Hyla Mae Snider, 77, of Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake, Ind., passed away at 12:58 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014, at Grace Village Health Care.
She was born on July 31, 1937, in Wooster, Ohio, to Harry R. Palmer and Halcyon (Overholt) Palmer. She spent her years growing up in Wooster and attending school there. In 1955 she left Wooster to attend Grace College in Winona Lake. On Aug. 15, 1959, she married Robert Wayne Snider
It was at Grace College there that she met her husband, who also happened to be one of her professors. They celebrated 55 years of marriage together. He survives. She had been a resident of Kosciusko County, IN for the past 59 years. Hyla taught second grade at Milford Elementary School in Milford, Ind., 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 in Winona Lake. 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. Hyla 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, Hyla 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 will be lovingly remembered by her husband; three daughters: Lisa (David) Floyd, Franklin Lakes, N.J.; Jackie Snider, Warsaw, Ind.; Jennifer ‘Jen’ Snider, Pierceton, Ind.; two grandchildren: Vanessa Floyd, Arlington, Va.; Alex Floyd, Charlotte, N.C.; four nieces and six nephews; her sister: Alice (Ross) Miller, Dalton, Ohio; sister-in-law: Alice (Charles) Koontz, Winona Lake; and brother-in-law: David (Audra) Snider, Martinsburg, Pa.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Rd., Warsaw. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, and will be officiated by Pastor Kip Cone and assisted by Chaplain Bryan Benjamin. A private family graveside service will be held with burial at Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw.
A special scholarship fund for Grace College Students majoring in Elementary Education has been established in Hyla’s name. Memorial donations may be directed to Grace College, Attn: Andrew Flamm, 200 Seminary Dr., Winona Lake, IN 46590 and would be greatly appreciated by her family.