Since 1902 Charles R. Freeman has been practicing law in Checotah, and he is numbered among the representative members of the legal profession in the state. He was born in Clay county, Mississippi, on the 8th of November, 1875, a son of John P. and Anna (Lyon) Freeman, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Mississippi. For some time the father followed agricultural pursuits in his native state and upon the outbreak of the Civil war continued to reside there until the last year of the war, when he enlisted for active service. At the close of the war he went to Mississippi where he bought some land and previous to his death he owned several plantations. His demise occurred in February, 1902. Mrs. Freeman died in May, 1883.
Charles R. Freeman received his early education in the common schools of Clay county, Mississippi, and later enrolled in the Iuka Normal Institute at Iuka, that state, graduating from that institution in 1898, with the A. B. degree. Subsequently, determining upon a legal career, he entered the University of Mississippi at Oxford and he received his LL. B. degree in 1901. For the following year he practiced in Starkville, Mississippi, and in October, 1902, came to Checotah. He has built up an extensive and lucrative practice and handles much important litigation before the courts. He has ever remained a student of his profession and has one of the largest law libraries in the state. Outside of his practice Mr. Freeman has other interests being a stockholder and director in the Peoples National Bank of Checotah and a director of the First National Bank and the Commercial National Bank at Checotah. He owns a number of farms in McIntosh county, the total number of acres averaging about one thousand, which he rents out and from the rental of which he receives a substantial income. On the 21st of December, 1903, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Freeman to Miss Eunie V. McCafferty, a daughter of Mewing and Martha W. (Ruff) McCafferty, the former a native of Alabama and the latter of South Carolina. Mr. McCafferty served throughout the Civil war an at the close removed to Choctaw county, Mississippi, where he engaged in planting the remainder of his life. His death occurred in 1880. Mrs. McCafferty is still living. Mrs. Freeman was reared and educated in Mississippi and later attended the Iuka Normal Institute and the Mississippi State College for Women. During the World war she served as secretary of the home service department of the Red Cross and is still active in that capacity. She is also prominently known in the club and social circles of the community. Mr. and Mrs. Freeman have no children of their own but are rearing two nieces, Mary Ellen Freeman and Lucile Ragland.
Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Freeman has been a stanch supporter of the democratic party, in the interests of which he takes an active and prominent part. He is a member of Phi Kappa Psi, a national college fraternity. During the World war Mr. Freeman did all in his power to further the government’s interests, and took an active part in all local drives. He was likewise a member of the Council of Defense for McIntosh county. Mr. Freeman is held in high regard in Checotah, both by reason of his professional ability and because of his high standard of citizenship and constant effort to promote the best interests of the town, county and state.
