Irene M Snyder

Irene Margaret Boland Snyder, age 96, of New Braunfels, Texas, died November 30, 2011, at her home in New Braunfels with her family present. She was born May 26, 1915, at the family farm, the oldest child of James and Marie (Baecker) Boland of Arcadia, Wisconsin.

After her graduation from Arcadia High School in 1933, Irene attended normal college in Alma, Wisconsin and returned to the Arcadia area to begin her teaching career in a one room elementary school. Her stories about her early teaching career were fascinating.

In 1952, Irene was hired by Ginn and Company textbook publishers to be their Catholic schools reading consultant. While working there, Irene met Harold Snyder. He was a widower with twin daughters. After a short courtship Irene married Harold in Homewood, Illinois, on February 16, 1953.

Irene received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. During a teaching career that spanned several decades, Irene taught at elementary and middle schools in Madison, Wisconsin, Park Forest, Illinois, and Rochelle, Illinois. In 1979 she retired and moved with her husband, Harold to New Braunfels, Texas.

Irene was very serious about her Catholic faith. Throughout her life she stayed involved in many activities in numerous Catholic parishes. She even taught first communicants at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church when she was in her 80s. Irene never met a priest she didn’t care about. She always welcomed them in her home.

Irene is survived by her sisters, Ruth (John) Tormey of Madison, Wisconsin, and Phyllis (Jerome) Hostetler of Virginia Beach, Virginia; her brother Richard Boland of Independence, Wisconsin; three daughters, Mary Anne (Jimmy) Higdon of New Braunfels, Texas, Sally (Allan) Berman of Ontonagon, Michigan and Sue (Charles) Arnold of Lake Jackson, Texas as well as three granddaughters; Christine, Ruth and Mona.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Snyder, her parents, and brothers James, William, Robert and Thomas Boland, all of Arcadia, Wisconsin.

Visitation will be at 5:00 P.M. with Rosary at 6:00 P.M. Sunday, December 4, 2011, at Zoeller Funeral Home in New Braunfels, Texas. A funeral mass will be celebrated at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in New Braunfels on Monday, December 5, 2011, at 10:00 A.M. A graveside service and internment at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery will follow the funeral mass.

In lieu of flowers, the family knows Irene would appreciate Masses for the repose of her soul and the souls of all the faithfully departed.