James Orville Freeman was born December 9, 1938 in Springfield to the late Orville and Willie (Fields) Freeman. He lived in the Fellows Lake area before moving to Urbana in 1976 and was still living on the family farm at the time of his passing on November 23, 2011.
On April 30, 1956 he was united in marriage to Mary Frances Breshears. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1961-1965 and was stationed in Dover, Delaware and Fairbanks, Alaska. He was employed by the Missouri State Highway Department prior to his military service; worked as a Truck Driver for Mid-Am and joined the Frisco Railroad workforce in 1969 until his retirement in 1996.
Survivors include his loving wife of 55 years, Mary; children, James Freeman of El Paso, TX and Marilyn Oliver of Vian, OK; three grandchildren, Jonathan Oliver and Wayne and Crystal Freeman of Greenville, NC; two sisters, Betty Brooks of Springfield and Ruth Worley and husband of Long Lane; mother-in-law, Velma Breshears of Ozark; numerous other loving relatives and a host of friends. He was preceded in death his parents; four siblings, Claude and Bob Freeman and Shirley and Barbara Caldwell and father-in-law Clifford Breshears.
Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m., Friday, November 25, 2011 in Greenlawn Funeral Home North with burial to follow in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. Visitation will begin one hour prior at 2:00 p.m., in the funeral home.
Online condolences can be made at www.greenlawnfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Greenlawn Funeral Home North.