Mamie Demarise Coulter Freeman, 92, of Sheridan, Arkansas was born August 2 , 1927 in Sheridan, AR to George Lloyd Coulter, Sr. and Letha Malone Coulter. She took her first breath in heaven November 8 , 2019 surrounded by loved ones at Crown Point Retirement Center. She struggled with congestive heart failure and cancer; she won she went home to Jesus. She met and married Fred Edward Freeman in 1946; he died April 12 , 1989. They were blessed with six children. She was preceded in death by two sons, Andy Alfred, March 1954 , Neil Stephen October, 2017, her parents, four brothers, Nathan Malone Coulter, Wilford Marion Coulter, Lloyd Coulter, and Rev. Harold Joe Coulter; one daughter-in-law, Carolyn Reagan Freeman, two nephews, Mike Coulter, Jerry Freeman; one niece, Gail Coulter, and two sisters-in-law, Jan and Dean Coulter. She is survived by one daughter, Jeanette and husband Jim Munds of Sheridan, three sons, Joe Edward Freeman and wife Sheila of Camden, AR., John Melvin Freeman of Clermont, FL, Dennis Freeman and wife Cheryl of Tull, AR; two sisters, Dixie Simpson of Sheridan, Sylvia Fry and husband Roger of Grand Prairie, Texas; two brothers, Gayle Coulter of Duncanville, TX, Rev Glen Coulter and wife Dutchie of Palo Alto, CA; two sisters-in-law, Janice Coulter of Dallas, TX, and Sue Coulter of Memphis, TN.; seven grandchildren, five great grandchildren, one great great grandson, eight nieces and thirteen nephews. Serving as pallbearers are her nephews and grandsons, Rick Coulter, Nathan Coulter Jr, Larry Freeman, Narvall Freeman, Terry Smith, Jace Munds.

She began her life as the eldest of nine children. As the oldest much responsibility was given to her in the daily care of her siblings. It was well known on the school playground that if you bothered a Coulter kid you would deal with big sister. She was a protector; she was a caregiver and a friend to her brothers and sisters. She felt a deep commitment toward her siblings and was so frustrated when life was taken from her four brothers; she felt as the oldest it should have been her and it hurt her deeply that she could not take their place. As devoted as she was to her siblings she was more so to her children. She was determined that each would get an education, they did, they would have valued manners and good character, they do, but most of all they would know her Savior on a first name basis, a true relationship. She became a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in 1956. Each service whether it be Sunday morning, Sunday evening or Wednesday night, you would find her on the fourth pew from the front on the right-hand side of the church. She would be holding the baby in her arms, and then on her left side would be the next youngest to the oldest. No fidgeting was allowed, no whispering or poking. If you were under five you could get by with going to sleep but over five you sat straight with your hands in your lap. You learned very early to bow your head and somehow, she always knew if you looked up, or touched the one next to you and we never knew how she knew this with her eyes closed until we became parent s ourselves. She was not one to show emotion or express when she was pleased with something we had done but we knew on the day we each accepted Christ as our Savior there was a difference in her demeanor toward us. I remember looking at her when our brother Steve was baptized, and she was looking upward, I had the thought is she thinking four down one more to go? She never minded extra children coming over to play, seems the yard was always full of the neighborhood kids. She was known to take time out of her many household duties to go out on the little league field to play baseball until enough kids showed up to make two teams. I think the thing she was really known for was her homemade soup. Even as the neighbors moved across town or we moved the kids seem to know when the soup was on because we would find ourselves sliding down the bench to make room for a few more. After an early retirement from Baldwin Electronics due to cancer she soon became a grandmother, she was Nannaw to some, Mamaw to others but whatever she loved the grandchildren. Three of them were blessed to be able to stay with her a great deal during their early lives. She wasn't nearly as tough on the grands, but they too were taught misbehavior was unacceptable and you had better never disrespect another adult. She was an avid domino player in her younger adult life winning domino challenges for Senior Citizens a few years back, she was embarrassed that the Pine Bluff Commercial put her picture in the paper. She was excellent at board games and rarely would allow a grandchild to win because she made it easy for them, she was of the mindset that life is tough, and you better be tough with it so not many breaks were given in that respect. She could be described as a good Christian woman with a tremendous heart for helping others. She had strong work ethics and applied them with a joy to her hobbies of quilting, embroidery and furniture refinishing. She believed in angels, she collected them which was evident in her home. It was quite common to hear her remark when something unexplainable had happened God has sent an angel to that struggling soul. She enjoyed reading her bible and was diligent studying her Sunday School lesson and praying for her church especially her Sunday School class, she loved the Willing Workers Class. If you dropped by for a visit she was most likely listening to southern gospel music, or her Pastor's sermon and embroidering. She taught us to listen to that still quiet voice within us. The angel network lives on as long as the memory of her is alive.

A celebration of Demarises' life will be held Saturday , Nov. 16, 2pm. Burial will follow at Lost Creek cemetery in Sheridan. Visitation will be from noon until service time at Memorial Gardens Funeral Chapel.