Grandmas's Photo Album - Page 34 - Tom Snyder Family in Wilkes County, NC

(Left) James Neil Snyder (1922-1993) as a toddler.  He has a typical bowl hair cut!

(Center) My grandfather, Wiley Thomas Snyder (1892-1988), wearing a nice suit.

(Right) My grandmother, Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992) with her son James Neil Snyder in the wicker carriage that was used for all of her children.

All three photos appear to have been taken at the same time.  Based on Jimmy's age (he was born in August 1922, and he appears to be about 2 years old), I'd guess the year to be 1924.  The weather appears to be fairly warm.  Everyone looks sad and my grandmother is clearly not pregnant, so this might have been taken soon after the 5 June 1924 death of their third child, Herman Thomas Snyder.  He only lived one day.1  His obituary was published in the Winston-Salem Journal:2

DEATH OF AN INFANT

 

Friends of Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Snyder will regret to learn of the death of their infant son, Herman T. Snyder, which occurred at the home, 833 Devonshire street at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon.  The child is survived by his parents and one brother.

 

The funeral will be held at two o'clock this afternoon and the service will be in charge of Rev. V. M. Swaim.  Interment will take place in the Waughtown cemetery.

 

1 Forsyth, North Carolina, death certificate no. 227 (1924), Herman Thomas Snyder; digital image, ancestry.com, "North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975," Ancestry.com　(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 03 Jul 2011).

 

2 "DEATH OF AN INFANT,"　Winston-Salem Journal, 5 Jun 1924, p. FIVE, col. 5.

 

Grandma's Photo Album - Page 19 - Jenie Sebastian, Eula and Ila Vannoy, Tom and Neil Snyder

(Left) Mary Lougenie "Genie" McNeil Sebastian (1908-1966).  She looks young, so I'm guessing this photo was taken in the 1920's in Wilkes County, N.C.

Genie was my grandmother Nora's sister.  Genie was the twin sister of Mattie Lodemie "Demie" McNeil Snyder (1908-1997).  The twins married in a double ceremony on December 23, 1928.(1,2,3)  (Demie married Donald Vance Snyder (1903-1986), my grandfather's brother.)

Genie and Paul had 3 children.  Genie died at age 58 of cancer.(4)  I'm sure I met her, but I really don't remember her.

(Middle)  Eula Mae Vannoy Sharpe (1920-1993) and her mother, Ila Margaret McNeil Vannoy (1898-1983).  Eula was Ila and Isaac Vannoy's oldest child.  Ila was my grandmother's oldest sister.  Eula was born in August 1920, so this photo was probably taken in late 1920 or 1921.

(Right) My grandfather, Wiley Thomas Snyder, with his son James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  This photo was taken at Waughtown Cemetery, Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, N.C., about 1923.  They are at the grave of Tom's first child, Wiley Thomas Snyder, Jr. who died at the age of six weeks in 1921 (5).  See his Find-a-Grave memorial here.  Wiley was "found dead in bed." 


References: 
(1) Wilkes County, North Carolina, Marriage Registers, 1870-1965, 4: n.p., Sebastian-McNeil; NC
Archives microfilm C.104.63001.
(2) Wilkes County, North Carolina, Marriage Registers, 1870-1965, 4: n.p., Snyder-McNeil; NC Archives microfilm C.104.63001.
(3) Carrie Disher (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) to Barbara McGeachy, letter, 27 Dec 1999; privately held by McGeachy.
(4) Wilkes County, North Carolina, death certificate no. 31405 (1966), Mary Lougenie [McNeil] Sebastian; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, "North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975," Ancestry.com (http://www.Ancestry.com : accessed 15 Jun 2011). 
(5) Forsyth County,  North Carolina, death certificate no. 142 (1921), Wiley T. Snyder, Jr; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., "North Carolina Death Certificates 1909 - 1975," Ancestry.com　(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 01 Feb 2012).

Grandma's Photo Album Page 12 - Louise Snyder, Isaac Vannoy, Neil & Nora Snyder

The three adults on this page all lost young children.  Infant mortality was very high until the mid to late 20th century.  This infographic "In Four Coffins" dramatically shows the numbers.  North Carolinians who died Jan. 1 to Aug. 1, 1918:

• 94 killed in France (WWI)
• 172 died from typhoid
• 2,071 died from tuberculosis
• 6,077 children under two years who died from all causes

Left:  Louise Jane "Lou" Whittington Snyder (1863-1933).  This photo was probably taken on her front porch in Wilkes County, NC.  According to her granddaughter Carrie Snyder (1926-2001), Granny Lou always wore a dress up to her neck, with long sleeves.  Lou lost an infant son in 1905.  See his Find-A-Grave memorial here.  [There is no death certificate for this infant because North Carolina didn't start death certificates until 1913.]

Middle:  Isaac Ransom Vannoy (1894-1979) with his infant son Wiley Thomas Vannoy (1921-1924).  Little Wiley died of dysentery at age 2 1/2  (note 1). See his Find-A-Grave memorial here.

Right:  Nora Bessie McNeil Snyder (1900-1992) with her son James Neil Snyder (1922-1993).  This photo was taken at Waughtown Cemetery, Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, NC.  They are at the grave of Nora's first child, Wiley Thomas Snyder, Jr. who died at the age of six weeks in 1921 (note 2).  See his Find-a-Grave memorial here.  Wiley was "found dead in bed."  Nora really bonded with him and mourned him the rest of her long life, even though she had other children.

Notes:

1. Wilkes County, North Carolina, death certificate no. 281 (1924), Willie Thomas Vannoy; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, "North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975," Ancestry.com　(http://www.Ancestry.com : accessed 24 Jul 2011).
2. Forsyth County,  North Carolina, death certificate no. 142 (1921), Wiley T. Snyder, Jr; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., "North Carolina Death Certificates 1909 - 1975," Ancestry.com　(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 01 Feb 2012).