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February 23, 2018
Mary Sue Freitag went to be with her darling daughter Suzanne. She passed away at the St. Joseph Medical Center on Monday morning February 19, 2018 with her family by her side.
She was born to Edward and Eva (Hawkins) Zatarga on November 17th, 1940 at South Bend Memorial Epworth. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Elizabeth Huston and her daughter Suzanne Beth Freitag.
On May 14, 1966 Mary Sue married Ronald Freitag at St. Patrick’s Church in South Bend. She was beloved mother to Christopher Anthony and Suzanne Beth. She made it a point to introduce her children to various cultural activities, hoping that they, too, would share in her love of the arts.
Mary Sue attended St. Hedwig Grade School, South Bend Central High School, and IU Bloomington. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Library Science degree.
Upon graduation, she worked for the South Bend Main Library, local branches, the Notre Dame Library, and the IUSB Library.
Late in life, she made a career path correction and attained a degree in Job and Career Counseling from Western Michigan University. Following that she worked for Work One until her retirement. Workers were always surprised when she said, “You can actually find a job that you’ll like.”
Mary Sue was very proud of her Polish Heritage. In the 1980’s she served on a committee to establish a sister-city relationship between South Bend and Czestchowa, Poland. She also took a trip to Poland with a small group and the then-mayor Steve Lueke. The trip was organized by Mickey Dobski.
She belonged to the Chopin Fine Arts Club for over 40 years. Mary Sue was a member of the Polonaise Club, and she presented a number of programs of Polish nature to their monthly meetings.
Mary Sue taught classes at the Forever Learning Institute on beginning piano and beginning singing group—and “she loved every minute of it.” Singing was a passion of hers—she was a proud member of The Sweet Adelines, numerous choirs, and more recently, the SilverTones.
Following knee surgery, she did rehab at Creekside Village and Bell Tower. Thanks in particular to Tracey, Joanne, Kris, and Mike. She would like to thank them for their patience and understanding her physical limitations.
Donations may be made in the memory of Mary Sue to the Center for Hospice at 501 Comfort Place, Mishawaka, IN 46545.
A viewing will be held from 4:00-7:00 PM on Friday, March 2, 2018 at Palmer Funeral Home River Park, 2528 Mishawaka Ave., South Bend, IN 46615. A mass at Little Flower Catholic Church, 54191 North Ironwood Dr., South Bend, will be on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 11:00AM. Luncheon to follow the mass. Condolences may be given online at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com
Donations may be made to:
Center for Hospice Care - Mishawaka
501 Comfort Place, Mishawaka IN 46545
Tel: 1-574-277-4100
Web: http://centerforhospice.org/hospice-foundation/donate/