Biography - Michael E. Snyder
MICHAEL E. SNYDER is a farmer and stock-raiser of Moweaqua Township, who
is contributing his quota to the preservation of its prosperity as a rich
agricultural centre.
He was born April 1, 1839 in a pioneer home in Brown County, Ohio. Jacob
Snyder was the name of his father, and he was born in one of the Rhine
Provinces in Germany. His father, who bore the same name as our subject, was
born in the same locality as his son, and resided there until 1824. In that
year he came to the United States with five of his seven children, and he
lived in Pennsylvania until 1827, when he became a pioneer of Ohio. He
resided for a time at Cincinnati, but he finally bought a farm in Brown
County, where he made his home until his mortal career was ended by death.
The father of our subject was reared in the land of his birth, and was there
married to Elizabeth Shilp, who was a native of the same locality as her
husband. In 1824 Mr. Snyder came to this country, bringing with him his wife
and two children that had been born to them in their old home. For a time he
was a resident of Pittsburg, but he subsequently removed to Cincinnati,
which was then only a small place, and he bought farm land now in the heart
of the city. A few years later he removed to Brown County and bought four
hundred acres of fine land, located two and one-half miles from Carlyle, and
three miles from Arnheim. There his years were busily and profitably passed
until death released him from life. He and his good wife repose peacefully
side by side in the pleasant Lutheran churchyard at Arnheim. They reared
twelve children to lives of industry and to right living.
The early life of their son Michael, who forms the subject of this brief
sketch, was passed in his native county, and his education was conducted in
its public schools. In 1865 he left Ohio to take up his residence in
Illinois, where he shrewdly conceived that a young man of sufficient
enterprise and capability could do well in agricultural pursuits. His
brother Daniel came with him, and together they bought a farm in McLean
County, near the town of El Paso. In 1875 he disposed of his share in that
place at a good price, and coming to Moweaqua Township, purchased eighty
acres of land on section 32, which has since been his home. He has bought
other land, and now has one hundred and forty-eight acres, that is admirably
tilled, and yields abundant harvests in repayment for his hard toil.
On May 18, 1857 was the date of the marriage of our subject to Miss Maggie
Nottbook, a native of Moweaqua Township, and a daughter of William and
Wilhelmina Nottbook, of whom a biography appears elsewhere in this work. Mr.
and Mrs. Snyder have been blessed with the following four children —
Annetta, Willie N., Elizabeth and Minnie. Our subject and his wife are found
among the most respected members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and
their place in the community is among the people that are held in the
highest consideration for kindly and upright lives. Our subject was formerly
a Democrat, but he is now a stanch Prohibitionist in word and deed.
Extracted 11 Jan 2018 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 309-310.
