Lorene Snyder

Lorene Snyder

CHARLESTON - Anyone who met Lorene Snyder knew of her love for Jesus Christ, Elvis Presley, and the Chicago Cubs.

But most of all, she loved her family.

Lorene died July 19, 2023 at Heritage Woods of Charleston, at peace, surrounded by loved ones and hours after the Cubs flew the W. She was 97. 

She was born A. Lorene Rogers in rural Martinsville, Illinois on Dec. 22, 1925, the youngest of Jesse R. and Myrtle A. Rogers’ seven children. Determination and hard work defined Lorene’s life: she left the Rogers farm to work as a nanny in town in order to become one of the first in her family to graduate high school. Shortly after she earned her diploma in 1944, she took a job at The Brown Shoe Company factory in Charleston, sparking a lifelong love of pretty shoes.

She had three children with Don Snyder: Michael (deceased), Norma, and Steven, but raised them as a single mother in Fairgrange. Life wasn’t always easy, but she raised her children to inherit her work ethic and love of God. 

Lorene retired after decades with Brown Shoe and worked at the Eastern Illinois University Text Book Library. Her retirement was filled with a thriving garden, walks with friends, evenings spent with a succession of beloved cats, and time with her ever-growing family. A visit to her house on 4th Street in Charleston always involved fried chicken and the visitor’s favorite kind of pie, with jars of jelly to take home. 

She was an active member of the Charleston First Church of God, where she taught generations of Sunday schoolers and sang in the choir. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, siblings, and eldest son, Michael. She is survived by her children, Norma (Ed) Carter and Steven (Donna) Snyder, and her beloved daughter-in-law, Jean Snyder; grandchildren Erin (Kevin) Engels, Benjamin (Jennie) Snyder, Andrew (Erica) Snyder, Nicholas (Haley) Carter, Allison Carter, and Emily Snyder; and great-grandchildren Lucas, Joshua, and Reagan Engels, Greta, Everett, and Lincoln Snyder, and Emerson Carter. She leaves behind many other nieces, nephews, cousins, family-in-law, and her cat, Kira.  

The family thanks the entire staff at Heritage Woods for their exceptional care and compassion, as well as Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospice. 

Services will be held 12:00 p.m. CST (NOON) Friday, July 21, 2023 at First Church of God, 1225 Montgomery Drive, Charleston, where Elvis gospel music will help send her home. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. CST (Noon).  The family requests the committal service be private.  Donations/checks may be made to the Mike Snyder Scholarship Fund, 5266 E County Road 1000N, Pittsboro, IN  46167 

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