Family of Simpson County woman who died after contracting COVID-19 speaks out

FRANKLIN, Ky. -Goldie Mae Freeman, 90, of Franklin, described as a loving and kind woman, was diagnosed with COVID-19 March 22, placed on a ventilator a day later at The Medical Center at Bowling Green and died early Monday.

“I talked to her every night on the phone or at least go by every day, but It’s a different world now. It is. It is,” said Skip Freeman, one of Goldie’s sons.

A different world, starting just over a week ago, when  Goldie’s eldest son, Joe Freeman, received a phone call.

“They called and said that she had tested positive for coronavirus and it just devastated us all, it devastated us all,” said Joe.

The family has no idea how the 90-year-old contracted the virus since she rarely went out into public except for church and the grocery store.

Skip is urging the public to take the pandemic seriously.

“When they first started talking about the coronavirus, I didn’t think anything about it. I thought they were overdoing it, but now it’s close and it’s here, and it’s scary,” said Skip.

Simpson County Judge-Executive Mason Barnes says this is a prime example of why it is time to take social distancing seriously.

“We’ve got to take it seriously, and what we do during this week and next week as the governor has said many times is really going to be important for where we go with this,” said Barnes.

“It’s tearing us apart she was a big part of our life and she is gone on account of this coronavirus and it’s really hurting us, but we will get through it, and so will everybody else,” said Skip.