McManamon Family Tree

Notes taken June 1991, by Jean and Joan Srpan (twins), on visitingrelatives in Youngstown, Ohio.

Per Ag and Jean's rememberence. Bill Snyder was a "tumor". Since hismother Mary, was fat and getting fatter and also older, she figured shewas not pregnant, but had a tumor. She delivered in bed at home on MyrtleAve., Youngstown, Ohio. A doctor was called to the house to assist withthe delivery. Bill believed that Helen was his mother by his father Jacobbecause of a mistake on his birth certificate which listed Helen as hismother. (I have a copy which clearly lists Mary Stack as mother, JacobSnyder as father. "Whild born alive at 7:45 PM") Bill was sure Helen andJacob had an affair and he was born. To cover it up, Mary and Jacobclaimed him. That is not what Aggie says. Per Jake, Bill was namedWilliam Earl Snyder after a relative. Joan thinks it was Grammiesbrother, Earl.

Per notes taken May 3-7, 1990, Jake in Slidell, Louisianna, by Jean andJoan. Jake classified Bill as just like his dad. Jacob (father of Bill),would fight anyone in a minute Per Jake, Billie would always get intobrawls. Jake remembers his father going into the middle of a gypsy paradeand fighting everyone. Jake said his parents got along well, only arguedonce in awhile. In Jean and Joan's conversations with Bill 1985, heremembers his parents fighting and arguing a lot. Bill stated his fatherused him for a punching bag. Bill told Jean in 1985, that Jacob picked onthe way he ate. Jacob would knock food and utensils out of his hand orjust punch him at dinner.

Jake stated he had a dog when he was young. "Mom and dad didn't likeit---heeheeheehee (Jake laughted with a big smile) I"ve never like a cat.Bill always wanted a cat; blamed my dog for him not being able to have acat.

Bill would go out drinking as a kid. It was a successful night if heended up with a black eye and bruises. Bill talking about the coloredpeople in the neighborhood on Myrtle Ave., always trying to be what theyweren't. Having a club for colored that said they were really ?Eqyptianor something. Bill would get into arguements with some of the men and endup in a fist fight.

Jake said Bill fussed and fought his father to join the Navy and finallywon. Bill told Joan and Jean he was under age (we thought 16 years old orless from what we remember Bill telling us). Bill's Navy papers show hewas inducted one month before he was 18 years old. Jean remembers Billtelling her that Bill faked his age, signed up for the Navy, came homeand his father threw a fit but finally went to the recruiting office andsigned OK for Bill to join. Bill learned to swim in the Navy. Jeanremembers Bill telling her about learning to swim in a big tank or pool.Bill taught Jean how to hold her nose to clear plugged ears.

Bill left the Navy because his father was dying of cancer and he wasneeded at home. Bill worked many different jobs but eventually owned hisown dump truck and worked as an independant. Bill spoke to Jean about howdifficult soliciting jobs became, because the union drivers and companiesgot most of the work. Bill would have to take questionable loads,sometimes talking different places into buying his loads. He exceededweight limits, so took back roads. Sometimes he would get in fights withunion guys. He was a good talker and salesman.

Per letter, no date, but proabably summer 1973, Saturday July 7.. "I justwent back on day turn. I have been working night turns for a year and ahalf. Now I start at 7 AM to 3:30 PM. I don't get home til close to 4:30in the evening it takes that long to get here from work. Its the trafficat that time. If you like you can stay here while your in New Orleans.Its about 35 miles to New Orleans from here. If you try to get here fromNew Orleans lots of luck. ..past Boutte the Paridis, then to DesAllemands. The first thing you see is my trailer--yellow with brown trim,I don't have air cond. By the time you get here I should have my old boatback in the water. I don't have a phone here but the Marina has one andwill call me. Ask for Frank Kreamer, he is a good friend of mine and heowns the marina. I will leave a key to the trailer with him."

Per Bill's letter stamped August 29, 1977. "Don't fall over because Ifinally wrote a letter, I know they are few and far between. I must havestarted a thousand and fourteen in the last few years but never seem tofinish one. OK Jake and I moved. We bought some land north of NewOrleans. We live in Alton, LA, moved our house trailers here. Alton don'thave a Post office so the mailing address is Slidell, LA. Slidell is onthe LA map if you have one. It is north of Lake Pontchartrain. NewOrleans is south of the lake. If you come down to see us take interstateRT-12 to RT 11 get off on 11 turn north go the first street to the left.Brown Villiage Rd. go to the first street to the right St. Tammany Rd goto thried strrt go left and watch the name on the mail box. the mail boxwill be on your left, we will be across the street on the right. We areclose to the intersection at RT 12 and RT 11 easy to find." Jake toldJoan and Jean that Bill wanted to move that far out to get away from thecity crime even though he had to drive 1/2 hour to work each day.

