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Stephen
Edward Snider was born 4 March 1944. He certainly had an innocent look
in those early years! Steve's real father had gotten involved with another
woman and abandoned Steve & his mother. So, they lived with his
father's parents.
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At
one year of age (April 1945), “Stevie” has a determined look
about him as he thundered across the lawn at Ferncliff Hall (one of
the women’s dorms at Wittenberg University) where he lived with
his grandparents and his mother.
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Steve’s
grandfather was the ‘live-in’ maintenance manager of the woman’s
dorm, Ferncliff Hall, which housed over 100 young female college students.
Since Steve was the only kid who lived in the dorm, he rarely lacked
for attention...
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This
is another photo of Stevie having a party with some of his ‘friends’
outside in the yard beside Ferncliff Hall. From the expression on his
face, it was obvious that (even at that age) ‘Stevie’ had
begun to pay attention to girls!
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At
Chrsitmas 1945 (when he was about 20 months old), Steve got his first
wooden “rocky-horsie.” Needless to say, you can tell from
the expression on his face that he was IMPRESSED!
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Then,
in 1946 he finally got to sit on a REAL pony. From the way Steve is
contemplating the situation, he must have been trying to figure out
exactly HOW that BALLOON he is holding in his hand is supposed to make
the pony “GO!”
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Maybe
1946 was the “Year of the Pony” or something because this
was another pony ride that year. [Actually, he does not remember ever
riding a HORSE.....]
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Even
girls got into playing ‘war’ outside Ferncliff Hall! These
were compressed air (by hand) ‘guns’ that shot a ping-pong
ball rather inaccurately about 10 to 15 feet!
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In
August of 1947, Steve experienced his FIRST KISS when he was encouraged
to kiss one of his cousins on her 2nd birthday. [Some people might say
that things were just never quite the same for Steve after that day...]
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Steve
can still remember (vaguely!) getting this nifty “peddle-powered”
JEEP and trying to see how FAST his little legs could make it go!
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“COWBOY
Stevie!” While this is a toy pistol, Steve first learned to shoot
at age FIVE when his grandfather Snider (who occasionally butchered
cows) let Steve kill his first cow with a 22-cal Stevens rifle and then
help butcher the animal.
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The
best thing that ever happened to Steve (when he was six) was his mother
marrying Fred Ellis White in 1950. Fred became, for all intents and
purposes, Steve's REAL DAD since Steve had little contact with his father
after he abandoned them.
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Steve,
his mother, and his new "Dad" moved into their new home at
1220 N. Limestone in Springfield, OH, in 1950. At that time, there were
tress and only 2 lanes in front of the home. [Steve's mom continued
to live in this house until she passed away in 2004.]
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From
an early age, Steve really loved to “play army” and dress
up in his military uniform articles. [It is ironic that he ended up
deciding on a career in the NAVY!]
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He
and his step-brother, David, were equally interested in digging foxholes
in the back yard and playing soldier when Dave visited on weekends.
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At
age seven, Steve still had those moments when he exhibited this innocent
look.
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Once
he got in Cub Scouts (in 1952), he finally had a ‘real uniform’
to wear. Saluting was (obviously) a very serious business...
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In
this photo of Steve and his mother in 1952, Steve looks as if he had
just been introduced to a rectal thermometer. His mother is wearing
her ‘fancy dress and furs.’
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One
nice thing about living in a house with a large yard was Steve could
have a dog...or TWO. These are "Butch" and "Susie,"
his first dogs.
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Sooner
or later, I guess, all boys have to learn to wear a coat and tie and
to have their photo taken for posterity. But, it doesn’t mean then
have to LIKE IT!
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High
School graduation; June 1962.
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Steve’s
mother really went all out and had a very nice High School Graduation
Party in our house (June 1962).
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Steve
and his (nameless) date share a glass of punch to celebrate the special
occasion.
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Four
years later, Steve graduated from Wittenberg University with a BS in
Business in June 1966. He then left Springfield to complete his Masters
in Business the following year at the University of Miami (before joining
the US Navy).
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In
1967 before reporting for his Navy Officer Candidate School training,
he tore out the old sidewalk and poured a new reinforced concrete patio,
sidewalk, & steps for his parents. The concrete was still holding
up very well even in 2004 (when the house sold)!
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Steve’s
mother was a good seamstress and used to make many of her own dresses
and clothes. This photo was taken in 1969.
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Steve
returned for the holidays in 1978 from the USS John Paul Jones (DDG-32)
and Mom got out her Haviland China for the occasion. Steve had a moustache
and Dave still had long curly hair at that time! Aunt Mary joined us
for the celebration.
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Christmas
1982 and mom prepared to put her homemade dessert on the table.
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This
was my mother’s 71st birthday (April 1986) and she is looking at
her Birthday Basket of goodies.
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Brother
Dave married Cheryl in 1983, but Steve was in the middle of having his
Grand Opening of the new Navy Exchange Miramar complex and was not able
to attend the ceremony.
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This
is a good group photo of Cheryl’s parents (on the left) along with
Dave’s mother, step-father, father, and my mother (on the right).
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My
mother checks out a needlepoint in 1991.
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Fred
had collected gold and silver coins for years up until his death in
1989.
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Dave
and Steve helped his mother go through all the coins to make an inventory
prior to selling them in 1991 and 1992.
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