Snyder Community
Hale County, Texas
Site Information
About the Photos
The photos used on this web site have been watermarked to discourage folks from using them for other purposes. In the case of the few contemporary photographs, a copyright notice indicates the photographer. For historical photographs, I don't usually know who took each photo, especially since I have found copies of some pictures in two or more collections. When I give a photo credit, it is for the person who submitted the photo. If a photo was located in more than one collection, I selected one for publication here, but I may indicate where other copies are. All photos are used on this web site with the permission of someone who owns the photo, except for photos from publicly accessible archives.
Some of these photos have been published before in print media, usually from the same collections I used. However, I am unaware of any being used on other web sites.
Identification of subjects and locations in these photos is tentative. Sometimes there were notations on the backs of the photos, but even then I don't know who wrote the notes or when they were written. At other times, interviewed people provided identification, relying on their memories of the subjects. In any case, I would welcome comments from web site visitors who can shed light on any of the pictures.
Photos have been scanned from the following personal collections:
The Orville A. and (Lydia) Ellen Hartzler Snyder Collection - Orville (1888-1970) and Ellen (1891-1944) were my paternal grandparents, who met and married in the Snyder Community. In 2006, sons Lester and Floyd donated most of their parents' photos to the Mennonite Church USA Archives-Goshen at Goshen, IN. Orville was the second child of Peter B. and Ida Grabill Snyder; Ellen was the second child of Joseph K. and Mary Gingerich Hartzler.
The Susie Snyder Hoover Collection - Betty and Lucille each submitted some photos which had belonged to their adoptive mother Susie (1891-1981), the fourth child of Peter B. and Ida Grabill Snyder.
The John L. Snyder Collection - John (1954- ) is a grandson of Vernon Stanley Snyder, eighth child of Peter B. and Ida Grabill Snyder. John sent me a CD of scanned family photos.
The Grace Snyder Swartzendruber Collection - Grace Fern Snyder (1907-1999) was born in the Snyder Community, the ninth child of Peter B. and Ida Grabill Snyder. Grace's daughter Evie has her mother's photo album. Grace's granddaughter Sharon scanned the photos and submitted them to this web site.
The Alta Hartzler Conrad Collection - Alta (1911- ) was born in the Snyder Community, the sixth child of Joseph K. and Mary Gingerich Hartzler. She married after the family returned to Ohio and as of July 2006 had ten great-grandchildren.
The Joann Yoder Smith Collection - Joann is the granddaughter of Andrew and "Lizzie" Durr Brenneman. Joann's mother Mary Esther Brenneman Yoder (1908-1990) was born in the Snyder Community.
The Vita Hartzler Deneke Collection - Vita (1920-2006), the daughter of David and Ida Kreider Hartzler, was born in Orrville, Ohio. Her parents had both lived in Ohio before moving to Texas. They were married in the Snyder Community on January 1, 1912. In 1919, the David Hartzler family left Texas and returned to Ohio. Vita's daughter Sue submitted a number of photos from her mother's collection.
The Pauline Hartzler Shie Collection - Pauline (1914- ) was born in the Snyder Community in to David and Ida Kreider Hartzler. Her daughter Candice helped Pauline sort through her photos and submit several from the family's years in Texas.
The Edna Guengerich Stoltzfus Collection - Edna (1901-1995) was Joel and Lena Yoder Guengerich's firstborn. Edna's daughters Belle Boyts and Vonnie Amstutz each submitted photos and an essay.
Some materials are available for public viewing in the Ernest E. (1893-1975) and Ruth (Blosser) Miller (1894-1977) Collection at the Mennonite Church USA Archives - Goshen, 1700 S. Main St., Goshen, Indiana 46526. Photos and papers were donated by the Millers' daughter Thelma, who graciously met with me in May 2006, to discuss her father's time as a teacher at the Snyder school, 1911-12. The photos related to the Snyder Community are in: Hist. Mss. 4-10, Box 1 (Gray) Photographs, File 1/1 which is entitled "Photograph Album, circa 1910-20." Ernest Miller's Hale County teaching certificate is in: Hist. Mss. 1-153, Box 1 (Gray) 1. Ernest E. Miller, Personal, 1911-1973, File 1/7 which is entitled "Papers, 1911-1944."
The following individuals also submitted photos and/or scanned documents:
James A. Snyder - James is the son of Paul Victor Snyder, the sixth child of Peter B. and Ida Grabill Snyder, and Kathryn L. Miller.
Susan Shie - Susan is the granddaughter of Orville A. Snyder, the second child of Peter B. and Ida Grabill Snyder, and Ellen Hartzler, the second child of Joseph K. and Mary Gingerich Hartzler.
J. Hartzler - J's paternal grandparents were Joseph K. and Mary Gingerich Hartzler.
J. Byers - J's paternal grandparents were John Johnson Byers and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Snyder, the sister of both Peter B. Snyder and Minnie Barbara Snyder (Mrs. Charles) Hamilton, who lived in the Snyder Community.
Ralph Hartzler - The third child of David J. and Ida Kreider Hartzler, Ralph was born in the Snyder Community in 1918.
copyright ©
2006, 2007 Bonnie Snyder Smith