Per Bill's letter stamped Jan. 2, 1978. "I got a phone at last. We aredoing the work here as I get enough money to do some thing. When I getenough more I"ll put in another drive. But at least every thing here ispaid for but it might take 95 more years to finish it." Address is, Tr-5,Box 131-C, Slidell, LA., 70458.

Per letter, April 15, 1985, from Bill to Jean. "I'm taking my vacationthe first 2 weeks in June. I was going to have my old rotten teeth pulledout and get some false teeth, but now I found a good excuse to put it offagain (because Jean and Joan were vacationing with him). No there not allthat bad but this winter I had my hare of tooth aches. I'm getting oldand I hate to admit it, 57 now. I have not been fishing for nearly 8-10years. At this age, I am happy to get to work and get home again. Afteryou get here we can even drive over to the Gulf Coast and have dinerthere someday. I'll be on vacation so there will be no hurry. We willmake room for both of you here, some kind of way. Mostly on vacation Ilike to go to Laredo, Texas. It is on the border with old Mexico. I guessLaredo is a lot like New Orleans used to be, lotta old buildings downtown. I want you to understand this New Orleans is not what it once was.Warn your people to be very careful here. Tow or threee people aregetting killed here every nite. I guess to many people are out of workhere and robbery is the order of the day. All those little places aregone big guildings are built in ther place all of those places I used togo are gone now. Bourban street an the french quarter are still here ifyou can afford it. High priced drinks and strip joints is all that isthere now. We don't have a phone here. back in where we are the damnphone never worked I had it taken out. every time I wanted to use thephone I had to down to road (11) and then call the phone co. to come fixmine. So now I just go down the corner and make my call. We live about 35miles from the french quarter."

During visit in 1985, while Bill and Jean were walking through a shoppingmall and before Joan's flight arrived, Jean commented that she needed tobuy her husband, Jim, a father's day card, and that Bill was never afather since he never married. Bill stopped Jean in her tracks by sayinghe had been married while serving in the Navy and while his ship was inAlgiers, across from New Orleans. He met a woman in a bar, part ChoctowIndian, they had a stormy relationship, and eventually had a ?son whileBill was at sea. He returned to Algiers and found the woman again, Shebecame pregnant again. Bill says he married her and only told his sister,Dorothy, our mother, who is now long dead. He also said, his father wasdiagnosed with terminal lung cancer and he chose to leave his wife andchild and return to Youngstown, Ohio, to take care of his physicallyabusive father until the father died.

Bill stayed for the next 25 years taking care of his mother, who wouldnot leave the house. Bill told Jean that after he moved to New Orleans,his son tracked him down, and wrote a letter, which Jean believes, Billnever answered. Bill told Jean he got another letter and meant to writeback. He said the address was ?Lorado, Texas, or somewhere in Texas. Jakewas visibily shocked when Jean asked about Bill's "wife and children" aswas Aggie when the same question was posed. Jake knew nothing about thisand felt that Bill liked to lie and exaggerate. Joan and Jean went to thepublic library geneology section in New Orleans and scanned marriagerecords from 1945-46, the years Bill was in the Navy. There were norecords of him marrying in New Orleans. There is a possibility he couldhave married in another city or parish. Bill talked about partying inAlgiers, which is across from New Orleans. There is no cross-referencefor Louisiana. The library does not have complete records from someparishes since no one has compliled them. Joan and Jean asked thelibrarian that if Bill had an illigitimate child, could we trace thechild. The only way we could find a birth is to have the exact date ofbirth to trace the record. When we searched Bill's trailer for any letteror clues from his children, we found nothing. Bill had told Jean his ?sonsent him a letter a few years before my 1985 visit asking about him. Joanand Jean hit a brick wall in our search for the truth. Jean feelsskeptical that Bill might have been lying or embellishing. His Navaldischardge recordo list him as single. He was only in the Navy one yearwith some of that being eaten up with boot camp and the trip to Europe byship. Joan has a picture of his ship being docked in ?Venice or somewherein Italy. Joan has a copy of his initiation into the neptune club forcrossing the equateor. Perhaps Bill had an affair while in New Orleanswith the woman and she later notified him she was pregnant.

