Grandma's Photo Album Page 31 - Snyder siblings and double first cousins!

All of these photos were taken in North Carolina.  The ones on the left were taken at the farm of my grandparents (Tom and Nora Snyder) in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, N.C.  Their farmhouse is in the bottom left photo.

 

Top left:  The five children of Tom and Nora Snyder who lived to adulthood.  From left to right, they are lined up youngest to oldest:

• Bette (living)
• Ralph Lewis Snyder (1932-1996)
• Kathy (living)
• Carrie Mae Snyder (1926-2001)
• James Neil Snyder (1922-1993) in his WWII Coast Guard uniform.  He made a career of the Coast Guard.

Right:  Carrie Mae Snyder (1926-2001).  I think this is her high school graduation in Millers Creek.

Bottom left:  Double first cousins and sisters!

Left to right: 

• Clara Louise Snyder (1930-1998)
• Betty (living)
• Kathy (living)
• Martha (living)
• Carrie Mae Snyder (1926-2001)

Clara and Martha are sisters.  Betty, Kathy, and Carrie are sisters,
In these two families, the fathers are brothers and the mothers are sisters.

Grandma's Photo Album page 30 - McLean's in Massachussetts and Snyders in Wilkes County, N.C.

Top left:  Archie McLean (1915-1997) and his mother, Florence Ann "Flora" Gillis McLean (about 1891 - 1951).  Flora was the mother of Kay (living) who married my mother's oldest brother.

Top right:  Carrie Snyder Disher (1926-2001), my mother.  I'm not sure if this was her high school or nursing school graduation picture.

Bottom left:  Another photo of Carrie, with her younger brother Ralph Lewis Snyder (1932-1996), on their parents' farm in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, North Carolina.

Bottom center:  Ardena Snyder Ogburn (living), my mother's first cousin, with her daughter Judy (living).

Bottom right:  Don't know who this is.

Grandma's Photo Album Page 29 - McNeils, Snyders, and more in Wilkes County

This page has lots of small pictures!  There is a free spot in the middle that does not appear to have ever had a photo on it (it didn't in 1981 when I sat down with my grandmother and noted all the names.)

Left to right on each row:
Top row (7 pictures):

1. John Richard Lawrence McNeil (1911-1974).  He was my grandmother's brother.  He moved to California around the time of World War II and lived in the San Francisco area until his death. 
2. Donald Vance Snyder (1903-1986), my grandfather's brother, with his daughter Clara Louise Snyder Church (1930-1998).
3. Ila Margaret McNeil Vannoy (1898-1983), my grandmother's oldest sister.
4. Wiley Thomas Snyder (1892-1988), my grandfather.
5. Unknown man.
6. Nell McNeil Dimmette (1877-1966), daughter of Rev. Milton McNeil.
7. Henry Paul Sebastian (1909-1987), my grandmother's brother-in-law (he married Mary Lougenie "Genie" McNeil).

Row 2:

1. The baby in the wicker chair is Ruth Mae Snyder Tomlinson (1920-1995), niece of my grandparents.
2. Possibly this is Jess Snyder, my grandfather's brother.  His full name was Russell Jess Snyder (1896-1984)
3. Isaac Ransom Vannoy (1894-1979), who married my grandmother's sister Ila McNeil.
4. Lacy Florence McNeil Vannoy (1902-1990), my grandmother's sister.
5. Lacy's husband, William Raynor "Bill" Vannoy (1898-1947).

Row 3:

1. The handsome young man wearing a suit with a large ribbon pinned to his lapel is Henry Daniel Jarvis (1884-1952), my grandmother's uncle, who lived in Utah and California.  He never married.
2. Mary Lougenie "Genie" McNeil Sebastian (1908-1966), my grandmother's sister.
3. Lacy again.

Row 4:

1. The lady in the photo which was cut so that only she is showing -- that's Sally Scott Snyder (1900-1970), wife of Jess Snyder, my grandfather's brother.
2. Tom (my grandfather) and an unknown man.
3. Unknown man.
4. Unknown baby.  This looks like the same wicker chair that Ruth is in (row 2).
5. An unknown man with Jess Snyder, my grandfather's brother.
6. Paul Sebastian again.
7. Edward McNeil (1916-1963), my grandmother's youngest brother.

Row 5:

1. Tom Snyder, my grandfather, in what appears to be a dual studio portrait.
2. Roby Brown Snyder (1887-1980), my grandfather's oldest brother.
3. Don Snyder again.
4. Toyce Etta McNeil Snyder (1905-1969), my grandmother's sister.
5. Aunt Alice, who is Mary Alice McNeil Bumgarner (1871-1949), my grandmother's aunt.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 28 - Steelman, McNeil, and other School Photos in Wilkes County, N.C.

School photos.  All of these children were raised in Wilkes County, N.C.  The photos were taken in the 1920s, 1930s, and early 1940s.  Top row, left to right:

Mildred Catherine Vannoy Steelman (1928-2005).  Called Cat or Catherine, she was the only child of William Raynor Vannoy and my grandmother's sister Lacy Florence McNeil Vannoy.  Cat was a biology teacher at R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, and she was my teacher!  Neither she nor I ever said anything.  She was a really good teacher.

Edward McNeil (1916-1963).  Ed was the youngest brother of my grandmother. Ed had a wonderful sense of humor and most photos show him smiling.

James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  Called Jimmy or Neil, he was the oldest surviving son of my grandparents, Wiley Thomas Snyder and Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder.  They had two sons who died as infants -- one older that Jimmy and one younger, so Jimmy was very much appreciated by his parents.  He joined the U.S. Coast Guard at the outbreak of WWII and made a career of it.  He married a woman who lived in Gloucester (Aunt Kay) and had a Gloucester accent.  You'd never know he was raised in the South!

The remaining people are living (Mozelle and Bette).

The blank spaces were blank in 1981 when I wrote down my grandmother's information.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 27 - Snyders and double first cousins

(Top left) My grandmother, Nora McNeil Snyder (1900-1992), looking fondly at her husband, Wiley Thomas "Tom" Snyder (1892-1988) on their farm in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, N.C.

