Samuel Lee Freitag

1949 - 2014

Samuel Lee Freitag, 65, of South Jacksonville died Saturday, September 27, 2014, at his home.

He was born January 22, 1949, in Jacksonville, the son of Paul Leroy and Ula Loughary Freitag.

He is survived by four children, Scott Freitag (wife, Tammy) of Layton, Utah, Jeff Freitag (wife, Beth) of Wind Lake, Wisconsin, Jennifer Freitag (fiancé, John Akers) of St. Louis, Missouri, and Andrew Freitag (wife, Chen) of Davenport, Iowa; 11 grandchildren; a brother, Eric Freitag (wife, Kay) of Jacksonville; a sister, Betty Deaton (husband, Bill) of Oswego; and his former wife and mother of his children, Lynda Gray Drake (husband, Paul) of Jacksonville. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Sam was a 1967 graduate of Jacksonville High School and attended Springfield College in Illinois. He served with the U.S. Navy from 1969 to 1975. He was the inventor of a medical device that he manufactured for medical supply firms through his California company, Accura-Med. He later was a self-employed contractor in the Lake Tahoe area prior to his return to the Jacksonville area, where he was a commercial contractor and tile setter. He later worked in the water treatment field in the Bloomington area and for Long's Medical Supply of Jacksonville. In his retirement, he enjoyed teaming with his daughter as a Realtor for EXIT Elite Realty in St. Louis.

Sam enjoyed playing pool with friends and snow skiing. He was a gifted carpenter and craftsman who took pride in his work and the homes he constructed for his family.

Funeral services will be at noon Wednesday at Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Jacksonville with burial and military honors at Memorial Lawn Cemetery, south of Jacksonville. The family will meet friends at the funeral home from 11 a.m. Wednesday until the time of services. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts are suggested to the Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.buchanancody.com.