Billy told Joan that Jake treated him like a child. The he did not thinkBill could fix or do anything right. He would always tell him what to do.Bill would get mad and tell Jake to get out of there.

Jake told about Bill's bad, violent temper. Jake and Bill would argue inBill's trailer about anything. Jake would know there was not a way to winthe argument. Jake would throw up his hands and say, "The hell with you."Jake said he did that as protection but Bill thought he did it to getBill mad. Jake said Bill fibbed and lied a lot.

Per Jake, "The trouble with Billie is the way they (parents) used todrink." Jake remembers Jacob and Mary drinking when they were older butcontradicted himself when he told how they would go to Joe's (Jacob'sbrother) house and drink leaving Dort (Dorothy) and him alone when theywere young. Bill used to throw Grace (Mary Stack Snyder's sister) out ofthe house when she and Mary (Mammie) were drinking. Per Jake, "Billie wasthe same as dad. Jacob and Bill hated to come home to find Grammie halfplastered."

In 1995, Bill told Jean he had to quit school to work in the Mills(Steel) to help the family during the Depression. Bill worked in abuilding across from his father Jacob's building. When pay day arrived,Jacob would be waiting for Bill, then take his full paycheck and blowmost of it on drink. Jacob would get violent with Bill if he did not handit over. One reason Bill wanted to go in the Navy was to get away fromthe drinking and abuse.

Bill stayed in the attic of Dorothy and Edward Srpan's house for awhile,working in Cleveland or just visiting. But the attic was mostly bareinsulation with a wooden walk area down the center. Jean remembers a bedand overhead light being up there, like Bill was staying, not justvisiting for the weekend. Jean remembers being younger than 10. Bill wasfun and played with Joan and Jean. Jean vividely remembers lead soldiersthat Bill said he had made with a mold. Joan and Jean played with thesefor hours.

Per phone conversation with Josie Trafficant DiCicco Snyder Bucik, Jake'sex-wife 10/96: Bill would confide in her. Once he was very interested ina woman but was concerned about his mother, Mary, if he left her. Josieadvised him to stick with the woman and marry her. Bill never did butremained true to his mother.

He came to New Orleans after Grammie died, 1970, to a city Billremembered from the Navy as a fun town. Bill always argued with Jake thathe came before 1970. Jake said Bill had a tendency to lie but perhaps itwas more a faulty memory. Joan found a clipping of Grammies death noticewhich verified she died early 1970. Bill moved only after she died and hesold the house on Myrtle Ave., Youngstown, Ohio. When Bill sold the housethe movers didn't come when they were scheduled. Bill would not wait. Theneighbor across the street came over. Bill asked him if he still wantedthe TV and sold him everything in the house for ?$500, then took off forNew Orleans. According to Jake, "A few years later", Bill called Jakeunexpectedly at night, very unusual behavior, and invited Jake to joinhim. Bill added, "Don't bring that dog." Bill told Joan that he neverasked Jake to come to New Orleans and that he came just so that Billwould have to take care of him like he did Grammie. Jake arrived in NewOrleans where Bill had a trailer on rent free land some woman friendowned next to a bar she owned or worked at. Bill told Joan that the womanwould make him dinner every night but then wanted Bill to make acommitment like marriage. He got mad and left her. She also expected himto tell her where he was and what time he would be home. Grammie alsoexpected that information so Bill delibertely stayed away, answeredangrily and then complained when his dinner was cold no matter what timehe arrived.

Jean, as a young teenager, remembers Bill being unemployed for monthsonce. He refused to get food stamps or even take help from the family.Bill wore bowling shoes around the house because all his other shoes wereworn out and he could not afford to buy anymore. They lived off of Mary's(Grammies) social security check.

Bill paid for half the property in Slidell and his trailer, $2000. Billhomesteaded his lots. Bill asked Jake to do things or fix things for him.Bill paid for the parts and always helped Jake. Bill was 6 feet 2 inchestall in his prime and weighted 234 pounds.

After Jake came to LA., Bill dropped all of his friends. Jake attributedthis to Bill's need to watch Jake, "But I didn't need no watching." Billhad told Joan and Jean in 1985 that Jake always yelled or complainedabout his friends or threatened or scared them, and they graduallystopped coming by. Jake said Bill had a lot of friends. They would leavefor Texas on weekends to drink and party and not come home until work onMonday. Bill had told us there was a time when he had a drinking problem.Jean wonders if Bill's friends dissappearing coincides.