(Top right)  On the left is my mother, Carrie Disher (1926-2001).  Neither my grandmother nor I recognize the other young ladies, so they were probably friends of my mother at Grace Hospital School of Nursing in Morganton, Burke County, N.C.

(Bottom left)  Snyder double first cousins!  Left to right:
Paul (living)
Bette (living)
Clara Louise Snyder Church (1930-1998)
Ralph Lewis Snyder (1932-1996)
Mozelle (living)

(Bottom right) Snyder sisters, left to right:
Bette (living)
Carrie Mae Snyder Disher (1926-2001)
Mozelle (living)

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 26 - Snyders and Wilkes County Scenes

(Top left)  The previous building of Pleasant Home Baptist Church in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, N.C.  This building was replaced by the current red brick building which was build in 1947-1948.  This church was founded in 1880.  Founding members included several of my ancestors.

My grandparents' farm was on the same road as the church, Pleasant Home Church Road.

(Top right)  Three siblings, left to right:

• Betty (alive)
• Ralph Lewis Snyder (1932-1996)
• Kathy (alive)

These siblings were the children of my grandparents, Wiley Thomas Snyder and Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder.  This photo was taken on the front porch of their farmhouse in Millers Creek.

(Bottom left)  Left to right:  my grandparents, Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992), Wiley Thomas Snyder (1892-1988), with their son James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  Neil served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 18 Sep 1939 to 11 Oct 1946.  (see note below)
 I don't whose car this was.  My grandfather only had 2 cars that I know of.  He had a 1924 Ford Model T two-seater with a cloth top.  He later got a 1928 Pontiac.  It was a four-door with dark grey shades in the back windows and rear window to pull down for the sun.

(Bottom right) I think this is my mother's car.  She had a light blue car in the 1950s.  I recognize the setting as her parents' farm in Millers Creek.

Note:  James Neil Snyder, Motor Machinist's Mate First Class, honorably discharged from the U.S. Coast Guard Personnel Separation Center Number Eleven on 11 October 1945; Honorable Discharge; United States Coast Guard; held in private collection of the author.  

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 25 - McLeans in Gloucester, Snyders in Wilkes County, N.C.

(Top left) Some McLean siblings in Gloucester, Mass.  Left to right: Kay, a brother, Caroline, a brother.  Kay and Caroline (both alive, so I'm not providing any details) had 5 brothers.  I'm not sure which brothers are pictured here.  Kay married James Neil Snyder (1922-1993), who served in the U.S. Coast Guard during WWII and settled in Gloucester.

(Top right) The five grown children of my grandparents, Wiley Thomas Snyder (1892-1988) and Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992).  Left to right: 

• James Neil Snyder (1922-1993)
• Carrie Mae Snyder (1926-2001)
• Ralph Lewis Snyder (1932-1996)
• Kathy (living)
• Bette (living)

They are pretending to golf in the field of their parents farm in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, N.C.  I think this photo was taken in the early 1950s.

(Bottom left)  Two McNeil sisters with some of their children.  These two sisters married Snyder brothers, so their children are double first cousins!

The two sisters are my grandmother, Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder and Mattie Lodemia "Demie" McNeil Snyder (1908-1992).  Nora married Wiley Thomas Snyder.  Demie married Donald Vance Snyder (1903-1986).

Left to right:  Kathy, Carrie, Demie, Ralph, Betty, Paul, Nora, Martha, Clara.

Nora's kids are Kathy, Carrie, Ralph, and Betty.  (Neil lived in Gloucester, so he was often missing from photos).

Demie had 3 kids, and they are all here.  Paul and Martha are both living.   Clara Louise Snyder Church (born 1930) died in 1998.

This photo was taken in front of my grandparent's farmhouse in Millers Creek, approximately 1950.

(Bottom right)  Tom and Nora with their five children, taken the same day as the top right photo.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 24 - Mozelle and Carrie Snyder

(Left) Mozelle Snyder.  Looks like her high school graduation photo.  Mozelle is living, so I'm not providing any details about her.

(Center)  This photo fell out recently.  It is a photo of the sailor's monument in Gloucester, Massachusetts.   I'll show the pictures that fell out in a later post.

(Right) Carrie Mae Snyder Disher (1926-2001), my mother. This photo was taken in front of her parent's farmhouse, on Pleasant Home Church Road, Millers Creek, Wilkes County, N.C.  It's hard to date it exactly.  I would guess it was taken in the 1940's.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 23 - Lacy, Ed, Toyce, and Genie McNeil, and Nick Snyder

(Left) Siblings Lacy and Ed McNeil:  Lacy Florence McNeil (1902-1990) and Edward McNeil (1916-1963).  Ed was the youngest child of George Thomas McNeil (1870-1930) and Clara Eva Hettie Ellen Jarvis McNeil (1873-1959). 

I can't tell who the woman in the background is, or where this photo was taken.

(Center) Nicholas Grindstaff Snyder (1863-1944).  I believe this photo was taken on the day of his wife's funeral in 1933.  This gravestone lookes like the gravestone of his parents:

• Noah Snyder (1826-1915)
• Sallie Stout Snyder (1827-1909)

This gravestone is in the cemetery at Reddies River Baptist Church, near Wilbar, in Wilkes County, N.C.

(Right) Sisters Toyce and Genie, daughters of G. Thomas and Clara Eva McNeil.  Toyce Etta McNeil (1905-1969) was their 4th child.  Genie's full name was Mary Lougenie McNeil (1908-1966).  Genie was a twin of Demie.

Nick's wife was Louise Jane Whittington Snyder (1863-1933).  Her funeral was on August 25, 1933.
Other photos of him on that day are on pages 13, 14, 16, and 17.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 22 - Vannoy baby, Grandma Wright, Tom Snyder, Mr. Elam

(Left) "Isaac's baby"  This photo is similar to the photo on page 21, where I have the details.  I believe this is Wiley Thomas Vannoy, who died at age 2 in 1924.

(Top center) "Grandma Wright, a neighbor in Millers Creek."  I have never heard of this lady!

