JOE LAWRENCE FREELAND, 91, retired copy editor for the CommercialAppeal,died January 22, 2009. Mr. Freeland was a member of First Presbyterian Church and a lifetime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 16 and the Order of Merlin. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Joyce M. Freeland, and two daughters, Joyce Anne Freeland and Lynda Freeland. Visitation will be Sunday, January 25 from 3-5 p.m. at Bartlett Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be Monday at 2 p.m. also at Bartlett Funeral Home. Burial will be in Stanton Cemetery, Stanton,TN. Memorials may be sent to First Presbyterian Church, Memphis or the Stanton Preservation Trust, Stanton, TN. Services entrusted to Bartlett Funeral Home (901)372-5555 (Published in The Commercial Appeal 1/23/2009)
Newsman Joe Freeland Spun Magic, Loved Cardinals & Trickery - For nearly 40 years, Joe Lawrence Freeland covered high school sports, wrote feature articles and edited stories for The Commercial Appeal. But his true passion wasn't the newspaper business. Performing magic was what he loved most. "He'd prefer to be known as a magician than as a newspaperman," said Joyce Freeland, his wife of 55 years. "He had been interested in magic since he was a child." Mr. Freeland, "The Wizard of Oops" died Thursday at Methodist North Hospital. He was 91. His newspaper career began in the 1950s after a short stint as an English teacher in Allensville, Ky., and a railroad man with Louisville & Nashville Railroad. At The Commercial Appeal, he served in a variety of roles including reporter, head of the Jackson, Tenn., bureau and copy editor. In February 1990, at the age of 72, Mr. Freeland edited his last story and retired. "He was good at headlines and if we had a problem we'd hand it to him and let him work his magic," said former copy desk chief Larry Tucker. Former copy editor Catherine Reutter recalls the day when Mr. Freeland put on an impromptu magic show in the newsroom for new copy editors. "It was great fun because he was so trying to make us feel welcome," Reutter said. In retirement, Mr. Freeland continued to perform magic shows at clubs, parties and retirement and nursing homes. His signature trick was changing a black knife handle to white by spinning the blade around. Mr. Freeland was a lifetime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 16 and the Order of Merlin. But magic wasn't his only love. He was an avid fan of the University of Memphis and Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. He will be buried wearing a 2006 Cardinals' World Series championship cap and holding a magician's wand. Mr. Freeland also leaves two daughters, Joyce Anne Freeland, 54, of Memphis and Lynda Freeland, 53, of Bartlett. Visitation will be today from 3 to 5 p.m. at Bartlett Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Bartlett Funeral Home. Burial will be in the cemetery of historic Stanton (Tenn.) Presbyterian Church. The family asks that any memorials be sent to First Presbyterian Church in Memphis, where Mr. Freeland was a member, or the Stanton Preservation Trust, which helps pay for church upkeep. (By Matt Woo, Published in The Commercial Appeal 1/25/2009)
Newsman Joe Freeland Spun Magic, Loved Cardinals & Trickery - For nearly 40 years, Joe Lawrence Freeland covered high school sports, wrote feature articles and edited stories for The Commercial Appeal. But his true passion wasn't the newspaper business. Performing magic was what he loved most. "He'd prefer to be known as a magician than as a newspaperman," said Joyce Freeland, his wife of 55 years. "He had been interested in magic since he was a child." Mr. Freeland, "The Wizard of Oops" died Thursday at Methodist North Hospital. He was 91. His newspaper career began in the 1950s after a short stint as an English teacher in Allensville, Ky., and a railroad man with Louisville & Nashville Railroad. At The Commercial Appeal, he served in a variety of roles including reporter, head of the Jackson, Tenn., bureau and copy editor. In February 1990, at the age of 72, Mr. Freeland edited his last story and retired. "He was good at headlines and if we had a problem we'd hand it to him and let him work his magic," said former copy desk chief Larry Tucker. Former copy editor Catherine Reutter recalls the day when Mr. Freeland put on an impromptu magic show in the newsroom for new copy editors. "It was great fun because he was so trying to make us feel welcome," Reutter said. In retirement, Mr. Freeland continued to perform magic shows at clubs, parties and retirement and nursing homes. His signature trick was changing a black knife handle to white by spinning the blade around. Mr. Freeland was a lifetime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 16 and the Order of Merlin. But magic wasn't his only love. He was an avid fan of the University of Memphis and Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. He will be buried wearing a 2006 Cardinals' World Series championship cap and holding a magician's wand. Mr. Freeland also leaves two daughters, Joyce Anne Freeland, 54, of Memphis and Lynda Freeland, 53, of Bartlett. Visitation will be today from 3 to 5 p.m. at Bartlett Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Bartlett Funeral Home. Burial will be in the cemetery of historic Stanton (Tenn.) Presbyterian Church. The family asks that any memorials be sent to First Presbyterian Church in Memphis, where Mr. Freeland was a member, or the Stanton Preservation Trust, which helps pay for church upkeep. (By Matt Woo, Published in The Commercial Appeal 1/25/2009)
