Hyla Mae Snider, 77, Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake, passed from this life into the loving arms of her Savior, whom she loved and served for a lifetime at 12:58 p.m. Sept. 7, 2014, at Grace Village Health Care. She was born July 31, 1937, in Wooster, Ohio, to Harry R. and Halcyon Overholt Palmer. On Aug. 15, 1959, on the campus of Grace College, Winona Lake, she married Robert Wayne Snider, who survives in Winona Lake. She spent her years growing up in Wooster and attending school there. In 1955, she left Wooster to attend Grace College. It was there that she met her husband, who also happened to be one of her professors. She had been a resident of Kosciusko County for the past 59 years. She taught second grade at Milford Elementary School and was a popular teacher there. She left teaching to raise her three daughters. Later she returned to work as the campus post office supervisor at Grace College. She loved meeting new students each year as they came to the college where she arrived as a freshman many years before. She was very involved in many ministries at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, including the children’s ministry where she served for more than 20 years, and she also made a difference in her community. She always marveled in the beauty of the Lord’s creation and especially loved a bright sunny day. She was well known for her gift of hospitality and her incredible talent in creating beautiful cakes. Many people celebrated weddings, birthdays and other special events with one her beautiful cakes. Besides these talents, she will be remembered for her smile and her kind words for those she met. She loved taking care of others and creating joy … her light will be missed. She also will be lovingly remembered by three daughters: Lisa (and spouse David) Floyd, Franklin Lakes, N.J.; Jackie Snider, Warsaw; Jennifer “Jen” Snider, Pierceton; two grandchildren, Vanessa Floyd, Arlington, Va., and Alex Floyd, Charlotte, N.C.; four nieces; six nephews; a sister, Alice (and spouse Ross) Miller, Dalton, Ohio; her sister-in-law, Alice (and spouse Charles) Koontz, Winona Lake; and brother-in-law, David (and spouse Audra) Snider, Martinsburg, Pa. She was preceded in death by her parents. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, with Pastor Kip Cone officiating with assistance from Chaplain Bryan Benjamin. A private family graveside service will be at Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw. Calling is from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw. ***** Memorials to a special scholarship fund for Grace College students majoring in elementary education in her name and directed to Grace College, Attn: Andrew Flamm, 200 Seminary Drive, Winona Lake, IN 46590 and would be greatly appreciated by her family. Condolences may be sent via www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com
