Barbara Susan (Gregory) Snider

Barbara Susan (Gregory) Snider passed away in the early morning hours of March 31, 2026 in Petoskey, Michigan. She was 100.

Barbara is survived by son Jacob Snider, daughters Sara Snider and Audrey Yell, daughter-in-law Dixie Snider, grandchildren Deb (Rob) Rogochensky, Venus (Kristopher Riley) Snider, Joshua Snider, Danell Yell, Cole (Ramey Bonney) Yell, Danny Yell, Samantha Webb, and many great and great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 61 years, Wilson Snider; son Wesley Snider, son-in-law Daniel Yell, grandson Clayton Yell, and by her great-granddaughter Angela LaLonde.

Barbara Gregory was born to Elias and Susannah (Gehman) Gregory on June 25, 1925.  Seventh of nine children born into an Old Order Mennonite family, Barbara grew up on her family's farm on the banks of the Maple River in Brutus, Michigan; her first language was Pennsylvania Dutch.

Later, she would share childhood memories of growing up in a different world. She told of cutting ice-blocks out of the lake for cooling all year long in their ice house, of making sauerkraut and apple butter to last all year, of riding a horse wagon with her father to sell vegetables, of attending a one-room school. Barbara's life would change with the 20th century, but she never lost that know-how.

On November 29, 1947, Barbara married Wilson Snider, and they went on to raise four children. The couple were active members of the Maple River Mennonite Church, tending to their family and community, as well as to a revolving group of farm animals.

Eventually, she and Wilson began to spend the colder months at their second home in Deland, Florida, making good friends and spreading kindness into the southern climes. The Sniders occasionally traveled far north as well—all the way to Alaska where they had grandchildren who looked forward to each visit.

Barbara always kept a huge garden, certainly admired by anyone who chanced to drive up Brutus Road anytime between 1949 and 2019. She would bring the vegetables she grew to local markets, often seeming to possess a literal ton of green beans and tomatoes. Many wilt fondly remember her in her natural habitat amongst her plantings, out-working everyone else, well into her 9th decade of life.

In her later years Barbara was a consummate Grandmother; a kind-hearted giver of delicious homemade cookies, freshly baked bread, colorful toys that she made with her own hands. Generations of babies have been clothed in sweater sets that she crocheted with love, and a fortunate few even received one of her famous chicken-and-egg toys. Luckily for us all, Barbara shared her knowledge generously: the bread recipe, language skills, syrup-making, gardening, crafting, canning...the list goes on and on, her descendants left to make it what we will.

Services celebrating Barbara’s life will be held at the Maple River Mennonite Church on May 2, 2026 at 11am.  Barbara will be laid to rest at the Brutus Mennonite Cemetery.

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