(Top right)  Hard to see - looks like a photo of some horses or mules

(Bottom center)  A young Tom Snyder (my grandfather, Wiley Thomas Snyder, 1892-1988).  I love these candid snapshots that show people in their work clothes.

(Bottom right) The man on the left is a soldier friend of Tom's, Tom is in the center, Mr. Elam is on the right.  I have not been able to identify any Elams living in Wilkes County, N.C. in the 1920's or 1930's.  On page 21, there is a girl named Dorothy Elam, so I guess this Mr. Elam may be her father.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 21 - Dorothy Elam,, Issac Vannoy's baby, Tom and Neil Snyder

(Left) Dorothy Elam.  I have no idea who she is!  There are no Elam's in Wilkes County in 1920, 1930, and 1940.  On page 22, there's a photo with Mr. Elam, who I assume is related.

(Middle) This is Isaac Vannoy (1894-1979), who married my grandmother's sister, Ila McNeil, holding his baby son, who died as a child.  The son's name was Wiley Thomas Vannoy.  He was born on Christmas Day 1921.  He died of dysentery at age 2 1/2, on July 31, 1924.  (His death certificate says his name was Willie, but his tombstone says Wiley.)

Isaac and Ila also had two daughters:

1. Eula Mae Vannoy Sharpe (1920-1993)
2. Bettie Sue Vannoy (living)

(Right) My grandfather and his son Neil.  My grandfather was Wiley Thomas Snyder (1892-1988).  Neil's full name was James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  They are all dressed up!  This picture was probably taken in late 1922 or early 1923, when they were living in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Sources:

(1) Wilkes County , North Carolina, death certificate no. 281 (1924), Willie Thomas Vannoy; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, "North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975," Ancestry.com　(http://www.Ancestry.com : accessed 24 Jul 2011). 

Grandma's Photo Album Page 20 - Snyders and Bumgarners in Wilkes County, NC

(Left) The Greene Bumgarner Family, about 1923, probably taken in Wilkes County, N.C.

Greene's full name was Richard Greene Bumgarner (1890-1976), son of Daniel Bumgarner and Elizabeth Elvira McNeil.

 

His wife was Mary Snyder (1885-1984), oldest child and only daughter of Nicholas Grindstaff Snyder and Louise Jane Whittington.  Mary was very tall - almost 6 feet.

 

Greene and Mary had 2 children:

1. Agnes Hazel Bumgarner Douthit Fearrington (1919-2003)
2. Elva Elizabeth Bumgarner Golden (1924-2007)

Elva appears to be about 2 years old in this photo.

(Middle) Four Snyder Brothers, sons of Nick and Lou in the photo on the right.  I believe this photo was taken at Tom's homeplace in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, N.C., which he bought in 1925.

 

Left to right:

1. Roby Brown Snyder (1887-1980).
2. John B. Snyder (1894-1969).  John served in the U.S. Army in WWI.
3. Wiley Thomas "Tom" Snyder (1892-1988) in his WWI U.S. Army uniform.
4. Russell Jess Snyder (1896-1984).

Five of Nick and Lou's nine children appear in these photos.  The missing children are:

1. William Eugene "Willie" Snyder (1890-1969) lived in Winston-Salem, N.C., and worked for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
2. Donald Vance Snyder (1903-1986) lived in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, N.C. 
3. Dewey (1900-1906) died of appendicitis.
4. An unnamed son died at birth in 1905.

(Right) Nick and Lou, parents of the Snyder brothers in the middle photo and Mary Snyder Bumgarner in the left photo.

Nicholas Grindstaff Snyder (1863-1944) was the son of Noah Snider and Sarah "Sallie" Stout.
Louise Jane Whittington (1863-1933) was the daughter of Thomas C.B. Whittington and Elizabeth Jane "Kate" Faw.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 19 - Jenie Sebastian, Eula and Ila Vannoy, Tom and Neil Snyder

(Left) Mary Lougenie "Genie" McNeil Sebastian (1908-1966).  She looks young, so I'm guessing this photo was taken in the 1920's in Wilkes County, N.C.

Genie was my grandmother Nora's sister.  Genie was the twin sister of Mattie Lodemie "Demie" McNeil Snyder (1908-1997).  The twins married in a double ceremony on December 23, 1928.(1,2,3)  (Demie married Donald Vance Snyder (1903-1986), my grandfather's brother.)

Genie and Paul had 3 children.  Genie died at age 58 of cancer.(4)  I'm sure I met her, but I really don't remember her.

(Middle)  Eula Mae Vannoy Sharpe (1920-1993) and her mother, Ila Margaret McNeil Vannoy (1898-1983).  Eula was Ila and Isaac Vannoy's oldest child.  Ila was my grandmother's oldest sister.  Eula was born in August 1920, so this photo was probably taken in late 1920 or 1921.

(Right) My grandfather, Wiley Thomas Snyder, with his son James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  This photo was taken at Waughtown Cemetery, Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, N.C., about 1923.  They are at the grave of Tom's first child, Wiley Thomas Snyder, Jr. who died at the age of six weeks in 1921 (5).  See his Find-a-Grave memorial here.  Wiley was "found dead in bed." 


References: 
(1) Wilkes County, North Carolina, Marriage Registers, 1870-1965, 4: n.p., Sebastian-McNeil; NC
Archives microfilm C.104.63001.
(2) Wilkes County, North Carolina, Marriage Registers, 1870-1965, 4: n.p., Snyder-McNeil; NC Archives microfilm C.104.63001.
(3) Carrie Disher (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) to Barbara McGeachy, letter, 27 Dec 1999; privately held by McGeachy.
(4) Wilkes County, North Carolina, death certificate no. 31405 (1966), Mary Lougenie [McNeil] Sebastian; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, "North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975," Ancestry.com (http://www.Ancestry.com : accessed 15 Jun 2011). 
(5) Forsyth County,  North Carolina, death certificate no. 142 (1921), Wiley T. Snyder, Jr; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., "North Carolina Death Certificates 1909 - 1975," Ancestry.com　(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 01 Feb 2012).

