Cloudy, 26° F
(Oct. 5, 2007)
June Snyder died Friday, Oct. 5 at her home in Powell in the presence of family.
She was born Feb 15, 1918, to Earl and Dora Chapman McCarty at their homestead in Brockway, Mont. Her family was English/Irish, and she was one of seven children.
She was raised in Terry, Mont., and moved to Meeteetse in 1942. She lived there until she moved to Powell in 2001.
She was married to Harold Lee and William (Bill) Devine, and from these unions seven children were born, six of whom are still living. She later married Jesse Snyder in 1972.
The Devines loved to fish. The family remembers trips to Upper Sunshine Lake and June singing on the trip to the lake or on the way home — some funny song like Big Rock Candy Mountain or Two Ducks on a Pond to make the kids laugh.
June and Bill always had a yard full of kids and she loved to cook. She prepared many large family dinners over the years and always had room for extras. Family was very important to her and she loved to have family members gathered around her.
In her early years in Meeteetse, besides being a devoted mother, she spent a lot of her time being the number one Stanley Home Products representative in the Rocky Mountain region. She supported kids and their 4-H projects. She received an award for having children in the Meeteetse school system for over 36 years.
Attending the Cody Fourth of July parade was one of her favorite things through the years. She also loved Labor Day in Meeteetse. June would always help with the big Josh Dean Bar-B-Q over the Labor Day festivities and the Sloppy Joe feed in the evening. She was one of Meeteetse’s slipper kicking queens. You could always count on her entering this contest on Labor Day.
June was a lover of the Professional Bull Riders. She always loved Chris Shivers. She said “he can’t be old enough to ride bulls and I just want to throw him over my shoulder and burp him.”
June went to work for the Post Office in 1966, and in 1972 she became the postmaster in Meeteetse and continued until her retirement in 1984.
June and Jesse spent two winters in Mexico and then traveled to Arizona for many years until Jesse’s illness required them to stay close to home.
Two of June’s most memorable trips were when she went to Hawaii for her 70th birthday with her sister Harriet and an Alaskan cruise with her oldest son and his family.
June was a loving and faithful wife, mother and friend. She loved all her family and was always happy to have visitors. She always saw the good side of people and had a smile on her face. If June was around, there was a pinochle game, board game, crafts being done or a fishing pole in her hand. In addition to these activities she loved to travel and hunt deer. In her later years, she was an organizer of pinochle games at Rocky Mountain Manor, which gave her many hours of enjoyment.
Surviving family to honor June’s memory are Edna (Oliver) Peterson, Burlington, David (Karen) Devine, Puyallup, Wash., Gail (Ed) Gullion, Grand Junction, Colo., Ron (Susan) Devine, Yelm, Wash., Diane Devine, Billings, Mont., and Mel (Dean) Sell, Cody; 17 grandchildren, 44 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Harriett Rutan, Idabel, Okla., and brother, Morris McCarty, Ralston. Also honoring June are the children and families of the Jesse Snyder family.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands; baby daughter, Marion; brother, Earl McCarty; and sisters, Edna Brookman and Pearl Wentz.
A memorial service will be held at the Rocky Mountain Manor in Powell on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. and at the Episcopal Church in Meeteetse on Oct. 27 at 11 a.m. with dedication of the grave following in Meeteetse.
For those who wish, memorial contributions to a charity of choice would be appreciated by the family. Thompson Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.
