His bio was included in the History of Van Wert Co, OH:
LAFAYETTE SNYDER was for many years one of the highly esteemedresident s of Liberty township, where his death occurred in 1888. Hehad the dis tinction of being the first male child born in the villageof Lafayette , Madison County, Ohio, and was named for his birthplace.His parents w ere Jacob Frederick and Christina (Arres) Snyder,natives of Germany. B y trade the father was a blacksmith and hefollowed that occupation for s ome 16 years at Lafayette, Ohio. Hethen moved to Mercer County and set tled on a farm of 41 acres, whichis situated just across the public hi ghway from our late subject'shome, this highway being the line between M ercer and Van Wertcounties. Mr. Snyder's health was poor and he surviv ed his removal toMercer County but a few years, and at his death left a w idow with oneson and five daughters, heavy responsibilities thus falli ng upon theson (Lafayette) when he was little over 16 years of age.
Lafayette Snyder was a well-informed man, having been educated in thed istrict schools of Madison County. He was considered an excellentfarme r and, during his long residence in Van Wert County, enjoyed theunwave ring respect of his fellow-citizens.
On September 26, 1860, Mr. Snyder was married to Milberry Sidenbender,w ho is a daughter of Joseph and Ann (Van Gundy) Sidenbender. Mrs.Snyder w as born in 1837 in Mercer County, Ohio, her father being anative of Ro ss County, Ohio, where he subsequently married,immediately afterwardmo ving to Mercer County, near the Van WertCounty line. There he entered 1 60 acres of land, reared his eightchildren and died in 1880. The mothe r of Mrs. Snyder died February,20, 1898, aged 89 years, 4 months and 1 4 days, having been bornOctober 4, 1808, near Chillicothe, Ohio.
Mr. and Mrs. Lafayette Snyder were the parents of these children :Will is, who married Mary Ayers and died in 1899, leaving threechildren; An nie, who married Alonzo Bechtol, and resides at Elida,Ohio; Joseph, a g raduate of the Ohio Northern University at Ada, whois a well-known tea cher; Margaret, who resides at Lima; Lillian A.,who lives at home; Cly de, a teacher in the Rockford (Ohio) HighSchool, being a graduate of t he Ohio Northern University at Ada, whomarried Anna Hawk; and Sophia, w ho married Charles Temple and hasthree children—Helen Lucinda, Carl La fayette and an infant.
Mrs. Snyder resides on the old family homestead, which is situated inL iberty township, directly across the road from Mercer County. Thefarm c ontains 115 acres, 15 of which are in Mercer County, and theremainder i n section 34, Liberty township, Van Wert County. Mrs.Snyder is a membe r of the Church of God.
