Snyder, Helen (Gassett) 1920 – 2000

SNYDER, GASSETT, KIRKPATRICK, FOSTER

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 10/5/2016 at 18:45:52

Source: Times Plain Dealer December, 2000
from Elma library collection assembled by Marian (Marr) McGee

Services held for Helen Snyder

Funeral services for Helen Snyder of Bryan, TX were held at 2.00 p.m. Saturday, December 2 at First United Methodist Church in Bryan.

Interment was in Bryan City Cemetery. Hillier Funeral Home handled the arrangements.

Helen, 80, died Tuesday, November 28, 2000 at St. Joseph’s Regional Hospital in Bryan.

Helen was born November 1, 1920 in Paris Township, Howard County, the youngest of six children of Herman L. and Lydia Mae (Kirkpatrick) Gassett. She attended rural school in Paris Township and graduated from Cresco High School in 1938.

On March 18, 1944 she married Kermit W. Snyder in Cedar Rapids. They moved to Bryan in 1946 where Helen worked as a secretary on the Texas A & M campus in the engineering department. In the 1950’s Helen operated The Real Hat Shop, in the 1960’s the Snyder’s purchased the Early Bird Shoppe, specializing in draperies and window coverings.

A hobby that grew into a business was the Blue Valley Cattery, which was well known on the show ring circuit for outstanding Persian cats. Helen worked at both of these enterprises until she became ill October 30, two days before her 80th birthday.

Helen belonged to the First United Methodist church in Bryan where she taught Sunday School in the elementary grades for approximately 50 years. She was an associate member of the Neighborly Class. Kermit and Helen sponsored the Methodist Youth Fellowship for several years in the late 1940’s Helen served the Texas A & M University Wesley Foundation as treasurer for 30 years.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband Kermit; three sisters: Mary Lois Foster, Loma Gassett, and Hester Gassett; and two brothers: Merrick and Neil.