Version 6.01

11 February 2025

David March © 2014

L SNYDER

Leo Eugene Snider was born on 22 October 1884 in Deseronto, Hastings County, Ontario to George Edmund Snider (1859-1938) and Ida Theresa Wartman (1862-1921). His siblings were: Clarence Edmund (1890-1972), Olive Marguerite (1893-1969) and Ruth (1904-1904). He lived in Deseronto until at least 1901. By 1911 the rest of his family had moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, but he was not listed with them in that census.

By 1917, Leo was living at the Barry Hotel in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan while working at McLaughlin Carriage Company. He enlisted for WWI on 13 October 1917. In 1921 he was living in the same household, 319 4th Ave S, as another bachelor, John Oliver Ross. John was working in a livery stable and Leo was a Methodist, employed as a salesman. Although the surname was spelled Snyder in that census, the address matched the one given for Leo Snider in the 1922 Saskatoon Henderson Directory. Leo married Neta “Pearl” Wood (1889-1988) in about 1924. They had two children: George Leo (1926-1986) and a girl. Leo died on 19 January 1950 and Pearl on 17 May 1988 both in Saskatoon and they are buried in adjacent plots in Woodlawn Cemetery. Pearl’s name is also on the quilt. See her biography here.

If the name on the quilt was for Leo Eugene Snider, it must have been added by someone else as he would not have spelled his own name incorrectly. Perhaps someone signed his name while he was at war as a tribute to him and was unaware that they were spelling it incorrectly.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Snyder 1c Tree.

Levi Snyder was born on 28 February 1884 in Colborne, Ontario to Jesse Snyder (1843-1911) and Mary Frances Schultz (1848-1931). His siblings were: Caroline Elizabeth (1871-1946), Henry (b 1875), Mary (b 1878), Sophia (1880-1954), Norman (b 1881) and Rebecca (1886-1949). He lived in Colburne with his family until at least 1901.

By 1911, Levi and his brother, Norman, had moved to Radisson, Saskatchewan. They and their families were still living there in 1921. Levi and Norman were blacksmiths. Levi married Elizabeth Wein (b 1890) in about 1913. Their children were: Lurena Elizabeth (b 1914), Lawrence Jesse (b 1917), Mervyn (b 1918), Earl (b 1921), Clifford and Fay. As Radisson is only about 70 km from Saskatoon, it was likely that Levi made fairly frequent trips to Saskatoon which was the nearest large city. As the Snyder family was Methodist, it was also possible that they had occasion to attend the 3rd Ave Methodist church in Saskatoon and that he may have signed the quilt at that time.

Levi died in 1945, likely in Radisson. Elizabeth died in London, Ontario in 1980. There is a very interesting Snyder family history on page 628 of "Reflections of Radisson: 1902-1982" which can be viewed digitally on ourroots.ca.

The quilt may have been signed by Levi or for one of his two children whose names began with L. Norman also had two children whose names began with L. The eldest of these children was Norman's daughter, Luella who was born in 1913 and would only have been 5 by 1918. We have noted that there were the names of some children on the quilt, but if this was the case for this family, someone must have written the name on for the child as they were all too young to write.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Snyder 1b Tree.

The most likely candidates for this signature are Leo Eugene Snider who was listed in the 1917 Saskatoon Henderson directory, enlisted for the War in 1917 and was living in Saskatoon at the time of the 1921 census and Levi Snyder of Radisson. As the spelling of Leo's surname does not match Snyder on the quilt, if his name appeared on the quilt someone would have had to have signed for him or in honor of him while he was at war and they must not have known the proper spelling of his surname. The other possibility is Levi Snyder who was living in Radisson, Saskatchewan from at least 1916 to 1921. Radisson is only 67 km from Saskatoon and anyone living there would likely have made fairly frequent trips to Saskatoon as it was the nearest major city. Both candidates are discussed below. The only other people with the Snyder name who were found living in Saskatoon in the right time period were Charles James Snyder (1864-1941) and his wife, Minnie Helen Cooper Hay (1871). A fairly extensive search of their family and siblings was made, but no L Snyder was found.

Candidate 2

Candidate 1