Ruth Rebecca Snyder of Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake, Ind., died at 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at Grace Village Health Care at the age of 97.
She was born on November 16, 1921 in Mineral Point, Pa., to Verna (Snyder) Shaffer and William J. Shaffer. On April 6, 1941, she was married to Reverend Blaine Snyder. They welcomed their daughter Karen in 1943 and their son David in 1949. They shared 57 years of marriage together before he died on May 20, 1998.
Ruth was a 1939 graduate of East Conemaugh High School in Conemaugh, Pa. She and her husband, Blaine, lived in Lake Odessa, Mich., for four years where he was the pastor of the Grace Brethren Church. They moved to Winona Lake, Indiana in 1946.
Ruth was a homemaker until David entered the first grade. She worked in the cafeteria as a cook at Jefferson Elementary School in Winona Lake for 16 years, and then for 12 years at Grace College. She was a member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church where she taught children for 30 years. She was also involved with Women of Grace and Winona Literary Club. Ruth’s hobbies included knitting, sewing, painting, writing poetry, and endlessly working crossword and jigsaw puzzles. Most of all she dearly loved her family and will be forever loved.
She will be lovingly remembered by her daughter, Karen L. Basham (Mishawaka, Ind.); and her son, David Blaine (Sonja) Snyder (Monroe, Ohio). She leaves behind nine granddaughters: Michelle Snyder, Sandra Hubbard, Rebecca Snyder, Stephanie Whittenbach, Bethany Hensley, Sarah Snyder, Debbie Dodge, Tammie Hibshman, and Kim Haller; 21 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren, four sisters, several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one sister, one brother, and two sisters-in-law.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, June 23, 2019, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Ind.
Her funeral service will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 24, 2019, at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home and officiated by Pastor Tom Miller. Burial will follow with a graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery of Warsaw, Ind.
Memorial donations in Ruth’s memory may be directed to Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, Ind. 46590; or to Grace Village Retirement Community, 337 Grace Village Drive, Winona Lake, Ind. 46590 and would be appreciated by the family.