Snyder, Michel Gedney

MICHEL GEDNEY SNYDER.

The earliest representatives of the Snyder family emigrated from Germany, though few facts regarding their first settlement in America are preserved. William, the grandfather of Michel G., resided one mile east of St. Andrew’s, in the township of Montgomery, where he followed farming employments during his life. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Redmond, and had children,— Catharine, John, William, Elizabeth, Abram, Jane, Michel, Phebe. His death occurred Sept. 12, 1829, in his sixty-seventh year.

Michel Snyder, the father of the subject of this biographical sketch, was born July 28, 1804, in Montgomery, the scene of his lifetime labors and later of his death. He was during the year 1824 united in marriage to Miss Priscilla Mullenix, of Newburgh, to whom were born children,— William, Henry, Michel Gedney, Abram, and John James, of whom but two, Abram and Michel Gedney, survive.

The death of Mr. Snyder occurred Jan. 11, 1873, in his sixty-eighth year.

His son, Michel G., was born on the home farm in Montgomery, Aug. 7, 1833, where he remained during his early manhood. The school of the district offered opportunities for education while a lad, and later years were busily occupied in labor upon the farm. Mr. Snyder was on the eighth day of October, 1861, married to Mrs. Catharine Louisa, daughter of John and Frederika Moadinger, of New York City, and widow of the late Alexander Gedney, to whom was born by the first marriage one daughter, Alice Gedney, now Mrs. Henry Seeley. Mr. Snyder is a Democrat in his political sentiments, but gives little time to the excitements of public life. He is better known as a thrifty and very successful farmer, whose cultivated lands and attractive surroundings bear witness to his enterprise. Both Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are supporters of the Reformed Dutch Church of Walden, at which they are regular worshipers.