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 18 - Rev. and Mrs. Eller, Tom & Nora Snyder, Nora's Brother Lawrence Bud Mac McNeill

(Top left) Dolphus Eller is seated on the left, with his wife behind him.  Tom Snyder is seated on the right, with his wife Nora behind him.  I believe this photo was taken in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, N.C., probably in the 1930s.

Tom and Nora were my grandparents.  They were Wiley Thomas Snyder (1892-1988) and Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992).  Dolphus was Rev. Adolphus Worth Eller (1898-1966).  Mrs. Eller was born Ethel Elnora Wells (1899-1979).  Dolphus was Nora's 2nd cousin.

It must be a Sunday, since Tom is wearing a dress shirt and slacks, instead of the overalls he wore Monday through Saturday for farm work.  My guess is that the Snyders invited the Ellers to Sunday dinner (right after church).  Actually, I just learned that this is a photo of the A.W. Eller homeplace, so maybe the Snyders went to lunch at the Ellers'.  Tom and Nora's daughter Carrie (my mother) said whenever they had guests, Nora fried chickens.  They gave the breast pieces to the guests, then the other adults chose the next best pieces, so the kids got the least favorite pieces (the neck being the worst).  Carrie always ordered fried chicken breast!

Dolphus and Ethel are buried in Arbor Grove Methodist Cemetery, whereas Tom and Nora were lifelong Baptists, so Dolphus wasn't their preacher, but was a neighbor and relative.

Dolphus and Ethel were the parents of the triplets, Billie J., Betty Jo, and Bobby Jean, whose sad story I told in this blog post.

(Top right) Tom and Nora with their 3 oldest surviving children.  Left to right: Tom, Mozelle, Carrie in front, Nora, Neil.

This photo was taken about 1931 (from the ages of the children) on Tom and Nora's farm in Millers Creek.  I recognize their barn in the background, along with the garage and chicken coop.

Along with Tom and Nora, Carrie Mae Snyder Disher (1926-2001) and James Neil Snyder (1922-1993) have passed on.

(Bottom left)  Photo taken on 25 Aug 1933 in Wilkes County, North Carolina, at the Reddies River Primitive Baptist Church (near Wilbar).  This is the grave of Louise Jane Whittington Snyder (1863-1933) on the day of her funeral.  She was Tom's mother.

(Bottom right) "Lawrence at the homeplace that burned."  This is Nora's brother John Richard Lawrence McNeil (1911-1974).  She called him Lawrence, but others called him Bud or Mac. Lawrence is wearing the overalls that Wilkes County men wore to do farm work.  I belied this phot was taken in the late 1920's (or early 1930's) in Wilkes County, N.C.

Lawrence led an interesting life.  Unlike most of my family, he left Wilkes County.  But before leaving, he married Alma Adelaide Adams (1910-1998) in 1929 and they had 3 children:

1. Billie Jeanette McNeil Millen (1930-2013)
2. Jewel Dean McNeil Brown (1933-2007)
3. Richard Jerry McNeil (1935-2012)

They were divorced in 1942.  Alma remained in Wilkes County with the kids, and Lawrence moved to California.  He lived in San Francisco the rest of his life, marrying two more times.  He changed the spelling of his last name to McNeill.

He married Vera Mae Wheeler Trahan (1916-1953) in 1944.  She was a divorcee from Texas with a son and daughter.   Lawrence married Esther Marie Cassady Stewart (1917-2000) in 1956.  He did not have any children with his second and third wives.

I don't remember the story of the burned homeplace.  Since Nora said it was the "homeplace," I believe it was the home of her parents, George Thomas McNeil (1870-1930) and Clara Eva Hettie Ellen Jarvis McNeil (1873-1959), in Millers Creek.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 17 - Tom Snyder family, Horse & buggy days, Nick Snyder 1933

(Top left) Tom and Nora Snyder's five children who lived beyond infancy.  Tom (Wiley Thomas Snyder 1892-1988) and Nora (Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder 1900-1992) were my grandparents. 

I'm sure Tom took this photo in front of their farm house in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, N.C.  Since the youngest is a baby, I'm guessing this photo was taken about 1935.  Nora is at the back, but you can only see her from the neck down! 

The kids in the back row are, left to right:

• James Neil Snyder (1922-1993), with his dog
• Carrie Mae Snyder Disher (1926-2001).  She is hold the baby.
• Mozelle Snyder (living)

In the front row, left to right:  Ralph Lewis Snyder (1932-1996) and the baby is Betty Snyder (living).

Carrie told me that about 1936, she was walking home from school when a neighbor lady called out:  "Carrie Mae, you better hurry on home!  Your mama and daddy got a big surprise waitin' for you!" 
Carrie's heart sank.  She walked home as slowly as she could because the last time the neighbor lady said that, there was a new baby at home that Carrie had to take care of.  But this time, the surprise was a radio!  What a wonderful treat!  All the neighbors came over to hear it.  Tom told the neighbors it didn't work at night, so they'd all go home and not hang around for supper!

(Top right) Tom would never let Nora drive a car, but she could drive a buggy!  Left to right:  Nora and her sisters Lacy McNeil Vannoy (1902-1990) and Ila McNeil Vannoy (1898-1983).  This photo was probably taken in Wilkes County, N.C. about 1920.

(Bottom left) This photo was missing in 1981 when my grandmother Nora told me who was in each photo.

(Bottom right) Another photo taken on the day of the funeral of my great-grandmother, Tom's mother, Louise Jane Whittington Snyder (1863-1933).  The funeral was August 25, 1933.  On the left is Granny Lou's son, Russell Jess Snyder (1896-1984), called Jess.  On the right is Louise's husband Nick (Nicholas Grindstaff Snyder 1863-1944). 

This photo was taken at Reddies River Primitive Baptist Church in Wilkes County, N.C.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 16 - Snyders, McNeils, and Ellers in Wilkes County, NC

(Upper left) Photo taken 25 Aug 1933 in Wilkes County, North Carolina, at the Reddies River Primitive Baptist Church (near Wilbar).  This is Nicholas Grindstaff Snyder (1863-1944) at the funeral of his wife, Louise Jane Whittington Snyder (1863-1933).

