From a single chapel in Waynesboro to two locations spanning Mississippi and Alabama — this is the story of the Freeman Funeral Home.
In 1928, W.W. Freeman opened his funeral home in Waynesboro, Mississippi. In doing so, he made a quiet but profound commitment: to serve the families of Wayne County with dignity, respect, and genuine care through life’s most difficult passages.
In 1938, his son Harry B. Freeman joined him in the business — except for the years he answered his country’s call and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. When Harry returned, father and son continued together, establishing traditions of service that would define the Freeman name for decades to come.
“Together, the Freeman men established many traditions of dignified funeral services that set them apart from other funeral service providers.”
These weren’t just business practices. They were convictions — about how families deserve to be treated, what it means to honor a life, and the sacred trust placed in those who serve during grief.
With the purchase of Higgins Mortuary in 1967, Freeman Funeral Home established its second chapel in Citronelle, Alabama — extending the Freeman tradition of dignified service to Southwest Alabama families.
Citronelle sits in Mobile County, roughly 35 miles north of Mobile. The community welcomed Freeman Funeral Home, and the chapel has served Southwest Alabama for nearly 60 years.
The Freeman name had built something rare in Waynesboro: a reputation that extended beyond business. Families trusted them not because they were the only option, but because they were the right one.
That reputation traveled when Freeman Funeral Home expanded into Alabama in 1967 — acquiring Higgins Mortuary in Citronelle and extending the same standard of care to families in Mobile County and across Southwest Alabama.
The two chapels, while separated by state lines, operated as one — unified by the same commitment to dignity that W.W. Freeman had established nearly 40 years earlier.
In 1987, Mark N. Craddock was appointed manager of the Citronelle chapel. He and his wife, Regina M. Craddock, relocated to Citronelle and devoted themselves to the Alabama community — pouring over three decades of service into the Freeman tradition.
Mark’s credentials are extraordinary. A graduate of Jefferson State Community College with an Associate in Applied Science in Funeral Service Education (Class of 1981), he earned the designation of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) from the Academy of Certified Funeral Service Professionals.
Perhaps most remarkably, Mark was appointed to the Alabama Board of Funeral Service by four separate governors — and served as the board’s chairperson for 12 of his 14 years of service. He holds Alabama Funeral Home License #82.
A commitment not just to the business of funeral service, but to the profession — and to every family who entrusted their loved one to Freeman’s care.
In 2020, Mark Craddock and Marlon Walley purchased both funeral homes from the Freeman family — bringing to a close one chapter and beginning another. The Freeman name remained. The traditions remained. The promise remained.
Marlon Walley leads the Waynesboro chapel, continuing the tradition of personal, family-centered service that has characterized the location for nearly a century. Mark Craddock continues to lead the Citronelle chapel, now alongside a staff of licensed professionals who share his commitment to excellence.
Together, they carry forward what W.W. Freeman started — not as a corporation, not as a franchise, but as a family-owned institution with deep roots in the communities it serves.
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