1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

Sabina Snow is one of the well known and honored women of Crawford county, where she has lived for over thirty years. She is the widow of Joseph M. Snow, who died in this county January 14, 1879, having been one of the early settlers and one of the most prosperous farmers of Sheridan township, where Mrs. Snow still lives.

Mr. Snow had an active, honorable, useful career, and in whatever relation of life he was called to serve he gave a good account of himself and caused men to respect him for his true worth and ability. He was living in Missouri when the war came on, and at Rockport in Atchison county he enlisted in the Forty-third Missouri Infantry. He was detailed for duty at St. Joseph, Independence and Warrensburg, Missouri, and his chief service was in the dangerous business of fighting bushwhackers in that part of the state. He served faithfully until receiving his honorable discharge, and then returned home and resumed his trade.

He was born in the state of Maine in 1832, being a son of John and Elsie Snow, who both died in that state. He was reared in the hardy Pine Tree state, gained his education in the schools there, and above all learned the value of faithful labor in winning success in life. He learned the trade of blacksmith in early life, and became an expert at the business, so that he could do almost anything possible to that trade. When he was twenty-two years old he was married in New Hampshire to Miss Sabina Merrill, who was of a fine New England family, her father being Nathaniel Merrill and her mother's maiden name Bixby, both her parents dying when about sixty years old.

Some time after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Snow came west, first locating near Guthrie Center in Guthrie county, Iowa, then lived for two years in Nemaha county, Nebraska, after which they crossed the Missouri and became residents of Atchison county, Missouri, where they lived for eight years, during which time the Civil war was fought. In 1871 they came to Crawford county, and from that year until his death in 1879 Mr. Snow took a prominent part in the affairs of the township and county and gained a large degree of prosperity as a farmer, which occupation he followed almost exclusively in his later years. Before his death he owned a fine estate of three hundred and twenty acres in Sheridan township, but after his death much of this was distributed to the sons. Mrs. Snow now resides on the old homestead of eighty acres, which is a valuable tract of rich bottom land with some timber, and is excellently well improved with nice residence, barn and other farming equipments indicative of the enterprise and progressiveness of its owners. The home place is not far from the town of Monmouth, being situated on both Limestone and Wolf creeks. Mrs. Snow resides here in comfort and continues the gracious hospitality which was one of the chief charms of the Snow home during the life of Mr. Snow.

Mr. and Mrs. Snow during their happy union of twenty-five years had the following children born into their home: Melissa Strode, Belle Stoker, Charles, Frank, Laura Stoker, Nellie, Orin, Ada, William, and two who died in childhood. Mr. Snow was prominent in Masonic circles, being master of Chapter No. 59 in Missouri. Politically he was a strong Republican.