Per Jake, Bill would try local foods. Bill liked sweets.

Per Jake, Bill had hemorrhoids which were fixed by tying them off withrubber bands. In 1985, Bill told Jean and Joan about a time when he feltvery tired and faint while he was working high up as a crane operator. Heremembers barely being able to climb up the ladder. Jean is not sure, butBill said he "fainted" then went to a local hospital. He talked of beingin ?ICU for a time where things were happening crazy like. He told ofbeing wheeled on a guerney fast and the guerney ran over another patientbut the nurses never stopped to take care of the other patient. Inretrospect, this sounds like delusional confusion. I believe Bill said hehad hemorrhaged. Jean thinks Bill was hallucinating.

Example of Bill and Jake's need to be right: During the twins visit in1985, Bill and Jake used to take walks for exercise in Slidell, but onlyon their property because it was not safe outside. Jake would walk theperimeter; Bill walked the same distance but up and sown the drivewaybecause it was higher ground, smooth and not wet. Bill would complainthat Jake's route was rough, up and down, and wet. Both maintained thattheir route was the right route and argued for years.

When Jean and Joan visited in 1985, Jean arrived on Friday and Joan onMonday. Bill was excited to have us stay in his trailer. Bill was like ajoyful kid. After picking Jean up from the airport, he drove to a visitorcenter, where Jean picked out brochures of anywhere she wanted to go.Jean waited for Bill to decided where he would like to go but he deferredto Jean. In retrospect, the twins were the siblings that Bill wished for,someone to pal around with. Bill took us to dinner anywhere, includingthe French Quarter. We visited old plantations, toured swamps and fed theallegators, sat in the Preservation Hall listening to jazz, tried newfoods, visited a NASA test site, even drove over half the state ofLouisiana looking for a Cajun festival. Bill let Jean drive his motorhome and commented that I drove better than a man or some of his friends.Bill sat in the camper in Mississippi while Joan and Jean swam in theGulf of Mexico. Bill said he had diarrhea and had history of boweltroubles lately. (died of cancer of colon, 5 years later). Bill wasalways kind, gentle and gentlemanly with the twins. He enjoyed travelingand spoke of crossing into Mexico, perhaps living there one day. Billonly liked to stay in one motel chain (La Quinta) because the chain washonost, reasonable and consistent.

Bill told Jake when he was dying, how disappointed Bill was that Jakenever went palling around with him and doing things together. But Jakecomplained that Bill never asked him to go places. Jake said he suspectsBill just wanted someone around to watch his property and trailer. Billwould go off to Laredo, Texas alone. Jake went to bars with Bill thefirst year Jake moved to New Orleans, LA, 1976. He commented that Billwould be smooching a woman friend, while Jake sat drinking his root beer.

When Bill was dying, Jake would come to his trailer every morning to seehow Bill was doing. Bill would see him and wave his arm to be helped tosit up. Usually he only wanted water to drink. Occasionally some oatmeal.He liked to lay on his left side where the colostomy bag was whichruptured the fecal contents onto the bed. Jake had to throw away themattress when Bill died. Jake cleaned him and took care of him. Jake saidhe wanted to live long enough to take care of everyone. Bill was the lastof his close family.

Bill had a US post office box as an address in Biloxie, Miss., so that hecould go to that VA Hospital. Bill disliked the New Orleans VA Hospital.In order to go to Biloxi, he needed a Mississippi address. While Bill wasa patient in the Biloxi VA Hospital, Jake would visit and they would walkaround the beautiful grounds and sit by the lake. Bill heard talk aboutcolored people bossing you around and not taking care of you, so he neverwanted to stay long term at the hospital, which he did not. The VAdentist had removed all of Bill's decayed teeth and for 6 months hisdentures were on order from the government. The teeth never arrivedbefore Bill died. Bill stayed alive through Christmas and New Year's, butdidn't even know the date, per Jake. "We were both sick in bed at thetime." Bill dying and Jake having the flu.

