Nelle Snyder

January 15th, 1889 - December 9th, 1983

She is a Capricorn.

Nelle Stevenson was born in St Croix Falls, Polk, Wisconsin to Thomas William Stevenson (1853 - 1927), a merchant, and Cora Vincent (1857 - 1933). Her father was born in Indiana and her mother in Wisconsin and they had married in St Croix Falls on December 13th, 1877. Her known siblings were: Mable (born 1880), William Claude (born 1881), Maud (born 1887), Jessie (born 1890), Raymond Vincent (born 1891), Cora Louise (born 1894), Florence Lucille (born 1895), and Robert Louis (189 - 1896). Nelle spent her early childhood in Wisconsin before resettling with her family around 1890 in Minneapolis, Minnesota where she appeared on the 1900 and 1910 census.

Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
She was married in January 22nd, 1912 to John Pillsbury Snyder (born 1888), a Minneapolis native. They left for Europe where they honeymooned, spending time in Gilbralter and Italy, the latter destination being spent arranging a dealership of Fiat cars for her husband's business. For their return to the USA the couple boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton. They occupied canon B-45 and whilst aboard they became acquainted with other Minnesotan passengers; Mr and Mrs Walter Donald Douglas, Mr and Mrs William Baird Silvey, and Miss Constance Willard.

On the night of the sinking Nelle and John had retired around 11:30 PM and were in their stateroom when the ship collided with the iceberg but explained: "There was not a great crash, not even a heavy jar when the ship struck the iceberg." They both left their cabin to investigate and saw other bewilded passengers milling around. They asked a passing steward if they had struck anything and the man nonchalantly replied that they had just "grazed an iceberg" but there was no danger and they were better going back to bed. Soon enough they heard a man knock on the door of an adjacent cabin, he had just come down from the decks above and reported to his friend that something may have happened. John and Nelle there and then to get dressed and go up top; when they got there a member of the crew was addressing the gathered passengers, advising them to return and fetch their lifebelts. They did as instructed and soon rejoined other passengers on the boat deck where they saw the crew swinging out the lifeboats.

When the crew called out for people to enter the first lifeboat being filled (#7), the Snyders reported that a large number of the crowd seemed reluctant and stepped back. John and Nelle were assisted into the boat which was the first launched, the Snyders describing the launch as leisurely and without any confusion or commotion. They reported that the boat pulled away for about 20 yards before resting and was soon tied up to other boats during the night and also claimed to see, off in the distance, the iceberg that the ship has struck. Still not fathoming any real danger, from their vantage point in the boat they saw rows of portholes gradually disappearing and that was when the urgency of the situation dawned on them. Her husband later reported that the ship broke in two following several explosions.

After The Sinking/Later Life/Death:
Aboard the Carpathia, the Snyders met the other Minnesota survivors Mrs. Mahala Douglas, Mrs. Alice Silvey, and Miss Constance Willard. Nelle and John settled in Minnesota and had 3 children: John Pillsbury (1913 - 1989), Thomas Stevenson (1915 - 1976), and Susan (1918 - 1984; later Mrs. Rowley Miller). She and her family are shown on the 1920 - 1940 census records living at Blaisdell Avenue, Minneapolis. Her husband operated the Snyder Garage Inc. in Minneapolis up until his retirement in 1955 when they resettled in Wayzata, Minneapolis.

They continued to travel and one such excursion in Europe in 1938 saw them in Austria when Nazi troops marched into Vienna and the Anschluss was declared. The family retreated back to the USA aboard the Queen Mary, arriving in New York on April 4th, 1938.   Nelle, who was widowed in 1959, was active in her community in many philanthropic organizations and was a charter member of the Northwestern Hospital Board. In later years she became a member of the Titanic Historical Society and attended a convention in the 1970's. She continued to live at her home in Wayzata, Minneapolis, lastly at Indian Mound Street, and died there on December 9th, 1983 at the age of 94. She was buried with her husband in Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis.

Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Rest In Peace Fatimah Nellie Snyder.

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