A Life Lived: Mable Snavely had a beautiful faith and testimony

Published 12:30 pm Tuesday, October 25, 2022

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Mable Snavely was 98 years old when she died Oct. 8. Life was not always easy for her, but it wasn’t always hard. She embraced life, and age was not an issue for her.
“Mom was full of energy, feisty, lively and independent.” That was how Mable’s daughter, Joyce Snavely, described her. “She was very independent.”
Mable loved life, and she loved people. But the greatest love in her life was the Lord and her church. “She went to church three times a week. She wanted everyone to know the Lord, and if she talked to you any length of time, she would get around to inviting you to church,” shared Joyce.
Mable was a member of Borderview Christian Church, and she loved her minister and church family. Joyce shared that her mother also enjoyed singing and had a beautiful alto voice, but when she lost her hearing she often sang a little louder than other choir members. But, it didn’t seem to bother anyone, because everyone knew Mable sang from the heart, not to be heard.
Joyce said her mother loved old hymns and quartet songs, and among her favorites were “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder” and “Jerusalem.” Both were sung at her funeral.
Next to her Lord and the church, Mable loved her family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim. Together, they had three daughters, Joyce, Susie and June. Mable had several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In her earlier years she had worked at Bemberg and Leon-Ferenbach. She enjoyed working in the yard. “She didn’t care so much about working in the house or cooking, but she did make good gravy and a tasty banana pudding,” added Joyce.
When she got older, she spent her day watching game shows on TV, and every evening she watched Wheel of Fortune (to see what Vanna was wearing). Joyce shared that her mother also enjoyed traveling, especially to the beach, and had been to Hawaii.
Another favorite pastime was shopping. “Mom liked clothes. She always wanted to look good, and never liked dull colors. She liked colorful clothes and never liked to go out without her makeup,” said Joyce.
She enjoyed playing card games with her family, and she was good at it according to Joyce. “She especially liked it when she won,” she said. And, at one time she enjoyed working jigsaw puzzles.
Mable had experienced some difficult times in her life, but never let them get her down or stop her. She had suffered a compression fracture in her back, a broken shoulder, and had broken her hip twice, resulting in her walking with the assistance of a walker. “But, she always bounced back,” said Joyce.
Mable Snavely touched many lives during her time on earth. A friend on the funeral home tribute page wrote: “She always made us laugh and shake our heads in wonder. She was an amazing person.”
Another wrote: “To know Mable Snavely was to love her and to be loved by her…she had the most infectious laugh, complete with a snort if she was really tickled — and she was really tickled. Mable’s love for her family was surpassed only by her love for her Lord.”
If you were blessed to have known Mable, you knew she was genuine and that her love and testimony were genuine. She was like the sun. When she was around, life was a little brighter.

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