Don Snyder

Donald Howard Snyder 11/27/1932 - 8/01/2020 Don was born in Valentine Nebraska on November 27, 1932 and passed away on August 1, 2020 in Gordon, Nebraska at Countryside Care Home.

Don had been doing very well following a leg amputation. Unfortunately, on July 15 he had an accident with his wheelchair. He went over backwards and suffered a head injury. He was life-flighted to Scottsbluff for emergency brain surgery and was in a coma until he passed away.

Don grew up on his parent’s farm/ranch in Tuthill, SD. He went to Peck School for 8 years of Elementary. He graduated from Bennett County High School in 1950.

Don joined the Air Force during the Korean War and was an airplane mechanic. Before returning home from the Air Force he was in an airplane crash in Nevada. He spent a year in the hospital in San Francisco, CA.

While attending classes at Spearfish College, he met his wife Venita. He was the father of three children, Mike, Randy and Kelley. He later went to Chadron State College and graduated with a teaching degree. They moved to Washington state where he taught school at Index Elementary. After moving back to South Dakota, he taught at Martin Elementary. Later, he operated a small trucking company and traveled across the United States. He went on to run his parents farm after his father passed away.

After leaving farming, Don went on to work as an entertainment contractor for several large amusement shows. He finally retired and set up his final residence in Merriman, Nebraska. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Opal Snyder, his son, Mike Snyder and his sister, Margaret Kaufman.

He is survived by his sister, Shirley Brickman; brother, Terry Snyder; daughter, Kelley; son, Randy Snyder; nieces and nephews; 5 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

Rest in Peace, Don. We will miss you.

Graveside Services will be held Monday August 10, 2020, 2:00 PM at the Merriman Cemetery, Merriman, NE. Chamberlain-Pier Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.