W.C. Snow and Sarah Isobell Collins Snow
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Dr. Clyde and Isobell Snow

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Service

U.S.FlagWorld War I Veteran U.S. Army

Biography

Wister Clyde Snow was born in 1895 in Leon Co., TX, shortly after his family arrived from Mississippi. He grew up in Erath Co. where his parents, John Berryhill Snow and Ida Nowlan Snow, continued to farm as they had in MS. Clyde attended John Tarleton College in Stephenville, graduated in 1917, and joined the armed services soon afterward. He served 15 months in Europe with the Army of Occupation. Upon his return to the States, Clyde taught high school physics before entering Baylor University School of Medicine in 1922.

It was during his clinical experience at Parkland Hospital that he met Sarah Isobell Collins, who was then a supervisor of Masonic Children's Home, and who became his wife soon after graduation from medical school. Isobell, born in 1896, had come to Texas from Sturgeon Bay, Door Co., WS, where her French and Irish grandparents had been among that county's original settlers. Clyde and Isobell were married in 1926 and lived in Fort Worth during the period of his internship. In 1928, soon after the birth of their son, Clyde Collins Snow, the couple came west to Ralls. Although they first stopped in Petersburg, they were soon persuaded to move to Ralls by R.J. Belcher, Ralls pharmacist, who offered to provide temporary office space in his drugstore.

During the next 17 years, Dr. and Mrs. Snow were deeply involved not only with serving the area's medical needs, but also with various civic interest groups. In accordance with these pursuits, he established the community's first clinic-hospital, allowing women an option other than home delivery. Dr. Snow estimated that by 1944, when they moved to Ralls, he had delivered more than 1000 of Crosby, Floyd and Lubbock counties' past and present citizens.

After leaving Ralls and settling in Roswell, NM, Dr. Snow continued his practice of medicine, while his son, Clyde, attended New Mexico Military Institute. In 1950, they returned to Lubbock, where Dr. Snow practiced until his retirement in 1958. At that time, the Snows returned to Ralls area to make their home on a farm some ten miles north of town which he had acquired a number of years earlier. Dr. Snow christened the farm the "Arabel", from a nickname bestowed on Mrs. Snow by her dear friend, Mrs. Murray Hargraves. After Sarah Isobell's death July 16, 1968, following several years of failing health, the additional name of "The Secluded Dell" was given to the farm (from his favorite poem written by S. Newton Berryhill, a great uncle and poet of Civil War times).

In 1970, Dr. Snow began the project of tracing and reprinting some of Newton Berryhill's works on politics and poetry. After locating one of the three remaining original copies of Berryhill's work, Dr. Snow, with the aid of Jerry Whistler Snow, Mrs. Virgie Sellers of Ralls, and others, completed the reprinting of Backwoods Poems (original edition - 1878) and a companion volume, Talla Homa's Story.

In 1973, wishing to revisit many of the places he remembered seeing as a young man during the first World War, and accompanied by Donna Herring Snow, Dr. Snow returned to Europe. The trip was a memorable occasion for him, in spite of the dynamic changes which had occurred during his 54 year absence.

Dr. Snow died Aug. 20, 1975, one day after his 80th birthday. He is survived by his son, Dr. Clyde Collins Snow, and five grandchildren; Jennifer Lee, Tracey Ann, Cynthia Lynn, and Melinda Gail, of Lubbock, and Kevin Ashley of East Lansing, Mich. Dr. Clyde Snow has resided in Norman, OK since he obtained his Ph.D. in physical anthropology from University of Arizona.

Source: Crosby County History ~ 1876-1977 Written by Jennifer Snow


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Obituary

Funeral services for Dr. W.C. Snow, a long time resident of Ralls were held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, August 22 at the Ralls United Methodist Church.

Officiating were Rev. Dick Richards, pastor and Dr. Hubert Bratcher, retired Methodist minister of Lubbock.

Dr. Snow, 80, a retired physician was born Aug. 19, 1895 in Leon County, Texas, but left as an infant and was reared in Erath County. He died Aug. 20 in Crosbyton. A World War I Veteran he was retired from medical practice approximately 20 years ago. A graduate of John Tarleton College and Baylor University Medical School, he married Sarah Isobel Collins, June 29, 1926 in Dallas. She preceded him in death, July 16, 1968.

They moved to Ralls March 4, 1928, from Ft. Worth, where he lived and practiced medicine until July 1, 1944. They then moved to Roswell, NM, returning to Ralls to live in 1959.

A former member of the Ralls Rotary Club, he served as President of the organization during 1940-41. He was also a former member of Kiwanis Club in New Mexico.

Interment was in Ralls Cemetery under direction of Carter Funeral Home of Ralls.

Survivors include: one son, Dr. Clyde C. Snow of Norman Okla., five grandchildren: Jennifer Snow, Tracey Snow, Cynthia Snow, Melinda Snow, all of Lubbock, and Ashley Snow of Lansing, Mich.





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