Callie Freeman

A celebration of life service will be held Saturday, November 19, 2022 at 1 p.m. at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 200 N. Regan Street, Greensboro, NC. The family visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m. Pastor, Reverend Dr. Clay L. Barrow will deliver the words of comfort. 

Interment will follow in Forest Lawn Cemetery, 3901 Forest Lawn Drive, Greensboro, NC.

Public viewing will begin Friday, November 18, 2022 from 12 until 6 p.m. at Serenity Funeral Home, 1024 Homeland Avenue, Greensboro, NC.

GREENSBORO - Callie Zena Powell-Freeman was born in 1957 in Whiteville, NC to Joseph and Elzena Powell. The youngest of 10 children, ‘Kalzena’ graduated from West Columbus High School, followed by Pembroke University, where she majored in Sociology.

Callie married her college sweetheart, Bernard Spaulding, who later passed. She then met fellow widower Frederick Freeman; they married and had a daughter. Reverend Freeman passed in February 2022. She gave birth to one daughter, Evita Zena Freeman-Staples and moved to Greensboro in 1992.

It was that time that Callie began a career as a teacher in Alamance and Guilford Counties and joined Bethel A.M.E. Church in Greensboro, NC. As a teacher, she taught elementary school, special needs students, and substituted for K-12 grades in the Greensboro area. As a member of Bethel, she was a Sunday School Teacher, a Missionary and a Stewardess. This is but a few of the activities she participated in at Bethel.

She later received her master’s degree in Adult Education at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC in May 2018, and went on to continue her passion in education. She achieved this goal despite battling lupus.

Callie loved the Lord and accepted Jesus Christ as her savior. She enjoyed traveling, trains, books, learning languages and spending time in church with family. She went on to received a kidney transplant in February 2020. She fought through recovery with a strong disposition and strong faith that the Lord would see her through. She passed away on Friday, November 4, 2022 at Beacon Place in Greensboro with her daughter holding her hand.

As she takes her eternal rest, she leaves behind many mourners and loved ones; her daughter, Evita Z. Freeman-Staples (Quinton Staples II), her siblings, Levi Powell (Margie Powell), Rev. Joanne Sharpe (Wayne Sharpe), Ruth Morgan (Sam Morgan), Moses Powell and many beloved nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her first granddaughter, (soon to be born), J.Z. Staples.

On the other side of her journey, welcoming her to eternal peace are her family members; parents, Joseph and Elzena Powell; husband, Bernard Spaulding and Frederick Freeman; siblings, Joseph Lenwood Powell, Beaulah Mae Reagan, Lucille Hill, Rev. Franklin Powell, Christopher Powell, Nellie Powell Graham; beloved nieces, Michelle, Debbie and Princess; nephew, Christopher Powell Jr.

Serenity Funeral Home & Cremations “Home of Lasting Memories”

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