(Upper right) Photo taken about 1924.  This is Toyce Etta McNeil Snyder (1905-1969) and her nephew, James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  This photo was taken at the farm in Winston-Salem that Jimmy's parents (Tom and Nora, who was Toyce's sister) bought in 1924 and sold in 1925.  The car belonged to Tom Snyder - it was a 1924 Ford -- at least, that's what Nora, my grandmother, told me in 1981!

Toyce later married Tom's brother John Snyder.

(Lower left)  This is the Don Snyder family, about 1930.  This photo was taken in the front yard of my grandparent's farm in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, NC.
Donald Vance Snyder (1903-1986)
Mattie Lodemia "Demie" McNeil Snyder (1908-1997)
Clara Louise Snyder Church (1930-1998)

Don was grandfather's brother (my grandfather was Wiley Thomas "Tom" Snyder (1892-1988).)
Demie was my grandmother's sister (my grandmother was Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992).
So Clara was the double-first cousin of my mother and her siblings.

(Lower right)  The Eller twins with the three youngest children of Tom and Nora Snyder.  This photo was taken about 1940 in the front yard of my grandparents farmhouse the A.W. Eller homeplace in Millers Creek.
Left to right:  An Eller twin, Ralph Lewis Snyder (1932-1966), Kathy, Bette, Eller twin.

I believe these Eller twins are Betty Jo and Bobby Jean Eller, born 19 Aug 1930 in Wilkes County to Rev. Adolphus Worth Eller and Edith Wells Eller.  If so, these girls died on the same day -- 12 Apr 1962, in Morganton, Burke, North Carolina, at Broughton Hospital.  That was the state mental hospital for the western counties.  They were diagnosed with schizophrenia; cause of death undetermined after an autopsy.  They actually were triplets -- their brother Billie J. Eller was stillborn.  What tragedy this family suffered!


References:
Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1975 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Original data: North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics. North Carolina Death Certificates. Microfilm S.123. Rolls 19-242, 280, 313-682, 1040-1297. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Specifically:
Betty Jo Eller, died 12 Apr 1962, Morganton, Burke, N.C.  Death Certificate No. 13725.
Bobbie Jean Eller, died 12 Apr 1962, Morganton, Burke, N.C.  Death Certificate No. 13726.
Billie J. Eller, died 19 Aug 1930, Wilkes County, N.C.  Death Certificate No. 596.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 15 - Three Generations: James Neil Snyder, Wiley Thomas Snyder, and Louise Whittington Snyder

(Left)  James Neil Snyder (1922-1993), called Neil by his parents, and Jimmy by most other people.  He was a toddler, so I'm guessing this snapshot was taken about 1924.  He and his parents, Tom and Nora Snyder, were living in Winston-Salem at this time (until they moved to Wilkes County in 1925).  Jimmy grew up and joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939 and made a career of it.

(Middle)  Wiley Thomas "Tom" Snyder (1892-1988) and his mother, Louise Jane Whittington Snyder (1863-1933).  They were both born and died in Wilkes County, N.C.  Tom was about 5'8" tall, and Granny Lou was 4'9".  Tom is very dressed up with a bow tie and a fancy hat, with his pocket watch.

This photo is difficult to date.  Tom was drafted and served in the U.S. Army from September 1917 to March 1919.  Then he got married in April 1919.  I cannot see a wedding ring on his left hand.  He was wounded and lost weight during the war, so I don't think the photo was taken in March/April 1919.  I think this photo was taken before his Army induction in September 1917, but I cannot date it more specifically.

(Right) Photo was missing in 1981 when I interviewed my grandmother and wrote down all the names. 

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 14 - Mabel Nichols Miller, Nick Snyder

(Left) Mabel Nichols Miller.  Mabel lived to be 100 years old!  This photo probably taken in the 1920's.  She was born Beulah Mabel Nichols on 6 Mar 1901 in Wilkes County, NC.  She married Thurman Miller about 1920.  Mabel died 14 May 2001 in Ashe County, NC.(1) (2)  Mabel was a cousin of my grandmother, Nora Snyder, who owned this album.

(Middle)  This picture fell out -- I'll list all of these at the end of my posts on specific pages.

(Right) My great-grandfather, Nicholas Grindstaff Snyder (1863-1944) at the cemetery of Reddies River Primitive Baptist Church in Wilkes County, NC.  He's at the grave of his wife, Louise Jane Whittington Snyder, on the day of her funeral, 25 Aug 1933.  They were married 49 years, and had nine children.



(1)  Beulah Mabel Miller (1901-2001), Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Death Collection, 1908-2004 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.

(2) Thurman Greene Miller (1891-1969), Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1975 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.

Grandma's Photo Album Page 13 - Snyders and McNeils

Top left:  William Eugene "Will" Snyder (1890-1969) and his father, Nicholas Grindstaff "Nick" Snyder (1863-1944).  This photo was taken in the Reddies River Primitive Baptist Church graveyard, on the day of the funeral of Louise Jane Whittington Snyder (1863-1933).  She died August 23, and was buried August 25, 1933. (Note 1)  Nick and Lou were married 39 years.  They lived in Wilkes County, NC, all of their lives.

Top right:  This is the farm and house that Tom and Nora Snyder (parents of Neil in bottom left photo) bought near Winston-Salem in 1924. (Note 2)  The woman on the porch may be Nora.  They sold the house in 1925 to Mr. Bowles. (Note 3)

Bottom left: James Neil Snyder (1922-1993), son of Wiley Thomas "Tom" Snyder (1892-1988) and Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992). 

Bottom right:  Ila Margaret McNeil Vannoy (1898-1983), her husband Isaac Ransom Vannoy (1894-1979) and their oldest daughter, Eula May Vannoy Sharpe (1920-1993).  Ila was Nora's sister.

Notes:

1. Wilkes County, North Carolina, death certificate no. 131 (1933), Louise Snyder; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., "North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975," Ancestry.com　(http://www.Ancestry.com : accessed 04 Jul 2011).
2. Forsyth County, North Carolina, deeds, 1849-1927, 230: 226, J.P. Simmons and wife to W.T. Snyder and wife, 30 Apr 1924; microfilm C.038.40099.
3. Forsyth County, North Carolina, deeds, 1849-1927, 243: 253, W.T. Snyder and wife to J.F. Bowles, 6 Apr 1925; microfilm C.038.40104.

