Lester Ernest Snyder

On July 5, Lester Ernest Snyder, 94, died at Sunshine Adult Family Home in Spokane Valley, surrounded by his family. Lester was born on Dec. 15, 1921, in Ralston, Washington, to Benton H. Snyder and Bessie M. Stratton Snyder and was the youngest of the seven children.

He grew up on the family farm near Washtucna and lived there until his Parkinson’s disease made it difficult to be alone on the farm at the age of 89.

He attended Clever School which was a country school until seventh grade when it closed and he graduated from Washtucna High School in 1940.

While in high school, Lester loved his sports, football, basketball, baseball, track and boxing. He loved the farm! He worked the farm originally with horses as a boy, moving into the automated machine age.

Following high school, he worked at the Dodge Garage in Ritzville as a mechanic until his enlistment in U.S. Navy in 1942. He served aboard the USS Cimarron which was based with the Pacific Fleet out of San Pedro, California. Lester was injured aboard ship and spent 16 months in hospitals recovering.

During his hospital stay in Long Beach, he met Eleanor Roosevelt who shook his hand and thanked him personally for his service. His final station was Farragut at Athol, Idaho, where he had to sign papers for an experimental treatment which turned out to be Penicillin and ultimately saved his life. Lester came home to the family farm continuing to heal in 1944.

Lester married Helen Marie Blasingame on August 18, 1948. They farmed and became quite the team as they both believed in community service.

Lester served in Grange at all levels from local, county and state to the high office of an Executive Committeeman for Washington State Grange. He served for more than 75 years.

Les served on the Washtucna School Board, Adams County Soil Conservation District, Washtucna Grange Supply, Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Washtucna Community Church Elder, Trustee, and Sunday School teacher, East Adams Rural Hospital Commissioner, founding member of the Washtucna Gun Club, Trinity Methodist Church and appointed to Governor’s Water Rights Board.

Les was a member of the VFW, The Walk with Christ, and was the lead singer of the Five Jives, a swing band in the 1940’s, where he played saxophone as well. Lester was Soil Conservation Farmer of the Year twice.

Lester called square dancing and loved packing and hunting into the Blue Mountains for more than 45 years. Fishing was his sport of choice as he got older and loved being at Pend O’Reille Lake. Les was a published cowboy poet and loved sharing his poems and stories. He also loved pitching horseshoes.

Les and Marie were married 62 years. He was preceded in death by his wife and son-in-law. He is survived by his son, Jerry (Gretchen) Snyder of Ritzville and daughter Janet Camp of Washtucna. Grandchildren Sarah (Josh) Hedrick of Ione, Jason (Becci) Snyder of Washtucna, David Hollenback of Spokane, Amy (Billy) Andersen of Spokane and Annie White of Texas and his great grandchildren.

Services were held July 9 in Ritzville with burial at Pioneer Cemetery in Washtucna.

Memorials can be sent to Ralston Grange, PO Box 332, Lind, WA 99341 or Trinity Methodist Church, PO Box 353, Ritzville, WA 99169.