Lois Anetta Mow Snavely: Lewisburg, Pa.
1924 – 2018
Lois Anetta Mow Snavely of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania died Saturday, March 31. She was 93.
Born April 23, 1924 in Dahanu, India, she was a daughter of missionaries Baxter M. and Anna B. Mow. She returned to the United States at age 17, and married (John) Ernest Snavely on June 23, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois.
Mrs. Snavely attended Woodstock School in the Himalaya Mountains in India, received her BA from the American University of Beirut (Lebanon) in 1954, her MAT in 1974 from the University of South Carolina (USC) Columbia, and her Art Certification from USC, Coastal Carolina in 1975.
Her professional teaching experience included the American Institute in Baghdad, Iraq, the American School Foundation in Monterrey, Mexico, Technological University summer school, Monterrey, Mexico, American School Adult Education, Mexico, and Loris High School. She taught English, Social Studies, Archaeology, Mexican Art, History, Western Civilization, and Art, and was Chair of Fine Arts Department at Loris High School from 1977-89.
Her unique teaching style endeared her to students worldwide. Her teaching excellence is reflected in her Teacher of the Year Awards, including Loris High School in 1980 and in 1982, Horry County in 1982, and the state-wide Secondary Teacher of the Year for South Carolina Art Education Association (SCAEA) in 1981.
Other honors include the SCAEA Service Award in 1986, Special Lifetime Award in 1991, and SCAEA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
She loved to travel, learn, absorb, and share her knowledge. Her interests included music, the arts, history, archaeology, quilting, textiles, and marbling. She sang in her church choir and played piano throughout her life, and sang in the chorus of several operas in Chicago and Monterrey, Mexico. She traveled around the world and lived for extended periods in five countries.
In 1994 she took a group of art educators to China, and took eight other groups to China in the following 16 years.
She was active in, and often held leadership positions in Church, Music, Literary, Art and Quilting groups as well as County, State and National Art Education groups.
She encouraged her children and grandchildren to follow their dreams and supported and loved them unconditionally. She loved the beautiful things of this world and shared them generously with all who knew her. She will be missed in many ways, especially her vibrant, adventurous, kind spirit, and the sincere joy of her smile.
Mrs. Snavely is survived by three daughters, Barbara M (Robert) Whitfield of North Carolina, Katherine A (George) Olde of Florida, and Loanne (Gary Gyekis) Snavely of Pennsylvania; a son, Thomas E. (Catherine) of North Carolina, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Lois was preceded in death by her husband, Ernie, and two brothers, Joseph and Merrill.
A memorial service was planned for 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, at Loris First United Methodist Church in Loris. Burial was planned for a later date in Orange Township Cemetery, Waterloo, Iowa.
Memorials may be directed to Anna Beahm Mow Endowment, Bethany Theological Seminary, 615 National Road West, Richmond, IN 47374.
