Melvin C. Snyder

West Point, 1951

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Dick Breakiron for Gerry Hendricks on October 22, 2005:

Mel Snyder?s Funeral - Jake Jacobs and I drove to Kingwood West Virginia for Mel?s 21 Oct 2005 funeral. We were joined their by John Cousins and spent about an hour and a half meeting, taking pictures and visiting with Ann Snyder and her wonderful extended family in the Wesley United Methodist Church reception room before the services. Jake and I were wearing our 50th reunion class ties and Mel?s 8th grade grandson ? who is interested in attending West Point ? was also proudly wearing his ?Granddad?s 50th reunion tie?. As we were entering the church -- and met and talked with one of Mel?s sons ? I asked him if flowers from our class had arrived ? and he said ?Yes and they are gorgeous? ? and thanks to Sam Dickens -- they had arrived and they were gorgeous -- as evidenced by the picture I will send by separate message. It is now easy to understand why everyone in the town of Kingwood we talked to ? including our lunchtime waitress knew and had very kind things to say about Mel and Ann Snyder ? because Mel was born in Kingwood, graduated from Kingwood High School and later practiced law and was the Prosecuting Attorney there for many years. To give you a feeling of how things are a little different in some nice WV towns ? when we were told by our waitress that the funeral was right across the intersection and we asked if we could just stay parked where we were for the funeral ? even though there was a 2 hr limit on the parking meter ? and walk over to the church -- we were told ? ?don?t worry about it ? the over parking ticket fines here are only a dollar!? Jake and I were very pleased to have had the good conversation time with Ann Snyder and her wonderful family and to up-date with John Cousins and his son who had driven with him from Ohio. During the service ? which included an almost full house turnout of family and friends ? the Minister who gave the sermon -- mentioned that some of Mel?s West Point Classmates were in attendance and asked us to stand for a moment of recognition. Mel was buried right after the church services in a cemetery only a few blocks from the church and family and friends were invited to Ann Snyder?s home after the services but Jake and I declined and left after the church service because of our 200 plus mile drive home ? which included rain and fog both ways.

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