Frances Snyder, 91, of Valley City, N.D., passed away on January 19, 2020 in Fargo under the care of Sanford Health Palliative Care. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, January 23, at Oliver-Nathan Funeral Chapel in Valley City, with visitation one hour prior to the service.
Frances Pawelek was born in Summit, Illinois, on October 10, 1928 to Walenty and Frances (Mozgala) Pawelek. She attended school in Summit. Following graduation, she began work in a loan office in Oak Park, Illinois, where she met Donald Snyder. They married on April 24, 1954 and made their home in Oak Park. They enjoyed taking in the shows and theater in downtown Chicago. Their daughter Barbara was born in 1955. Donald’s work transferred him to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they retired. Donald passed away in 2013 and Frances continued to reside in Tulsa until health issues caused her to move to Valley City to be closer to family. She resided at Bridgeview Assisted Living where she enjoyed the care of the wonderful staff.
Frances grew up in the Catholic tradition and prayer was very important in her life. She often reminded her family she was praying for them. Frances and Donald loved to travel and went on cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean and the Panama Canal, as well as up the northeast coast of the US to take in the fall colors. They also traveled with friends to Hawaii and Las Vegas. Donald and Frances had a close group of friends who enjoyed trying new restaurants, ending the evening at a couple’s home for coffee, dessert and cards.
Frances enjoyed helping at Barbara’s schools, being homeroom mother and working with the PTA. She was never without an opinion on politics and kept current with national and international events. Nature held a special place for her, stemming from helping her father grow a Victory Garden during World War II, and a cup of tea while watching the birds was a staple in her day. Frances also loved to read, with Barbara supplying her with books of all types once she moved to Valley City.
Frances is survived by her daughter Barbara (Jon) Owen (Luverne, ND);grandchildren Laura (Edward) Pretsell (Folkestone, England) and Greg (Danika) Owen (Baldwin, ND); great-grandchildren Eliza Owen, Harper Owen and Thomas Pretsell; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her brothers Edward, Thomas and Alex; and her sisters Anne and Stella.
The family would like to thank Dr. Gigi Goven and Mercy Hospital’s emergency room staff for assisting in Frances’ care, as well as Sanford Hospital and the Palliative Care staff for their compassionate treatment. Memorials may be directed to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and Sanford Palliative Care.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Oliver-Nathan Funeral Chapel, Valley City. An online guestbook is available at www.olivernathanchapel.com.
