John Snider
John Snider, farmer, P.O. La Fayette, was born in Germany September 19, 1821; he is a son of Henry and Catharine Snider, natives of Germany, who lived and died in their native country. They had three children, two of whom, George and Sophia, remained in Germany, where they were residing when last known of them. The other child was John, our subject, who, when about eighteen years of age, emigrated to America and came to his uncle, Jacob Snider, who had previously come to this country, and was residing at La Fayette, this county. He arrived here in the fall of 1839. in 1846, he was married to Martha Verner, a native of Pennsylvania, by whom he had one child – Henry – now a resident of Iowa. His wife died July 16, 1849, of that terrible scourge – cholera. On April 22, 1851, he married for his second wife Drucilla Ellsworth, a native of Clark County, Ohio, and a daughter of Jesse and Elizabeth Ellsworth. By this union they have four children – Alpharetta E. (now wife of Dr. J. W. Chance, of London), Minnie L., Ida L. and Annetta E. Mr. Snider, after he came to La Fayette, learned the blacksmith trade, which business he followed about three years, when he entered upon the grocery trade, and finally extended his business into a general stock of goods, such as a country trade demands. In this he continued until the spring of 1864, when he purchased and located upon the farm where he now lives and has since resided. He now owns 600 acres of good land with good buildings and improvements, constituting a pleasant farmer's residence. Mr. Snider is strictly self-made; starting in life poor, he has by his industry and good business tact, accumulated a good competency, and is now one of the most reliable and respected farmers of Deer Creek Township.
From HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY - W. H. Beers [Chicago, 1883]