Grandma's Photo Album Page 12 - Louise Snyder, Isaac Vannoy, Neil & Nora Snyder

The three adults on this page all lost young children.  Infant mortality was very high until the mid to late 20th century.  This infographic "In Four Coffins" dramatically shows the numbers.  North Carolinians who died Jan. 1 to Aug. 1, 1918:

• 94 killed in France (WWI)
• 172 died from typhoid
• 2,071 died from tuberculosis
• 6,077 children under two years who died from all causes

Left:  Louise Jane "Lou" Whittington Snyder (1863-1933).  This photo was probably taken on her front porch in Wilkes County, NC.  According to her granddaughter Carrie Snyder (1926-2001), Granny Lou always wore a dress up to her neck, with long sleeves.  Lou lost an infant son in 1905.  See his Find-A-Grave memorial here.  [There is no death certificate for this infant because North Carolina didn't start death certificates until 1913.]

Middle:  Isaac Ransom Vannoy (1894-1979) with his infant son Wiley Thomas Vannoy (1921-1924).  Little Wiley died of dysentery at age 2 1/2  (note 1). See his Find-A-Grave memorial here.

Right:  Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992) with her son James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  This photo was taken at Waughtown Cemetery, Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, NC.  They are at the grave of Nora's first child, Wiley Thomas Snyder, Jr. who died at the age of six weeks in 1921 (note 2).  See his Find-a-Grave memorial here.  Wiley was "found dead in bed."  Nora really bonded with him and mourned him the rest of her long life, even though she had other children.

Notes:

1. Wilkes County, North Carolina, death certificate no. 281 (1924), Willie Thomas Vannoy; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, "North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975," Ancestry.com　(http://www.Ancestry.com : accessed 24 Jul 2011).
2. Forsyth County,  North Carolina, death certificate no. 142 (1921), Wiley T. Snyder, Jr; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., "North Carolina Death Certificates 1909 - 1975," Ancestry.com　(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 01 Feb 2012).

Grandma's Photo Album Page 11 - The Three Mothers of Double First Cousins (Demie, Toyce, and Nora McNeil)

On one page, we have the three McNeil sisters who married three Snyder brothers!  The three sisters were daughters of George Thomas "Tom Pick" McNeil (1870-1930) and Clara Eva Hettie Ellen Jarvis (1873-1959).  Tom Pick and Eva had eight children -- six girls first, then two boys.

Left:  Mattie Lodemia "Demie" McNeil (1908-1997).  She looks like a teenager here, so I'm guessing this photo was taken in the 1920's in Wilkes County, NC.  Demie married Donald Vance Snyder(1903-1986) two days before Christmas 1928, in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, NC.  Demie and Don had three children: 

1. Clara Louise (1930-1998)
2. Red
3. Martha 

[I only give dates for deceased people]

Middle:  Toyce Etta McNeil (1905-1969), with Nora Bessie McNeil (1900-1992) and Nora's son, James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  They are all dressed up in their Sunday finest!  Since Neil is a toddler, I'm guessing this photo was taken in 1923 or 1924.  Toyce married John B. Snyder (1894-1969) in 1930 in Millers Creek.  Toyce and John had one child, Dorothy.

Nora married Wiley Thomas "Tom" Snyder (1892-1988) in 1919 in Millers Creek.  They had seven children, but only five survived to adulthood:

1. James Neil (1922-1993)
2. Carrie Mae (1926-2001)
3. Mozelle
4. Ralph Lewis (1932-1996)
5. Bette

So these nine children are double first cousins.

Right:  Toyce.

Grandma's Photo Album Page 10 - Tom, Neil, and Nora Snyder, plus Tom and Eva McNeil

Left:  Tom Snyder (1892-1988) with his son James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  This photo was probably taken about 1923 in Winston-Salem, NC, where the family lived from 1919 to 1925.

Center:  Nora McNeil Snyder (1900-1992) showing her looong hair!  It's hard to say when and where this photo was taken.  She looks pretty young, but not as thin as she was before she started having children, so I'd guess this photo was taken in the 1920's, either in Wilkes County or Winston-Salem.

Right: Nora's parents, George Thomas "Tom Pick" McNeil (1870-1930) and Clara Eva Hettie Ellen Jarvis McNeil (1873-1959).  This photo was probably taken at their homeplace in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, NC.

Grandma's Photo Album Page 9 - Eula May Vannoy, Betty Sue Vannoy, James Neil Snyder, Carrie Mae Snyder, in Wilkes County, NC

Top Left:  (Left to right) Eula May Vannoy (1920-1993) and her sister Betty Sue Vannoy with their first cousins James Neil Snyder (1922-1993) and his sister Carrie Mae Snyder (1926-2001).  Eula May and Betty Sue were the daughters of Isaac Vannoy (1894-1979) and his wife Ila McNeil Vannoy (1898-1983).

James and Carrie were the children of Tom Snyder (1892-1988) and his wife, Nora McNeil Snyder (1900-1992).  Ila and Nora were sisters, so their children are first cousins (but not double first cousins).  They all lived in Wilkes County at this time.

This photo was taken about 1928.  Tom and Nora owned the farmhouse in the lower right photo.  Tom owned a car, a 1924 Model-T Ford 2 seater black with cloth top.  The building or shed in the back left of the photo could be their garage or another outbuilding that was near the home.

Top Right:  This looks like the same baby -- Betty Sue Vannoy.

Lower Left:  In my notes from going through this album with my grandmother (Nora), this house is noted as their farmhouse, but it's clearly not.  Their farmhouse in in the lower right photo, and has 2 brick chimneys.  So I'm not sure which house is in the lower left.  I think this might be the home of Nora's mother, Clara Eva Jarvis McNeil (1873-1959), which was was also in Millers Creek.  This would be the back yard of that home.
 
