SYDNEY ANNE JONES
Born: Tuesday, March 22, 1988
Died: Thursday, February 4, 2010
Age: 21 years, 10 months, 12 days

ROSARY FOLLOWED BY LITURGICAL WAKE SERVICE
7:00 PM Sunday, February 7, 2010
St. Lambert Catholic Church
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL
11:00 AM Monday, February 8, 2010
St. Lambert Catholic Church, 1000 S. Bahnson Avenue
Sioux Falls, South Dakora

INTERMENT
St. Michael Cemetery
Sioux Falls, SD

Sydney Anne Jones, age 21, beloved daughter, sister, aunt, niece, granddaughter, cousin, Godmother, Confirmation Sponsor, and friend, died of complications from a massive heart attack at Creighton University Medical Center on February 4, 2010. Significant dates and events of Sydney’s life included: She was born on March 22, 1988 to Troy and Mary Jones in Pierre, South Dakota. She was brought into the Christian family at her Baptism on May 14, 1988 at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church by Father Thomas Heck. Shortly after her first Sacrament of Penance, she received her First Holy Communion on April 7, 1996 at St. Lambert Catholic Church from Father Donald Kettler. Sydney tearfully graduated 6th grade from St. Lambert Elementary School in 2000. She confirmed her dedication to her Lord and Faith at her Confirmation on February 20, 2005 at St. Lambert’s by her Pastor Father Mark Lichter. As a 10 year-old Sydney flew by herself to New York City to visit her sister, Becky. In the summer of 2002 she went on a “girl’s trip” to New York with Mom, Grandma Coleta, Aunt Kendall, and her Cousin, Brianne. In the summer of 2004 she went on a Christian pilgrimage to Rome and joined one million other Catholic young people for World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany. In the winter of 2006 she served as a legislative page. Sydney graduated from O’Gorman High School, again in tears, in 2006. She entered her beloved Creighton University in September, 2006. In January of 2008 she went to Washington, D.C. for the National March for Life. In January of 2010 she went to New York City with her fellow business students where she violated every luggage rule possible. Sydney will graduate from Creighton University on May 15, 2010.

Sydney loved to travel on family vacations that included Cabo Mexico, Disney World, Disneyland, and Washington, D.C., jaunts to see her friends at various colleges, ski trips to Colorado, pheasant hunting, Tennessee to see cousins, Arizona to see Grandma and Grandpa, her cousin’s fashion shows, this last Thanksgiving to Milwaukee with Miriam’s family, and sporting events in Kansas City with the Grebles.

But these are insufficient to justify what became a nation-wide prayer chain for Sydney to be healed and only give a glimpse of the depth and goodness of Sydney. She would use her study hall and lunch period to exceed required Christian Service hours at Children’s Care just because she loved “her kids.” One of her first acts as an adult and college student was to join Big Brothers/Big Sisters and mentor a young elementary girl. Sydney coordinated the painting of a mural at the “computer center” and repair/maintence of the computers at Precious Memories Day Care. She participated in Life Prayer Chains at O’Gorman and Creighton. Because she desired a car at an early age, she began saving for a car by collecting aluminum cans and babysitting. Shortly after her fourteenth birthday, she went to the bank showing her regular babysitting revenue as sufficient to pay off the note and borrowed the difference so she could buy “Fonda” from her cousin, Brianne. She paid off her bank loan early from her jobs at HyVee and Minnehaha Country Club. She cared for that car as if it was a new Porsche. She had a special enthusiasm for every family get-together whether it be immediate or extended. She couldn’t wait to get there; she didn’t want them to end, and to keep people from going to bed she proposed “one more game of Frustration.” Her siblings were her most intimate friends and confidantes and she, theirs. She loved her nephews and niece as if they were her own children. She loved when they visited her at school, stayed in her apartment, rode in her “blue car blue car” or she just hung out with them. Sydney gave back more than she was given. To be her friend, she asked much but gave more. She called her older sister for advice. When Sydney left for college and especially when McKenzie went to college, Sydney became protective of McKenzie with advice on what to do and what not to do. She didn’t like advice from her parents but loved giving it to her younger sister.

Sydney is survived by her parents, Troy and Mary, siblings Becky (Damian Greble), Steven (Amy Hamberger) and McKenzie, nephews Noah & Zachariah Greble and Jonah and Eli Hamberger, niece and Goddaughter Ella Greble, grandparents Coleta and Royal Koch, uncles Mark Kelley (Jacquie), Mike Kelley (Jo), Romney Jones (Susan), and Trevor Jones (Wendy), aunts Kendall Jones (Jeff), Pat Flett (Steve), and Cathy Winckler (Tom), 18 cousins, several step-aunts, uncles and cousins and a large extended family who Sydney loved deeply.

Sydney was preceded in death by her Grandmother Alverna Auch, Grandfathers William Kelley and Troy Jones, and Cousin Jodi Beringer Larabee.

Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:00 AM on Monday, February 8, 2010 at St. Lambert Catholic Church, 1000 S. Bahnson Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD. Visitation will begin at 5:00 PM on Sunday at St. Lambert’s with a Liturgical Wake Service and Rosary beginning at 7:00 PM. The family is requesting that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to the: Sydney Anne Jones Memorial Fund, Catholic Foundation of Eastern South Dakota 523 N Duluth Avenue Sioux Falls, SD 57104.