Judith L. Freeman, nee Rolen, 82, died on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at the Mercy Rehabilitation and Care Center in Swansea, Illinois, where she had entered to receive hospice care after a lengthy illness. She was 82 years old.
Judy was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Sept. 10, 1942, to Walter and Helen (Semith) Rolen. Her parents divorced shortly after she was born, leaving Helen to raise her and her older sister, Mary, as a single parent during a time when it was particularly difficult for working women to support a family.
After graduating from the Academy of Notre Dame in Belleville, she married Joseph A. O’Guinn, in 1961. They later divorced. Together, they had two children, Jody (b. 1962), and Jon (b. 1963). She had a daughter, Jayme (b. 1967), with Stanley A. Stoeber. She later adopted Jayme’s son Adam (b. 1984).
Judy enjoyed connecting with friends and family on Facebook, where she eagerly clicked on every video of interest, much to the consternation of her son-in-law, who often had to restore her computer. During the COVID pandemic, as she became increasingly isolated in her small apartment, Facebook became a lifeline for her and her only window to the world.
She also enjoyed piecing together jigsaw puzzles, playing card games, creating arts and crafts, caring for her pets, and listening to Elvis Presley’s musical recordings. An early enthusiast of the CB radio craze in the 1970s, Judy avidly followed local crime reports on her police scanner and spent uncounted hours watching “murder and mayhem” television shows. She was devoted to her faith and her family and could always be relied upon to elevate nearly every encounter with her unique sense of humor.
Judy’s first career interest was in hotel management, and although she held many jobs in between, as varied as tending bar and working as a hospital housekeeper, she retired as a church secretary.
She was preceded in death by her:
- Father, in 1974
- Mother, in 2002
- Sister, in 2022
She suffered a series of strokes and other health conditions in the latter part of her life, including asthma, emphysema, and COPD, which necessitated her move to Cambridge House of Swansea, in 2022.
She is survived by her:
- Sons
- Jody O’Guinn (Erin) of Atlanta, Georgia
- Jon Garinn (Cliff), of Dallas, Texas
- Adam Freeman-Stueve (Gene), of Belleville
- Daughter, Jayme Freeman, of Centralia
- Grandchildren
- Jameson (Lindsey) O’Guinn, of Kansas City, Missouri
- Bradley O’Guinn, of Cincinnati, Ohio
- Amber Freeman, of Centralia, Illinois
- Seven great-grandchildren
- Numerous nieces and nephews
Because she loved cats and dogs, and because she empathized with those who had lung diseases, her family asks that donations be made to local animal shelters or the American Lung Association in lieu of flowers.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at St. Henry Catholic Church in Belleville, followed by a Rite of Committal in the Peace Chapel of Mount Carmel Cemetery. Her family will receive guests ahead of the funeral service, beginning at 12:30 p.m.
