Harold E. Freeland, M.D.

HAROLD E. FREELAND M.D. passed away peacefully at his home with his family around him on August 7,2024. Harold was born February 9, 1930, to Luther Byron and Allene Hughes Freeland in Hubbard, Texas. He attended the Hubbard School system, playing on the high school football team. During this time, he worked the soda fountain at Conn's Drug store. In 1948, at age 18, Harold and some friends decided to join the US Army. After training as a dental technician at Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio, he was sent to Tripler Army Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. While stationed there the Korean War started and his enlistment was extended one more year. He was always amazed that a country kid like him lived in such an exotic place as Hawaii. After discharge from the Army, he returned to Texas and enrolled as a premed student at Texas Christian University. While in Fort Worth, 1952 Harold met and married Shirley Rains at the Gideon Baptist Church in Fort Worth. Their daughter, Rebecca, was born in 1953. From TCU, Dr Freeland, was accepted into Southwestern Medical School (later UTSW). After leaving medical school, he did his internship at St. Joseph Hospital in Ft. Worth. He then accepted a staff position at Alvarado Clinic and Hospital, Alvarado, Texas in 1960. His son, Eric, was born at the hospital in 1961. In 1971 Harold married Wilma Smith and later, Loretta Freeland. When the Alvarado hospital closed in 1966, Dr Freeland opened a private practice that continued until 1986 when he closed the practice. During the time of his private practice, he was on staff at Johnson County Memorial Hospital then later at Huguley and Walls Memorial Hospital. He was pivotal in getting Walls Regional Hospital to combine with the Harris Health System and served as Chief of Staff at one time. Dr Freeland was a general practitioner which meant he did it all--saw clinic patients, delivered babies, performed surgery, and made house calls. After his practice closed, he continued to keep his hand in medicine being medical director at two nursing homes, working for Quest Diagnostics doing Worker's Comp. evaluations and finally being medical director at a chiropractic clinic. In 2004 Harold married Carole Wilmoth at the First Methodist Church in Richardson, TX and they settled in Keene to live. Dr. Freeland finally gave up his medical license at age 89. Throughout his life he had a voracious appetite for learning, especially any of the sciences. Dr Freeland even made his own telescope, taking a class at the Ft Worth Museum of Science and History. He also became a Ham radio operator with his own radio at home. He was quite the golf player most of his life. Some of his lifelong interests and loves included motorcycles, that got bigger and bigger; going on trips with his camping club, Hitch N Pitch, where he made lifelong friends; the State Fair of Texas--he never missed a year until his later years when he could not walk as much, and he would go to the fair at least 2 times every year.

Dr Freeland is survived by his wife, Carole Wilmoth; daughter, Rebecca Freeland; son, Eric Freeland; his sister, Betty Ellison of Hubbard, Tx; stepson, Mark Everett and wife, Steva of Cary, North Carolina; stepdaughter, Cheryl Smith-Bell of Strawn, Tx; stepson, Darryl Smith and wife, Alice of Cleburne, Tx along with several step grandchildren, nephews and niece and their families. Dr Freeland's family would like to thank the nurses and aides of Wings Over Texas Hospice in Cleburne, TX especially Mallory and Janit, for the compassionate and skilled care they gave to him during his last months. Also, Lisa, his caregiver with Americare, that spent several months with him giving outstanding care. Not only did they care for him but also the rest of his family. In lieu of flowers, Dr. Freeland's family encourages family members and friends to make donations to Meals on Wheels, Arbor Day Foundation or other charitable foundations/organizations of their choice.

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