Mary Carolyn (Read) Freeman

The youngest of three siblings, Carolyn was born on October 16, 1934 to Frank and Pauline (Morgan) Read in Hobart Oklahoma. Carolyn attended Mountain Park Elementary School and Roosevelt High School until her senior year when the family moved to Stratford. Carolyn graduated from Stratford High school in 1952. She then attended Business School in Oklahoma City. Upon completion of her degree she worked in Oklahoma City.

In 1954 she married the love of her life, Jimmy Loyd Freeman whom she met during her senior year at Stratford. Loyd, as Carolyn called him, was attending Murray State College in Tishomingo. Upon completion of his degree there he attended Basic Training. During his training, he learned his service assignment was in Germany so the two decided to marry before he was deployed. So they along with Loyd's twin brother created a plan in which Loyd went AWOL for the ceremony. On March 6, 1954 they met in Panama, Oklahoma and woke up the local Baptist preacher to unite them in marriage.

During the time Loyd was serving in Germany with the Army, Carolyn lived with her older sister and family in Oklahoma City. She continued working in the downtown Oklahoma City area.

The Read family was very close. Ola Mae was 8 years older than brother Bob who was 8 years older than Carolyn. Because of this age gap the rumor has always been that Carolyn was a little spoiled. We can bear witness that Bob was always protective of his baby sister. The closeness of the Read family was the product of spending quality time at the farm in Roff during the weekends.

This closeness continued as they all grew older with family coming to visit and fish on the weekends. Stories about nephews Jay and Gary bringing the fish they caught in the Vanoss/Roff area to Carolyn for a good ole fashion fish fry have been shared over the years. There is no photographic evidence on how big the fish were so what Jay and Gary tell you may or may not be exaggerated.

When Jimmy Loyd returned home from the Army, they moved to Ada so he could complete his degree in teaching at East Central State College and during this time Carolyn worked. Jimmy Loyd accepted his first teaching position which took the young couple to Pritchard, CO. They lived on campus in teacher housing and became the parents of their firstborn. Vickie Lynn made her entrance on December 7, 1958. With Christmas break arriving and all the Read family gathering at Roff, Oklahoma for Christmas, Carolyn was so homesick that Ola Mae promised she would help care for the baby if Jimmy would just drive her back to Oklahoma over the holidays. So Jimmy and Carolyn loaded up the car and headed to Roff for Christmas. Running out of diapers on the way, they resorted to using Jimmy's handkerchiefs as diapers. There is no word on what happened to the handkerchiefs following the trip.

Their stay in Pritchard was only a year as Jimmy Loyd moved to Roff to continue his teaching/coaching career. From Roff to Stratford where Carolyn and Jimmy were blessed with a son, Jimmy Don, on November 8, 1963. They moved to Asher and shortly after a third child arrived, Bobby Lloyd on September 2, 1966. After leaving Asher, they bought 20 acres and made their home at Vanoss. After being a stay at home mother until the kids were all in school, Carolyn returned to work as a Legal Assistant for local Ada attorney, Bob Bennett. She would remain at this job until she retired. She was a loyal employee but an even more supportive wife. Jimmy coached 4 nights a week traveling all over Pontotoc County for games. Many evenings from November 1 through mid February, you could see the Vanoss school bus driving down the streets of Ada on its way to pick up Carolyn after 5 pm so she could attend  the ball games. She spent hours sitting in the stands cheering on the teams Jimmy coached and taking care of her three children.

After retirement, they bought a fifth wheel travel trailer and traveled the countryside. They enjoyed making friends, playing cards, playing dominos, playing bridge, making chocolate chip cookies, making crafts and visiting with neighbors.

When Jimmy was diagnosed with cancer, Carolyn was his personal nurse for several years. As always, they fought this battle together as she was constantly by his side throughout his illness.

After Jimmy's passing in 2007, Carolyn had to develop a new normal for herself. She was a huge asset to Bobby and Shawn helping take care of their girls and was often considered the Granny to Makayla's classmates at school. Granny also did more traveling on her own enjoying a cruise with Jimmy Don and his family. Carolyn moved into Baptist Village of Ada and was thoroughly enjoying life with fellow residents. Due to declining health a move to Brookdale of Ada occurred in the spring of 2018. She thrived for a few months and then the struggles of dementia and alzheimers began to take its toll. Faithful friends and family kept her spirits up with their visits and phone calls. But we all know how the disease takes away the minds of our loved ones. Through it all, she testified of her faith in Jesus Christ often. Carolyn was an active member of Trinity Baptist Church in Ada. The close relationships formed in her Sunday School class where she was a faithful member until the last few years with her physical and mental processes declining.

Over the course of her well lived 87 years, Carolyn enjoyed camping, traveling, family gatherings (especially holidays). She loved sewing, collecting Snow Village Christmas decor, Corn King china and Franciscan Apple dishes. Her family will miss the chocolate sheet cake she  made every Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as her smiles and the way she lovingly encouraged her family. She adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and would light up anytime she spoke of them.

On this earth, Carolyn was a deacon's wife, a coach's wife, a mother of three, a little sister, an aunt, a grandmother, a friend and the cheerleader of the family.

Her favorite passage of scripture had to be from the Psalms because in the Bible that was given to her by Jimmy Loyd in 2006, many of the Psalms are underlined.

One verse in particular is in: Psalm 121

The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life; the

Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever.

Today, Carolyn has gone to be kept by the Lord. Our Heavenly Father is watching over her as He has called her to the home He has prepared for her. Today, Carolyn is healed and she is home.

Carolyn is survived by her three children; Vickie Ballard and husband Roger of Catoosa, Jimmy Freeman and husband Kyle of Pine Cliff, Co, and Bobby Freeman and wife Shawn of Ada; grandchildren Jamie Sweet and husband Daniel of Moore, Jennifer Weaver and husband Daniel of Nixa, MO, Ryan Freeman of Boulder, CO, Taylor Freeman Peshehonoff and husband Joe of Jackson, MS, Bailey Freeman of Sachse, TX, Morganne Freeman of Ada, and Makayla Freeman of Edmond. and 8 great-grandchildren, Lukas, Karis, Selah, and Zoe Sweet and Ava, Asher, Ariana, and Azzan Weaver and many other loved ones and friends.

She was preceded in death by; Her parents, Frank and Pauline Read; Her siblings; James Franklin Read, Ola Mae Hallman and Bob Read And her husband; Jimmy Loyd Freeman.

The family says those who wish may make memorials to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation for Alzheimer's Research, 825 NE 13th, Oklahoma City, OK  73104-5097.