Susan Rae Freeman

Susan Rae (Furry) Freeman was born on October 6th 1958 in the sleepy little town of Chambersburg Pennsylvania. She was one of 12 kids in a cheaper by the dozen family. Her dad Charlie was a decorated Navy Veteran who proudly fought in the Korean War, but was most happy when he was fishing. Her mother Lois is a Jane of all trades, a master seamstress in doll fashions, and is most happy when she is sipping coffee on her porch.

As a child Sue played with dolls, ran through fields shoeless making daisy chains, and pretended she was married to Elvis. She was always bringing home kittens, she even had one who shared her love of licking potato chips before eating them. She devoured books and teenybopper magazines with her best friend Connie, as they painted their nails and drank Cokes. She loved watching game shows with Martha and Ike (Lois’s parents). Sue would always tell everyone she learned how to tell time so that she knew when to watch Jeopardy. Unlike most kids Sue loved school. She was brilliant and loved writing stories. She was the head majorette on her drill team and could spin a baton with the best for most of her life. When she was 12, she met a boy she fell head over heels for. Scot Freeman. She thought he was dreamy and so she had a friend pass him a note saying “Do you like Sue check yes or no”. As soon as Scot checked YES they were inseparable…well except those 5 days they broke up just to make sure. They were sure. After graduating Sue got her own place (it was cheap and smelled like the neighbor’s Chinchilla) while working at a bank and Scot started college. But it wasn’t long before they tied the knot. It took a little bit more then trying, but on September 12th 1982 they welcomed their daughter Stephanie. Aside from being exhausted, because she never slept, they were overjoyed. They loved being parents, Sue always wanted 5 kids, but after losing her next three pregnancies they decided to be happy with just one. Scot changed jobs and started working in radio and tv. They saved enough to buy an old farm house to fix up. And settled into life pretty comfortably as a happy little family. In 1984 they got the biggest surprise of their life when they found out Sue was pregnant. On January 23rd 1985, on (almost) full moon, Tim made his entrance kicking and screaming. Which Sue reminded him of every time she beat him at bowling and he threw a fit. The next two years flew by in a whirlwind of toys, pancakes and forest fires, a dog named Nellie with donkey ears, and outrageously high heating fuel costs. But a job offer for Scot suddenly took them to Ohio where Sue and Scot would build a life together. Marriage has its ups and downs and parenting is even harder. But the Freeman’s did everything with humor. Sue was constantly having to shush Scot and Stephanie in church because they were always drawing funny monsters or giggling at deep voiced singing. Tim was always telling waiters it was Sue’s birthday. The Freeman’s were always at peek comic performance when things were down. Sue never had an easy road when it came to her health. Humor and her love of Jesus somehow always gave her the strength to overcome. Not just illness but parenting too. And not just parenting her two children. She was an extra mom to so many kids. She was a foster mom to a sweet little girl named Heather. So full of life’s possibilities and Shirley Temple blonde curls. She shared her love of Jesus with the youth groups and vbs she founded at Emmanuel Lutheran Church. To thousands of kids who entered those doors she wasn’t Sue Freeman youth leader. She was “General Penguin” leader of an army of warriors in Christ. She wasn’t pushy and didn’t tell long winded sermons. She was always present, always there, always said yes, always hugged but asked first, and always had snacks. She basically built a Starbucks for kids to come hang at. She didn’t stop at church kids. Her home was always open, dinner always had an extra plate, and there was always room to crash on the couch if you needed a place. Many of her kid’s friends consider her their mom too. She was just that kind of person. She was like the tree in “The Giving Tree”, she gave everything for others without asking for anything in return, and she did it with a smile and a heart full of love. She was an amazing Aunt to her many nieces and nephews. She loved babysitting Kyle and Caitlin and seeing them grow. She loved watching Erin, Andrew, and Stephanie play at family reunions. Honestly she loved all of them for their individuality and spunk. But she had a special bond with Autumn and Amber, her brother Steve’s girls. She would always throw them a party called Christmas in July every summer. They talked constantly and always were there if she needed them. Our summer photos were always full of smiling cousins and too much iced tea. She was an amazing mother. If her kids were sick she never left their side. That’s saying a lot with a kid like Stephanie. If you total up