fund. This annual college scholarship will be awarded to graduating FFA student at Portland High School pursuing a degree in agriculture to continue Joe’s legacy of caring for the land. Please make checks out to Volunteer State Bank and indicate on the memo line that the funds are for the “Joe Freeman/Freeman Farms Memorial Scholarship.” Checks can be mailed to:

Volunteer State Bank-101 Highway 52 W.-Portland, TN 37148

 

For more obituaries visit https://sumnercountysource.com/obituaries/