Ward "Ken" Snyder, 66, of Erie, died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, at his home. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Erie Baptist Church in Erie. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the church. Burial will be in the Erie Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Ken Snyder Memorial Fund. Ward Kenneth Snyder was born June 7, 1946, in Moline, the son of Ward E. and Mary A. Snyder. He served his country in the U.S. Navy. Ken was married to Lillian Andrews on Oct. 15, 1966, at the Erie Baptist Church. He was a self-employed truck driver. Ken enjoyed riding motorcycles and watching motorcycle racing, drag racing and boxing. He loved the semitrailers he owned and drove. Ken was a member of the Erie Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Lillian; son, Billy J. (Edith) Snyder, Erie; daughter, Christina (Kevin) Croegaert, Annawan; five grandchildren, Kassandra and Brittany Snyder, Briana Wilkey and Alison and Kenneth Croegaert; brothers, Wayne (Betty) Snyder, Prophetstown, and Richard (Linda) Snyder, Colfax, Iowa; sister, Lovina (Richard) Neyrinck, Port Byron; and brother-in-law, Ron Anderson, Rapids City. He was preceded in death by his parents; and a sister, Virginia Anderson. Share a memory or condolence at www.gibsonbodefh.com.
Today is Tuesday, May 21, the 141st day of 2013. There are 224 days left in the year. 1863 -- 150 years ago: On Monday the 11th inst. on Center Ridge in Mercer County,some citizens got out their cannon to celebrate the taking of Richmond. The gun wasoverloaded and burst. No one was injured, but one 30-pound piece went though thesecond story of a house. 1888 -- 125 years ago: The old folks concert at the Harper Theater last night to benefit St.Luke's Cottage Hospital, attracted a large audience. 1913 -- 100 years ago: Unless depredation by vandals in Rock Island parks is halted,special policemen will be assigned to night duty to protect the flowers and other property. 1938 -- 75 years ago: Station WHBF has received a special citation from Washington forits participation in Air Mail Week, which was observed this week throughout the nation. 1963 -- 50 years ago: A 10-year high in employment in the Quad-City area was reachedat the end of the last quarter, according to an industrial employment barometer releasedtoday. 1988 -- 25 years ago: Pee Wee teams will be able to play baseball and softball as usualon Diamond Three at Dorrance Park this summer, but after that, the ball field is doomed.County crews have put the diamond back in shape after heavy trucks marred the playingfield earlier this spring. Illinois Department of Transportation crews drove onto it to makeborings for the relocation of the junction of Illinois 84 and the Port Byron-Hillsdale road.