Paula Turner Freeman

Paula Turner Freeman, 78, passed away peacefully on May 30, 2026, surrounded by her family. Paula was born on July 22, 1947 in Hope, Arkansas, and grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. She is a graduate of C. E. Byrd High School and Louisiana Tech University, where she met her husband of 57 years, Kenneth Freeman. After getting married in Shreveport, Ken and Paula spent time as newlyweds in Tampa, Florida, while Ken was in the United States Navy. While in Florida, they discovered Sanibel Island and other beautiful places they visited time and time again. After they moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, they were blessed with their daughter Julie, and Paula began to share her many talents with others. She taught complex sewing techniques at Stretch-n-Sew, inspired others to stitch and craft while working at The Little Mushroom, and helped others see the world as part owner of Vacations at Sea, a local cruise-only travel agency. Her needlework talents were on full display as she helped create needlepoint kneelers for St. James Episcopal Church and First Methodist Church. The greatest joy in Paula’s life was her family, and she loved being “Mops” to her cherished granddaughters, Abigail and Hannah. Once Ken retired, they moved to Tyler, Texas, where Paula thoroughly enjoyed being with family full time. Her skills and talents were pushed to new levels as she outfitted her granddaughters with beautifully smocked dresses, created complex beadwork projects, volunteered with Angel Layettes where she made burial gowns for premature babies, designed and created hundreds of custom greeting cards for family and those in need, and sewed gorgeous keepsake quilts for foster children in East Texas as well as for her family. As an incredible cook, she will be remembered for her legendary cheese straws, seafood gumbo, and cinnamon rolls. When not crafting in her studio, she loved to travel, visiting forty-nine states and far away places like England, Germany, Austria, Aruba, the Panama Canal, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Canada. She encouraged others to travel and enjoyed hearing about their adventures, always ready to see more of the world. Her mind was incredibly sharp, displayed by her memory for details about people and places. She was a daily word game expert, always counted steps on staircases, and was known for being able to instantly alphabetize any word. Paula was a lover of music, a lover of words, a lover of nature, and a lover of her friends and family. She will be greatly missed for her wit and sense of humor, her encouragement, and most of all for how she was invested in the lives of her family. Paula’s final instruction to us was not to grieve her loss, but to smile. Paula is survived by her husband of 57 years, Kenneth, her daughter Julie and husband Ray McKinney, her granddaughters Abigail and Hannah, as well as many cousins and lifelong friends around the country. She was preceded in death by her parents and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. The family would like to thank the exceptional nursing and medical staff at Christus Mother Francis Hospital and The Hospice of East Texas. A private celebration of life will be held for the family. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to Hospice of East Texas (www.hospiceofeasttexas.org).

Paula Turner Freeman

July 22, 1947 - May 30, 2026