all the days she spent in the hospital with Stephanie it’s more than two years. Never once did she spend the night at home to get some sleep. She never stopped taking her to all the doctors for all the tests, until she found the right doctor to fix her. She was an advocate for Tim in school and saw through the hyper kid who couldn’t stay on task. She knew he was brilliant just like her and bored learning stuff he already knew. Sue fought for high placement classes and class work which allowed Tim to learn in a way best fit for him. She supported his dreams no matter what they were, even when he wanted to grow up to be the Statue of Liberty. She just handed him a book and a flashlight, wrapped him in a green sheet, and told him to practice standing still. If you are a mom, you will see the true brilliance in that move. Sue didn’t stop momming when her kids became adults either. Both Tim and Stephanie graduated college with honors and she was right by their side. She was the first call when they met their partners. She was the first call when Stephanie lost hers. More then she loved the kids around her or her beloved Scot…she CHERISHED her grandchildren. Hudson came first, Stephanie and Matt had to tell her it was time to go home. After she had stayed a month to help and love him. If not she may have never left. She loved talking to him about his ever growing love of nature and crazy money making schemes. They spoke almost every night. Then came Gabriel. She loved his sense of rhythm and games he invented. He on more then one occasion built them a yarn maze that covered the house in “lasers”. The happiest time of her life was getting to care for Gabe while Amanda and Tim followed their dreams to become doctors. Caroline crashed the scene with dark hair and even darker eyes. Sue loved shopping with Caroline. They shared a love for thrift stores and stuffed animals. Sue loved that Caroline’s favorite stuffed friend was Tedetta, the bear Scot got Stephanie the day she was born. Last but not least came Spencer. Sharp as a tack. She loved that he constantly filled her walls with art like Stephanie used to. She especially loved the sound of his voice and the way he said her name. Always commenting that “he is the cutest little guy” even if he is not so little now. And of all the grandkids he looks the most like a Freeman. A little clone of Tim. She loved that. Aside from biological grandchildren she considered Natalie one too. A family friends daughter who was loved so much by all she became family. And all the babies of all the kids she helped raise through church, community, and friendships brought her joy and laughter in the form of stories, pictures, and stollen smells of their heads as she held them. Sue may not have become the English teacher she dreamed of, but she taught more kids about life then most teachers teach in their lifetime. Through all the illnesses, diseases, infections and amputations she never lost her love of life and dedication to a Christian principle. Never once did her convictions falter. Not once was a favor done expecting one in return and she very rarely said no, especially when it came to Stephanie’s ever changing hair colors, Listening to Tim’s countless new passions, or Scot’s love of collecting bottles and baseball cards. She just hard eyerolled and smiled, listened without naysaying, and dusted. In the end she went peacefully. Surrounded by her family in a room filled with love, prayers, leftovers, and happiness that she is now with Jesus. In heaven it’s Christmas in April and she is the guest of honor…but she is still not giving away the secret to her pasta sauce, the Heavenly Father, Son, and Holy Ghost will just have to stop by for a taste. We aren’t left alone here either. Sue once wrote a book for her kids when Scot and her went on a business trip. It involved a scavenger hunt. The final surprise was a paper heart. It read: Over Mountains High and Valleys Low, My Love For You Will Swiftly Flow. and Though We May Be Far Apart, My Love is Always in Your Heart. We will carry her with us always in spirit and love. Forever.

Sue is survived by her mother and best friend Lois, The best Husband ever Scot, Son Tim and Daughter in law Amanda, Daughter Stephanie, Grandkids Hudson, Gabe, Caroline, and Spencer, and way too many beloved family and friends to name. She is proceeded in death by her father Charlie, Brother Brady, her grandparents, Son in law Matt, Scot’s parents, again too many friends and family to mention all waiting for her when she got there…but Sue would say most of all she wants to meet the babies she never got to hold. They finally get to have fun with the best mom ever. There will be a Celebration of Life at 11am on Saturday May 20th at Emmanuel Lutheran Church (4865 Wilmington Pike Kettering, OH 45440), followed by a lunch and all are invited. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to:

Emmanuel Lutheran Church’s VBS

4865 Wilmington Pike

Kettering OH 45440