Frances Gardner Snyder

Published 5:55 pm Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Frances Gardner Snyder
Aug. 21, 1921 – Aug. 18, 2015

Frances Lou Gardner Snyder, 93, a native of Washington and a resident of Washington for most of her life, died Aug. 18, 2015, at Ridgewood Manor in Washington.

A graveside service will be held at 12:00 noon on Thursday, August 20, 2015, at Oakdale Cemetery in Washington, with the Rev. Danny Allen officiating.

The family will receive friends after the service at the graveside.

Frances was born Aug. 21, 1921, in Washington, daughter of Juanita Grace O’Brien and Claud Gladstone Gardner. After her father’s death in 1930, Frances’ mother married Frances’ stepfather, Coley Oliver Tankard of Washington.

Frances was a lifetime member of First United Methodist Church in Washington. She was active in the Women of the Church, the church choir and served as a Sunday school teacher. Frances received the Lifetime Membership Award from the First United Methodist Church Women of the Church.

On Oct. 14, 1944, Frances married Morris Elwyn Snyder, who preceded her in death in 1983.

Frances graduated from Washington High School and attended Greensboro College. Frances was a homemaker. Frances was a member of the O. Henry Book Club, the Ramblers Supper Club and the Lunch Bunch.

Survivors include her daughter, Frances Snyder Johnson and her son-in-law, Franklin DuVal Johnson Jr., of Washington; her daughter-in-law, Patsy Cream Snyder of Washington; her cousin, Patricia Tankard Brown and her husband, Henry Andrew Brown Jr., of Winston-Salem; her sister-in-law, Ruth Gardner of Charlotte; four grandchildren: Nita Johnson Lee and her husband, Steven, of Washington, Franklin DuVal Johnson III of Columbia, S.C., Justin Patrick Snyder and his wife, Lori, of Raleigh and Jennifer Snyder Hurska and her husband, Steve, of Wilmington. Frances’ special blessings are her six great-grandchildren: Macon Lee, Davis Lee, Cutler Lee, Eliza Lee, Madison Hurska and Cabo Hurska.

Frances was preceded in death by an infant son; a daughter, Juanita O’Brien Snyder, who died in 1963; a son, Morris Elwyn Snyder Jr., who died in 2010; a brother, George Spencer Gardner, who died in 2010; a sister, Jane Gardner Hodges, who died in 2014; a sister-in-law, Edna Earle Nicholls Gardner; a niece, Claudia Gardner Parvin; and two brothers-in-law, Gray Hodges and Gerald Lucien Snyder.

Additional survivors include five nieces: Margaret Coley Tankard Hodges of Washington, Jane Hodges Brunson of Raleigh, Margaret Gardner Brewbaker of New Bern, Georgia Anne Atkins of Washington and Adele Jennette Gardner of Raleigh and two nephews: Gray Cooper Hodges and Claud Gardner Hodges, both of Washington. Frances is also survived by four nieces and two nephews, all from Florida.

Online condolences may be offered to the family by visiting www.paulfuneralhome.com.

Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington is honored to serve the Snyder family.