- SPENCER SNYDER, deceased, was one of the honored pioneers
of this county, and a valued
- and worthy citizen. He was born in Pennsylvania, Nov. 14,
1811, and was the eldest of thirteen children born to John and
Sarah (BOWMAN) SNYDER, but only four of that once numerous family
are now living. Caroline, the second child who resides in New
York, married Stephen BENNETT, and to them were born five children,
three of whom are living; Lucy, now deceased, was the wife of
Joseph ENNIS, to whom were born eleven children, five yet living;
Sarah is the widow of Alfred BARKELY, by whom she had eight children;
Ira, who resides in Albany, N.Y., was married, his wife being
Miss Elizabeth SCOUTIN; Alfred F., who is a resident of Albany,
N.Y., married Sarah SCOUTIN, their union being blessed with seven
children, all of whom are living; Harriet, who lives in Pennsylvania,
wedded George KIMBALL.
- Our subject was reared to manhood in his native State, and
continued to make his home in the
- East until 1848, when he emigrated to Wisconsin, settling
on a farm on section 28, in the town of Center. The farm comprised
eighty acres of land, and to that he added another ten acres.
It was almost wholly unimproved, but in the course of time, the
land was all developed. After residing upon the farm for eight
years, he left Rock County in 1856, and went to Kansas, locating
near Hiawatha, but a six months' residence in that State convinced
him that he would rather make his home in this county, and returning
he took up his residence in Footville. For about three years
he conducted a hotel in that town and continued there to make
his home for the long period of thirty two years. On the 3d day
of November, 1837, Mr. SNYDER was united in the holy bonds of
matrimony with Miss Mary Margaret, a daughter of Nicholas and
Margaret (LYNN) SILVERTHORN. The family of which she was a member,
numbered twelve children, six of whom are living - Sarah, the
eldest, became the wife of Benjamin PLOTTS; John is now deceased,
leaving a widow whose maiden name was Catherine HANKSON, and
one child; Oliver, who resides in Iowa, married Anna KISHPAW,
and to them has been born fourteen children; Joseph, who is now
deceased, was the husband of James DOUGHERTY, by whom he had
one child; Mary Margaret, wife of our subject, was the fifth
of the family, and was born May 14, 1817; Louis, who wedded Berthena
STAILEY, is living in Patterson, Wis.; Daniel, who is engaged
in farming in the town of Center, Rock County, married Martha
HUSTON, and to them have been born a family of eleven children,
all yet living; Jehile, who is also engaged in farming in Center
Township, is the husband of Helen GOOCH, their union having been
blessed with five children, four of whom are living; Nicholas
Finley, who married Kate ROYAR, by whom he has seven children,
four living; is a resident farmer of Center Township; Lemuel
wedded Mary TROWER, and resides in Charlestown, Ill.; one child
died in infancy.
- The family circle of Mr. and Mrs. SNYDER was completed by
the birth of thirteen children, nine
- of whom are living - Sarah, born Jan. 24, 1838, died August,
2, 1841; John, born March 9, 1839, died on the 22nd day of March
following; J. L., born March 17, 1841, married Anna MASON, and
enlisted in the service of his country, receiving a wound while
in the army, from which he died at Washington, June 16, 1864;
Ira, born Aug. 29, 1842, was joined in wedlock with Sarah Jane
BROWN, by whom he had four children, and after her death Cena
LICK become his wife, five children having been born unto them.
He is now living with his family in Mower County, Minn.; Benjamin,
born Sept. 19, 1844, has two children by his marriage with Christiana
MOORE, both of whom are living, and makes his home in Union County,
Iowa; William, who was born June 25, 1846, and is a resident
of Mower County, Minn., was united in marriage with Rosetta FULLER,
and five children were born to them, but only three are now living;
Nicholas, born Sept. 22, 1847, is also living in Mower County,
and wedded Josephine BEGORE, by whom he has three children, all
yet living; Cynthia, born Oct. 7, 1849, is the wife of Samuel
WILCOX, a resident of St. Lawrence, Kan., and to them have been
born five children, but four have passed away; Andrew, born Feb..
10, 1851, is operating the home farm; Lemuel, born Jan. 28,1853,
died on the 8th day of February, 1864; Alfred, born Oct. 24,
1854, is engaged in the practice of medicine in Chicago, having
graduated from Rush Medical College, and has one child by his
marriage with Miss Laura BOOTH; George, born Aug. 20, 1858, was
educated in Whitewater, Wis., and is now teaching; Adda Janette,
who completes the family , was born on the 27th day of April,
1860, and is the wife of William CORY, a resident of Center Township,
by whom she has had three children, two yet living. Five sons
of the family were numbered among the boys in blue, and John
gave up his life in defense of the cause of freedom. Ira, Benjamin,
William and Nicholas enlisted in a Wisconsin regiment as musicians,
all with the exception of William remaining in the service for
four years, while he was numbered among the defenders of his
country for three years.
- Spencer SNYDER, the father of this family departed this life
Nov. 1, 1869. He was born,
- married and died in the month of November. His life was one
of industry, and an upright, honorable course marked all his
actions whether in business or social relations. On starting
out in life he was in limited circumstances, dependent upon his
own resources for a livelihood, but by hard labor, good management,
enterprise and the assistance of his estimable wife, who was
truly a helpmate to him, he gained a comfortable competence.
His death proved not alone a loss to his immediate family but
was mourned by many friends who held him in the highest regard.
He always took a deep interest in the welfare of the community
where he resided, was prominent in the promotion of its enterprises,
and in political sentiment, was a warm supporter of the democratic
party.
- Andrew SNYDER, who is now the owner of the old homestead,
is a leading farmer of Plymouth
- township, and is extensively engaged in the breeding of Durham
cattle, having carried on business in that line for about ten
years. Unlike his father, he is a staunch supporter of the Republican
party, having cast his first presidential vote for Rutherford
B. HAYES. Socially, he is a member of the Masonic Fraternity,
having belonged to Footville Lodge, No. 137, A.F. & A.M.
since 1882. His aged mother resides with him on the old homestead.
She is a devoted member of the Christian Church and is beloved
by all who know her.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 697-698.
-
- Courtesy of Carol H.
|