Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — July 15, 2025 — Former Jonesboro city councilman Charles Frierson III died Monday at age 93.
Frierson had a long history of civil service, serving as the City Attorney for the City of Jonesboro for two terms, as well as City Attorney for Bay, Cash, Brookland, Monette and Lake City. At the time of his death, he served as City Attorney for Caraway and Weiner.
According to his obituary, he was the oldest practicing attorney in Arkansas.
He also served on the City Planning Commission and was a Jonesboro City Councilmember from 2006 to 2022. He won numerous civil service awards during his lifetime.
A Jonesboro Public Schools graduate, Frierson earned his degree in economics from Arkansas State University in 1953 and later attended the University of Arkansas Law School, earning his LLB and Juris Doctorate in 1958.
In addition, Frierson was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Artillery, being stationed in Korea in 1954 and Hawaii from 1954 to 1955.
During the mayor’s reports of Tuesday’s city council meeting, Mayor Harold Copenhaver honored Frierson, thanking him for his years of service to the city.
“When a person of his standing tells you something, you take it to heart, because you know it came directly from his heart. Charles has a list of contributions to Jonesboro that would take me hours to read,” Copenhaver said. “He gave his all to the city. Maybe the lasting contribution is he showed us what a model of what an elected official should be: honest, caring, deliberate, and dedicated.”
Jonesboro City Councilmember John Street also honored Frierson during council reports, saying Frierson was a “one of a kind citizen” and that he “would be missed.”
A celebration of life ceremony will be held Thursday, July 17 at 5:30 p.m., following a 4 to 5:30 p.m. visitation at Emerson Funeral Home, located at 1629 E. Nettleton Ave.
All are invited to attend and pay respects in casual attire.
To read the full obituary, click here.