Bill only wanted to go to the VA at the very end. One morning Jake camein to get Bill up and fix breakfast. Bill said, "It's time to go to thehospital." Bill insisted on walking down the stairs to the car, with Jakealmost holding him up to do it. Bill was very weak. Bill didn't say muchon the way to the hospital. On arrival Jake went to admitting and got anLVN to help Bill out. He almost passed out. She took him to his roomwhere Jake said he would see him shortly after finishing in admitting.The LVN said Bill had no BP at the time. When Jake came up to Bill'sroom, he had died. Jake just sat there with him awhile. Finally askedwhere the nearest Catholic Church was and funeral home. Jake madearrangements and since he thought Joan or Jean would not be able to comeout on such short notice, he decided to have Bill buried the next dayafter a very short graveside service by a local priest. Jake got up earlythe day of the buriel, sat with Bill in the funeral home awile, then itwas time to leave. I think Jake notified Joan of Bill's death a week orso later. How sad, such a lonely end.

Per Jake's letter to Joan, Jan. 18, 1990. "The VA said not to prolongthis any longer than possible. He said I was the only one left and Iwould be the only one coming to the funeral. I told him about you andJean. I told him Jean lives in California and I don;t think she willcome. Joan lives in Cincinnati and she told me to call if anythinghappens and if she didn't have any meeting or appointment she would come.He said that is not a definite yes. Since you are the only one I can setthis up for 2:00 PM tomorrow. he said I would have to get an undertakerand he said I should get one from Biloxi. I told him I had no one inmind. I asked him wich one was the nearest and he told me RiemannMemorial funeral home about 1 mile down RT 90 on Beauvoer Rd. I told himeverything and he said we will make it 10:00 AM if it was allright withme. I told him I would have to come over if it was 2:00 PM or 10:00 AM.he told me the home is opened at 8:00 AM. I was with Bill till about aquarter of ten when we left for the cemetery. We were there at 10:00 AM.I had a priest come to the cemetery but he was a little late we had towait. he wasn't very long. He said a nice ceremony and after it was overthe priest took my hand gave me his condolences on the death of mybrother then he left. The manager of operations was there from thefuneral home and he and another one from there took the flag and foldedit and gave it to me. Its over you go then the cemetery personnel takesthe body and puts it in the grave. I hope this letter finds you in thebest of health. Love Jake"

BILL AND JAKE SNYDER per interview with Agnes Gillespie, September 2000,by Jean Cooke and Joan Lee

Joan reflects that Billy Snyder did boxing, and once Jake was in theaudience. Bill kept turning his back to Jack so he would not know thatwas him fighting. I think they did that for money during the Depression.

Pictures of Billy when he was dying. Ag-When I saw that picture of Billy,I couldn't believe it. He looked older than Jake. And then Earl was outthere and his visited Jake's grave.

BILL (WILLIAM) SNYDER

How was Billie rowdy? Did he get drunk? Josie---No, he never got drunk. He just used to sass her back andeverything when he was young. But she deserved it. She wouldn't let himdo nothin'. We heard that she didn't even know she was pregnant with Billie? Josie---She thought she had a tumor. Billy was a tumor. Did she go into labor during a poker game? Josie---Yeah, that's true. And then he was born. Were you there at the time? Josie-Noooo. I didn't meet Jake until Bill was 8 or 9 years old. AndJake just loved Billy. He loved his brother. Jean-When I talked to Billy in 1985, he was telling me that his fatherused him as a punching bag. Do you know anything about that? Josie- Hell no. I didn't know that. Jean-He said that Dorothy was hisfavorite and I guess Jake wasn't treated bad but Billy, he'd be sittingat the table and his father would backhand him and knock him against thewall. Josie---Hell no, I didn't know that. Jean---While Billy was in the Navy he met a woman and he told me that hehad two sons from that woman who lived in Texas and wrote him a letter. Josie-I believe that. Jean---But then Jake said that Billy lied. DidBilly lie? Josie---Billy lied, he lied yeah. He was a liar, sure. They sent for himto come home because his father was dying when he was in the service.That's how he came home. And how could he have these children. That's nottrue. It's a lie. Joan and I then spoke of searching for a marriage ofBilly in New Orleans. What kind of things would he lie about, do you remember? Josie--- Oh, anything. He lied about everything. I don't know how manytimes he dreamed he was married and had children 'cause he motherwouldn't let him. He must have suffered somethin' terrible. He was a goodkid but he lied a lot. I liked him.

Josie- I felt sorry for Billie, his mother did not like any woman hebrought home. He really wanted to marry a girl but his mother did notlike her. The girl did not want to marry because she would have to put upwith Grammie. The girls did not understand that Grammie did not likeanybody.

Josie- Billie suffered with his mother. That poor Billie had no life atall. Joan-Did Jakie feel bad about that? Josie- yeah he felt bad. His brother wanted to get married and shewouldn't allow him to marry anybody.