JOE LAWRENCE FREELAND, 91, retired copy editor for the CommercialAppeal,died January 22, 2009. Mr. Freeland was a member of First Presbyterian Church and a lifetime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 16 and the Order of Merlin. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Joyce M. Freeland, and two daughters, Joyce Anne Freeland and Lynda Freeland. Visitation will be Sunday, January 25 from 3-5 p.m. at Bartlett Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be Monday at 2 p.m. also at Bartlett Funeral Home. Burial will be in Stanton Cemetery, Stanton,TN. Memorials may be sent to First Presbyterian Church, Memphis or the Stanton Preservation Trust, Stanton, TN. Services entrusted to Bartlett Funeral Home (901)372-5555 (Published in The Commercial Appeal 1/23/2009)
Newsman Joe Freeland Spun Magic, Loved Cardinals & Trickery - For nearly 40 years, Joe Lawrence Freeland covered high school sports, wrote feature articles and edited stories for The Commercial Appeal. But his true passion wasn't the newspaper business. Performing magic was what he loved most. "He'd prefer to be known as a magician than as a newspaperman," said Joyce Freeland, his wife of 55 years. "He had been interested in magic since he was a child." Mr. Freeland, "The Wizard of Oops" died Thursday at Methodist North Hospital. He was 91. His newspaper career began in the 1950s after a short stint as an English teacher in Allensville, Ky., and a railroad man with Louisville & Nashville Railroad. At The Commercial Appeal, he served in a variety of roles including reporter, head of the Jackson, Tenn., bureau and copy editor. In February 1990, at the age of 72, Mr. Freeland edited his last story and retired. "He was good at headlines and if we had a problem we'd hand it to him and let him work his magic," said former copy desk chief Larry Tucker. Former copy editor Catherine Reutter recalls the day when Mr. Freeland put on an impromptu magic show in the newsroom for new copy editors. "It was great fun because he was so trying to make us feel welcome," Reutter said. In retirement, Mr. Freeland continued to perform magic shows at clubs, parties and retirement and nursing homes. His signature trick was changing a black knife handle to white by spinning the blade around. Mr. Freeland was a lifetime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 16 and the Order of Merlin. But magic wasn't his only love. He was an avid fan of the University of Memphis and Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. He will be buried wearing a 2006 Cardinals' World Series championship cap and holding a magician's wand. Mr. Freeland also leaves two daughters, Joyce Anne Freeland, 54, of Memphis and Lynda Freeland, 53, of Bartlett. Visitation will be today from 3 to 5 p.m. at Bartlett Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Bartlett Funeral Home. Burial will be in the cemetery of historic Stanton (Tenn.) Presbyterian Church. The family asks that any memorials be sent to First Presbyterian Church in Memphis, where Mr. Freeland was a member, or the Stanton Preservation Trust, which helps pay for church upkeep. (By Matt Woo, Published in The Commercial Appeal 1/25/2009)
Newsman Joe Freeland Spun Magic, Loved Cardinals & Trickery - For nearly 40 years, Joe Lawrence Freeland covered high school sports, wrote feature articles and edited stories for The Commercial Appeal. But his true passion wasn't the newspaper business. Performing magic was what he loved most. "He'd prefer to be known as a magician than as a newspaperman," said Joyce Freeland, his wife of 55 years. "He had been interested in magic since he was a child." Mr. Freeland, "The Wizard of Oops" died Thursday at Methodist North Hospital. He was 91. His newspaper career began in the 1950s after a short stint as an English teacher in Allensville, Ky., and a railroad man with Louisville & Nashville Railroad. At The Commercial Appeal, he served in a variety of roles including reporter, head of the Jackson, Tenn., bureau and copy editor. In February 1990, at the age of 72, Mr. Freeland edited his last story and retired. "He was good at headlines and if we had a problem we'd hand it to him and let him work his magic," said former copy desk chief Larry Tucker. Former copy editor Catherine Reutter recalls the day when Mr. Freeland put on an impromptu magic show in the newsroom for new copy editors. "It was great fun because he was so trying to make us feel welcome," Reutter said. In retirement, Mr. Freeland continued to perform magic shows at clubs, parties and retirement and nursing homes. His signature trick was changing a black knife handle to white by spinning the blade around. Mr. Freeland was a lifetime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 16 and the Order of Merlin. But magic wasn't his only love. He was an avid fan of the University of Memphis and Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. He will be buried wearing a 2006 Cardinals' World Series championship cap and holding a magician's wand. Mr. Freeland also leaves two daughters, Joyce Anne Freeland, 54, of Memphis and Lynda Freeland, 53, of Bartlett. Visitation will be today from 3 to 5 p.m. at Bartlett Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Bartlett Funeral Home. Burial will be in the cemetery of historic Stanton (Tenn.) Presbyterian Church. The family asks that any memorials be sent to First Presbyterian Church in Memphis, where Mr. Freeland was a member, or the Stanton Preservation Trust, which helps pay for church upkeep. (By Matt Woo, Published in The Commercial Appeal 1/25/2009)
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