Snyder Community
Hale County, Texas

Mennonite Colony Families

Henry E. (1882-1955) and Lucy E. (Near) (1891-1963) Landis

(These are the basic facts I have for this family, listed here to help guide the research process. As photos, family stories, and other data are submitted, I hope to develop a narrative.)

    Henry E. Landis was one of the early recruiters for the Hale County Mennonite colony. He wrote at least two public letters from Plainview.  In one, H. E. [I'm inferring it's Henry] Landis reported on the agricultural conditions of the area and gave information about train schedules and fares to Plainview. He concluded with a personal note: "I am working at carpentering in Plainview and board at T. G. Nance's boardinghouse."¹  Another letter gave a report of the "evergreen" Sunday school and the development of the colony. "We now have possession  of about 5120 acres, almost in a solid block which is much to our advantage and largely due to the untiring efforts of our beloved brother P. B. Snyder."²

Henry's obituary - Gospel Herald Volume XLVIII Number 17 (April 26, 1955): page 407 or 408.

Lucy's obituary - Gospel Herald Volume LVI Number 31 (August 6, 1963): page 687.

    These two obituaries list four surviving children: Rhoda, Elizabeth, Milton D., and John C. 
    Rhoda, the firstborn, married a widower, Moses Stoltzfus on December 31, 1944. She survived him and is listed as a survivor in her brother John's 1994 obituary.
    Elizabeth N., born in the Snyder Community October 16, 1915, died unmarried in Waynesboro, PA, on July 30, 1974, aged 58. Obituary.
    Milton is listed as a surviving sibling in John C.'s 1994 obituary, but I don't know anything more about him.
    John C. married Mildred Witmer. He died on November 19, 1994. John's obituary lists his wife and two children (Linwood G. and Cleta F. Conrad) as survivors, along with siblings Milton and Rhoda Stoltzfus.

    Henry and Lucy also had two sons who died young.³ One was Leon Henry, listed in the 1920 census, when the family lived in the Snyder Community. His obituary says he was born December 31, 1916, but doesn't mention place of birth. Leon died of influenza at his home in Chambersburg, PA, January 22, 1931, at the age of 14.
    The other son was Paul N., whose obituary indicates he died January 8, 1929, at Chambersburg, PA, aged 7 years, 6 months, 26 days.

1920 Federal census - Precinct 1 (Part of), Hale County, Texas
    Henry E. - aged 37, born in Pennsylvania, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Maryland, farmer
    Lucy E. - aged 28, born in Kansas, father born in New York, mother born in Canada
    Rhoda L. - 7-year-old daughter, born in Texas
    Elizabeth M. - 4-3/12-year-old daughter, born in Texas
    Leon [?] H. - 3-year-old son, born in Texas

    living next door are Lucy's parents, Milton H. and Barbara Near
    Milton H. - aged 65
    Barbara - aged 66
    Martha L. - 38-year-old single daughter

Footnotes

1. H. E. Landis, "January 23, 1907, Plainview, Hale Co., Texas," Herald of Truth Vol. XLIV (Feb. 7, 1907): 54. 

2. Henry E. Landis, "Plainview, Texas, Dec. 29, 1908," Gospel Herald Vol.1 (January 16, 1909): 665. [as republished in Mennonite Historical Bulletin Vol. XXIV (January 1969): 3]

3. Thanks to web site visitor Gary Neuschwanger, who e-mailed me data on August 6, 2006.

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