John SNYDER

                   SHORT HISTORY OF JOHN SNYDER:
       John was born 11 Feb 1799 in Pleasant Valley, New Brunswick, Canada, the 5th son of Martin Snider and Sarah Armstrong. When he was very young the family moved to York Township (now Toronto), Ontario, Canada. He learned the brick mason trade. At age 23 John married Mary Heron, 28 Feb 1822, and they had 3 children: Harriet, 4 Sep 1823; Egerton, 9 Jan 1826; John, Jr., 2 May 1828.
       In 1836 John attended a meeting of a "society of men and women, met together ... for the purpose of discussing topics of religion." Mr. John Taylor and his wife and a Mrs. Walton belonged to this group. At this meeting, Elder Parley P. Pratt, a Mormon (LDS Church) missionary was speaking about the ancient church, apostles, prophets, revelation, etc. John Taylor and his wife were baptized; and we assume the Snyders were also.
       In the spring of 1838 John Snyder fitted 2 horse teams and moved to Missouri. He stayed in the Far West area after most of the saints had gone to sell his farm. He then moved to Springfield, Illinois, for a couple of years before going to Nauvoo in 1844. The Snyders then moved back to Toronto until 1847 when they returned to live in Bonaparte, IA, and Nauvoo, IL. John then, 1850, went to California and left his family to cross the plains to Utah by ox team. He joined them there. John, Jr. did not join the Church.
       John, Sr. served 2 missions: one to Toronto, Canada and the other to Nauvoo, IL. He was a high priest and was taught the gospel by Joseph Smith. His patriarchal blessing said he was "of the lineage and Tribe of Manassah, in whose heart there is no rebellion..."  He became an American citizen in Utah.
       Mary Herron died in 1851, shortly after arriving in SLC. John Sr. continued his trade of laying bricks and building houses. About 4 years later he married Sylvia Ameret Meacham. She gave him 2 more sons, Martin Henry and John Hyrum, and the responsibility of helping raise her son Erastus Carter.
John and Sylvia were sealed together in the EHOUS in 1867. John, Sr. was a good father to Erastus and taught him his trade of house building and brick work. John, Sr. died in 1875 "by over exertion after a hearty meal." He is buried in the Snyder plot in the SLC cemetary.     SCJ