Lower Right:  This is Tom and Nora Snyder's homeplace, on their farm on Pleasant Home Church Road, Millers Creek, Wilkes County, NC.  They bought this 86-acre farm in 1925.

Grandma's Photo Album Page 8 - Ralph, Betty, Mozelle, Nora, and James Neil Snyder

Left:  Ralph Snyder (1932-1996) with his sisters Bette and Mozelle in the front yard of their family homeplace, on Pleasant Home Church Road, in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, NC.  This snapshot was taken about 1935.  (Note: Bette and Mozelle are living, so I don't give their birth dates.)

Right:  Nora McNeil Snyder (1900-1992) with her son James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  Neil looks to be about a year old or less, so this photo was probably taken about 1923.  This photo was probably taken in Winston-Salem, where Nora and her husband Tom lived from their marriage in 1919 until 1925 when they moved back to Wilkes County.

Nora looks rather sad in this photo.  Neil is the only one of her first three children to live to adulthood.  She lost her first son, Wiley Thomas Snyder, Jr. at six weeks of age.  He was born January 19, 1921, in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, NC.  He died on March 6.  His death certificate says he was "found dead in bed."  Today, we'd call this SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  Nora really bonded with him and mourned him the rest of her life.

In 1924, she lost her 3rd child, Herman Thomas Snyder, who only lived one day.  He was born June 3 and died June 4.  He was premature. 

Both of these sons are buried in Waughtown Cemetery, Winston-Salem.  Their memorials are on Find-A-Grave:  Wiley Jr. and Herman.

Grandma's Photo Album Page 7 - Tom Snyder, old Pleasant Home Baptist Church, Lacy & Bill Vannoy in 1923

Left:  Wiley Thomas Snyder (1892-1988) all spiffed up in his Sunday best.

Center:  The old Pleasant Home Baptist Church, Millers Creek, Wilkes County, NC.

Right:  Lacy Florence McNeil Vannoy (1902-1990) and her husband William Raynor "Bill" Vannoy (1898-1947), probably in Wilkes County.   Lacy and Bill were married January 7, 1923, so they were newlyweds in this photo.  Lacy was my grandmother's sister.

All three people are buried in the cemetery at Pleasant Home Baptist Church.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 6 - Eva Jarvis McNeil and her twin daughters, Jenie & Demie

These photos were almost certainly taken in Wilkes County, N.C.  They are the sisters and mother of the owner of this album, my grandmother, Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992).

Left:  Mary Lougenia McNeil Sebastian (1908-1966), called "Jenie."  Jenie married Paul Sebastian and had three children, two daughters and a son.

Center:  Jenie's twin sister, Mattie Lodemia McNeil Snyder (1908-1997), called "Demie."  Demie also had two daughters and a son.  Demie married a Snyder brother (Don).  Demie's sisters Nora and Toyce also married Snyder brothers (Tom and John).  So the children of these three sisters are double first cousins.

Right:  Clara Eva Hettie Ellen Jarvis McNeil (1873-1959), called "Eva."  She and her husband, George Thomas McNeil (1870-1930), called "Tom Pick," had 8 children. They had six daughters, then two sons.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 5 - Eva Jarvis McNeil, Nora McNeil Snyder, and Toyce McNeil Snyder

Left:  Clara Eva Hettie Ellen Jarvis McNeil (1873-1959), probably on the porch of her home in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, North Carolina.  "Eva" was the mother of Nora and Toyce.

Center:  Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992).  Nora was my grandmother.

Right:  Sisters having a chat:  Nora and Toyce Etta McNeil Snyder (1905-1969), in Moravian Cemetery (Old Salem) in Winston-Salem, N.C.  Nora and Toyce married brothers Tom and John Snyder, so their children were double first cousins.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 4 - Dorothy Elam, Toyce McNeil Snyder, Demie McNeil Snyder, and Genie McNeil Sebastian

Left:  Neighbor, Dorothy Elam, in Winston-Salem, N.C.  Tom (Wiley Thomas Snyder, 1892-1988) and his wife Nora McNeil Snyder (1900-1992) lived at 721 Devonshire St. Winston-Salem from 1919 until 1924.  In the 1920 census, Dorothy is 8 years old, and living at 717 Devonshire.   (Note that Devonshire Street was later renumbered.)

Middle:  Nora's sister, Toyce Etta McNeil Snyder (1905-1969), at the Reynolds Memorial in Winston-Salem.  This photo appears to have been taken about 1923, based on the other photos of Reynolds Memorial.  Toyce married Tom's brother, John B. Snyder (1894-1969) in 1930.  So the children of Tom and Nora, and the children of Toyce and John, are double first cousins.

Right:  Nora's twin sisters (fraternal):
Seated is Mattie Lodemia McNeil Snyder (1905-1997).  She was called "Demie".  She married Tom's brother, Donald Vance Snyder (1903-1986), so their children are double first cousins to the children of Tom and Nora, and to the children of Toyce and John.
Genie was Mary Logenia McNeil Sebastian (1905-1966).

Bonus pic in honor of Squirrel Week - Pet squirrel, about 1906

The N.G. Snyder family, Wilkes County, N.C., about 1906

 

Nicholas Grindstaff Snyder (1863-1944) and wife, Louise Jane Whittington Snyder (1863-1933), had nine children - one daughter and eight sons.  Two of the sons died young -- Dewey (1900-1906) died of appendicitis.  Another son was unnamed and died the day he was born (20 Sep 1905).  The remaining seven children out-lived their parents.

The photo above was taken about 1906, based on the age of the youngest child, Donald Vance Snyder, born 25 Sep 1903 (died 1986).  Don is sitting on his father's lap in the front row.  Louise is seated next to her husband.  At the right on the front row is John B. Snyder (1894-1969).

The back row has:

• a neighbor lady with her baby
• Wiley Thomas "Tom" Snyder (1892-1988) - my grandfather
• William Eugene Snyder (1890-1969), with his pet squirrel on his shoulder
• Roby Brown Snyder (1887-1980)
• Mary Snyder (1885-1984)

Another squirrel story -- when Louise Snyder died, she had squirrel stew on the stove.

Squirrels are quite versatile!

