Luella Virginia Snyder

Funeral services for Luella Virginia Snyder will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 1, 2015 at the First Baptist Church in Winnsboro, with Rev. John Albright, Rev. Harry Boyd and Elder John Guice officiating. Interment will be at Providence Memorial Cemetery east of Winnsboro under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home. Visitation will be held at the church starting at 1 p.m. prior to the service. Miss Snyder, a lifelong resident of Franklin Parish, was born on October 20, 1924, and passed from this life on September 29, 2015. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Marion Snyder and Linda Mae Hodges Snyder, and her brothers Campbell Hodges Snyder, Blackshear Hamilton Snyder, and William M. Snyder, Jr. She is survived by her nieces and nephews, and many dear friends that she referred to as her family, including fellow members of the DAR, her book club, the library ladies and the “lunch bunch”. She was also associated with both the Baptist and Presbyterian faiths.Luella Snyder was born and raised on the family farm in the Como community east of Winnsboro in Franklin Parish. She and her brothers grew up during a simpler time, and were all blessed with a great intellect, yet they never lost sight of the values they learned in their childhood years on the farm in Como. Luella received her undergraduate degree from LSU, and attended the Indiana University before moving to Syracuse University in New York. She was part of a group of friends who started an audio-visual department at the school, which was a fledgling new field at the time. From there, she traveled overseas to Egypt, Iran and Turkey to make self-help short movies on farming and hygiene using the local citizens for the films, and spent several months in Greece doing the same. The lure of home always tugged at Luella, however, and she eventually returned to Franklin Parish and her beloved Como, where she forged a new life and shared her love of education, history and preservation with the community where she grew up. Though she was a seasoned and knowledgeable traveler and scholar, she also loved her chickens and always made sure they were put up before she left her house, and never turned away a stray dog or cat that ended up at her home. Luella immersed herself in her community in a variety of ways and in March of 1970, was appointed to the Board of Control of the Franklin Parish Library, and was named president of the board in 1971. In December, 2014, Luella finally stepped down from that position after serving for 43 years. During her time as board president, the local library flourished, and she worked closely with the other board members to establish a new location in downtown Winnsboro and enhance its services. Recently, the local library expanded once again with a new wing to embrace the history of both the parish and the families living there. The Genealogy and Local History Center didn’t just happen by itself. It came about through Luella’s quiet insistence. She also lovingly restored the old commissary on the family farm, as well as the Cordill House that her family built in the mid-1850s, along with several other structures on the land her family owns. She had these buildings restored for the specific reason of preserving them for future generations Luella Snyder never sought recognition for the things she did for the Franklin Parish community. She moved quietly about behind the scenes to ensure that deserving local groups received the financial help they needed to flourish, and there were many that benefitted from her generosity. They know who they are, and they also know she didn’t seek recognition for doing what she did. Earlier this year, Luella’s generosity was appropriately recognized by the public when she was awarded the “Spirit Award for Community Service” by the Winnsboro-Franklin Chamber of Commerce. During the ceremony, it was noted that “she didn’t like a fuss about what she did and how she did it”, and that “she was stealth in her actions, and under the radar was her favorite place to be.” Luella Snyder never sought the limelight and quietly did the things that needed doing, and asked for nothing in return. That’s how she lived her life, and that’s why she will be missed by those who loved her and truly appreciated her love for her community. Despite the fact that there were many people who didn’t know Luella Snyder personally, everyone throughout Franklin Parish was touched by her generosity at one point or another. Pallbearers will be Frank Eckard, Brad Guice, James Mobley, Wesley Moroni, Aaron Scott and Clyde Temple. Honorary pallbearers include Rev. Deacue Fields, Rev. Eddie Ray McFarland, Rudy McIntyre, Paul Price Jr., Billy R. Smith, Joe Thomas and Tommy Wooldridge. Any planned memorials may be made to the Franklin Parish Library.Online registry/condolences made at www.mulhearnfuneralhome.om.Arrangements under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home, Winnsboro, LA.