Freeman, Francis Marion
5/7/1965
1881 - May 7, 1965 |
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| “All the world’s a stage. and all the men and women are merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.” This was true of Francis Marion Freeman. He spent his early childhood in Watson, Louisiana, where he was born in 1881. His youth and young manhood was lived out in Galveston, Texas. It was there, too, that he received his education and his call to the ministry. Having a great desire to return to his native state, he joined the Louisiana Annual Conference in 1904. He served churches in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas; among them were First Methodist Church, Monroe; First Methodist Church, Texarkana, Arkansas; Trinity, El Paso, Texas; and Noel Memorial, Shreveport. Dr. Freeman had a great capacity for making friends. People in all walks of life, and across denominational lines, delighted in calling him “Bud” as a token of their affection and esteem. His sense of humor and his wealth of good stories made him a welcome guest in civic and community circles. It was in his role as pastor-preacher that Marion Freeman excelled. He had the “pastor heart.” He loved people and gave lime and devotion to their needs. His comforting words in sorrow and trouble will rise up and call him blessed in a thousand ways. Josephine Gore Freeman was Dr. Freeman’s inspiration and sustaining companion through sickness and in health. He never ceased to express his love for her and their two noble sons, Marion Jr. and Sellers, and their families. With the words of that great old hymn, “At the Cross,” on his lips, and the peace of God in his heart, he slipped away in his sleep to join the church triumphant, Friday, May 7, 1965. |
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| Source: Journal of the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Church, Pages 222, 1965 by B. C. Taylor. | |
