Sidney Michelle Freitag

Sidney Michelle Freitag, 22, resident of Granger, Indiana, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio. She was born on June 3, 1997 in South Bend, Indiana, to Nicholas C. Freitag and Dawn Michelle Freitag-Gurney.

She is survived by her mother, Dawn M. “Shelly” (Jeff) Gurney of Lakeville, IN; father, Nicholas (fiancée Lindi Dischler) Freitag of Granger; three brothers, Collin Freitag of Portland, OR; John Freitag of Granger; and Adam Freitag of Granger.

Sidney began her college career at Indiana University South Bend and transferred to Ohio State University this fall for her senior year. She was studying mathematics and wanted to become a math professor. In her first year at OSU, she joined the women’s water polo team and enjoyed the bonds she had created with her teammates. She was very grateful to be a part of something so wonderful, even if it was for a short time.

As a little girl, Sidney was obsessed with playing board games and spending time with her brothers.  As she got older, she developed a strong competitive nature.  If you played euchre against her and one of her brothers, they were sure to win.  Sidney looked up to her brothers and loved when they included her with their activities.

Sidney’s connection to her family was an important part of her life and that included her strong bond with her cousins. In recent years, she was able to share adventures with them through trips, hiking, and visiting new restaurants. One of her life goals was to climb Machu Picchu with her cousin and “the brothers,” as she so affectionately referred to them.  

While attending Penn High School she started working at Bruno’s Pizza of Granger, and throughout her six years there, co-workers became an extension of her family. She went on trips to amusement parks and explored the waterways kayaking with them. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t speak of the influence that her Bruno’s family had on her. Here she grew into a dedicated, responsible, mature, loving young woman with an amazing work ethic. She was often referred to as a “bright light” and much of that developed as she was able to spread her wings and become the wonderful person she was.

Sidney had a soft heart for animals, especially dogs. Her “good girl” was Luna, the best four-legged, furry friend she could have asked for. She took Luna everywhere she could and was happy to find restaurants that allowed dogs inside.

A time of sharing and reflection in memory of Sidney will be held at 6:00pm on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at Palmer Funeral Home—Hickey Chapel, 17131 Cleveland Road, South Bend, IN. Friends may visit with the family from 4:00-6:00pm on Tuesday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in memory of Sidney may be donated to Humane Society of St. Joseph County, 2506 Grape Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545; or to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 120 Wall Street, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10005.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.