Grandma's photo album - page 3 - Nora and Neil, Tom in uniform, Eva McNeil

Left:  Nora McNeil Snyder (1900-1992) holding her son, James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  Nora (Grandma) told me that this photo was taken at the Reynolds Memorial in Waughtown Cemetery, in Winston-Salem, N.C.  However, I cannot find this memorial today on-line, so maybe it's gone?  This photo was taken about 1923 or 1924.  I'm glad Grandma is smiling - she seems happy with her son.

Center:  Wiley Thomas "Tom" Snyder (1892-1988) in his U.S. Army uniform, in World War I. He was stationed at Camp Jackson, near Columbia, S.C. from September 1917 until May 1918, when his company was sent to Camp Sevier, near Greenville, S.C.  Tom was in Company D, 321st infantry, 81st division (the "Wildcats"). (1) 

Right:  Nora's mother, Clara Eva Hettie Ellen Jarvis McNeil (1873-1959).  There are three ghostly girls beside her.  I wonder who they are?  (I think this picture was a double exposure.)

Three of Eva's daughters -- Nora, Toyce Etta McNeil (1905-1969), and Mattie Lodemia "Demie" McNeil (1908-1997) -- married three Snyder brothers.  Respectively, the husbands were Tom, John B. Snyder (1894-1969), and Donald Vance Snyder (1903-1986).  All of these couples had at least one child, and these children are double-first cousins.

(1) Adjutant General World War I Cards, microfilm publication Army and Marine Corps Series (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service, 1987 - 1988), roll S.1.120.37, Wiley T. Snyder card.

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 2 - Millers Creek homeplace and Winston-Salem grave of two children

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 2

Left photo is W.T. and Nora Snyder's farmhouse in the Millers Creek community, Wilkes County, N.C.  W.T. and Nora bought this farmhouse, along with 86 acres of land, on April 28, 1925, from Mrs. & Mrs. A.A. Bumgarner.(1)  The house was later painted white.

Center photo is Nora and one of her children.  I can't tell if this is Neil (1922-1993) or Carrie (1926-2001).  This photo was taken on their farm in Millers Creek -- I recognize the barn at the back left.

Right photo is Nora with her son Neil about 1923.  They are standing at the grave monuement of W.T. and Nora's first child, Wiley Thomas Snyder, Jr.  Wiley Jr. was born on January 19, 1921 when the family lived in Winston-Salem.  He died at only six and a half weeks old (March 6, 1921).  He was "found dead in bed."(2)  Nora mourned his loss the rest of her life, but kept going.  They erected a nice monument to Wiley Jr., in the Waughtown Cemetery in Winston-Salem, and I have several photos of the family visiting the grave.


References:
(1) Wilkes County, North Carolina, deeds 1925-1927, 141: 63, A.A. Bumgarner and wife to W.T. Snyder and wife, 28 Apr 1925; microfilm C.104.40070.
(2) Forsyth County, North Carolina, death certificate no. 142 (1921), Wiley T. Snyder, Jr; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., "North Carolina Death Certificates 1909 - 1975," Ancestry.com　(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 01 Feb 2012).

Grandma's Photo Album - page 1 - Paul Snyder, Ralph Snyder, George Bumgarner, and others

My grandmother, Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992) had this old black photo album.  I sat down with her one day in 1981 and took notes as she told me who was in every picture. 

All of the photos on page 1 were taken in Millers Creek, Wilkes County, North Carolina, about 1947.  The farmhouse belonged to my grandparents, Wiley Thomas Snyder (1892-1988) and Nora, his wife.  I list the birth and death years for all deceased people.  All people without dates are alive as of this post, as far as I know.

Top left photo, left to right:  Paul Snyder, George Bumgarner, and Ralph Snyder (1932-1996).  Ralph was my uncle, the son of Wiley Thomas and Nora Snyder.  Paul and Ralph are double-first cousins.  I'm not sure who George was.  Uncle Ralph had a wonderful sense of humor.

Top right photo:  Ralph and Paul Snyder

Bottom left photo:  Snyders outstanding in their field:  Jimmy (Neil) Snyder (1922-1993), his wife Kay, Ralph (1932-1996), Mozelle, and Bette.  Jimmy, Ralph, Mozelle, and Bette are siblings.

Bottom right photo:  Paul and Ralph Snyder.  The old garage is behind them.

The old homeplace in Millers Creek, NC

This home belonged to my grandparents, Wiley Thomas Snyder (1892-1988) and Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992).  They bought it in 1925.  It was the gathering place for all their children and grandchildren. 

We'd sit on the front porch and wave to anyone who drove by, on Pleasant Home Church Road. 

Fun times!

What are double first cousins?

Double first cousins are the children of siblings from one family who marry siblings from another family.  Their children are double first cousins.  Like siblings, they have the same four grandparents. (In North Carolina, first cousins can marry, but double first cousins cannot marry.)

Since my family lived many generations in a rural county (Wilkes County, N.C.), there were not a lot of choices for mates, so there are several examples of double first cousins.

 

For example, Mary Snyder (1885-1984) married Richard Greene Bumgarner (1890-1976), called "Greene".  They had two children: 

1. Agnes Hazel Bumgarner (1919-2003) (called "Hazel")
2. Elva Elizabeth Bumgarner (1921-2009).

Mary's brother, Roby Brown Snyder (1887-1980) married Richard's sister, Maggie Octavie Bumgarner (1892-1963). Roby and Maggie had four children:

1. Benjamin Franklin Snyder (1913-2003) (called "Ben")
2. Sadie Belle Snyder (1916-2008)
3. John Wilson Snyder (1923-2005)
4. Shade Gordon Snyder (1925-2002) (called "Gordon")

So Hazel and Ben are double-first cousins.

Welcome to my blog!

I created this blog to share stories and information about my ancestors from Wilkes County, North Carolina.  My mother, grandmother, and other relatives shared many family stories with me.  As I recall these stories, I will share my journey to find the truth.

Family names include McNeil, Snyder, Whittington, Jarvis, Nichols, Pardue, Padgett, Stout, Faw, Lenderman.

If you're related, I'd love to hear from you!