Tressie Melba Snider

Tressie Melba Lebow (97) was born May 9, 1926, to Samuel (S.H.) and Minervia (Lizzy) Lebow in Happy, Texas. She was born the 7th of 11 children. The family moved to Abernathy where she would attend Abernathy Schools. In high school she played basketball and worked at the local drug store. She was very shy, often keeping her eyes down. If a customer came to the counter, she would go stand by the counter waiting. If the customer didn't order anything she would walk away. She was named Harvest Queen at Abernathy High School. The votes cost 1 cent apiece. Her friend JT sold his calf to buy her winning votes. She graduated in May 1944 and began training in the Army Cadets Nursing Corps at West Texas Hospital School of Nursing in September of that year. She graduated in 1947 as a Registered Nurse and began working at the Swisher County hospital while attending Wayland Baptist College. While there, she served as the Team Manager for the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens basketball team. She married Leddrew Lee (Buck) Snider on July 25, 1948, wearing a white linen suit at the First Baptist Church Lubbock, Texas. They were married for 58 years until his death in 2006. Tressie's nursing career involved working at Lubbock area Hospitals, private duty, various camps including the Texas Tech Band and Orchestra Camp, and as a School Nurse for Lubbock Independent School District. She retired from LISD with 26 years of service in May 1991. She was a long-time member of the First Baptist Church and then Trinity Church. She began attending Messianic Christian home-based groups and small churches during her later years. She studied the Torah and attempted to learn Hebrew faithfully until the advancement of dementia. She lived her life loving and trusting God daily. She was known as a prayer warrior and a financial supporter of ministries she felt called to assist. She developed a love for Israel and the Jewish people. She made three trips to Israel with the last being in her 80's. She sought a deeper understanding of God though gaining an understanding of the meaning of the Jewish traditions and Holidays and the foreshadowing of the Messiah. She loved her family and spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Coming from a large family, she valued her siblings and their spouses as friends as well as family. She is preceded in death by her parents S.H, and Lizzy Lebow, husband, Buck Lee Snider, daughter Mary Westerman Bunten, son Tom Snider and her siblings Lillian, Cecil, Ruby and husband Lawrence, Curtis and wife Christine, Cleatus and wife Joan, Daisy and husband Rodney, Floyd, Ramona, Leo and wife Annie. Tressie was 97 years old when she died peacefully at home in Lubbock from multi-system organ failure. She was 8 days short of her 98th birthday. Left to cherish her memory are sons Gary (Linda) Snider, Lonnie (Melinda) Snider, daughter Bonnie Arrant (Ron Cape), Grandchildren Denise (Dan) Perlstein of Pacific Palisades, CA, Laura Earl (Jeremy) of Midland, TX, Nicole (Steven)Weibel of Houston area, Jessica Snider-Rodriguez of New York, NY, Reid Arrant of Richardson, TX, Tressie Lewis (Tanner) of Lubbock, Naomi Snider of Richardson, TX, Ashley and Matthew Newton of Lubbock, and Robert Browning of Lubbock, Great Grandchildren Lillian, Jackson, Ethan, Dylan, Samantha, Alaric and 9 Great Great Grandchildren, sister Oleta Buzbee of Bend, Oregon, Sister-in-law Sammye Lebow of Kingsland, TX, and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation with the family will be at Sanders Funeral Home 1420 Main on Sunday May 12th from 4-6 PM. Graveside services will be at Lubbock Cemetery May13th at 2:00 PM. All wishing to drive in the funeral procession need to be at Sanders Funeral Home by 1:00 PM as the police escort will promptly depart at 1:30 for the cemetery. The family recommends donations in honor of Tressie Snider be made to Heifer.org in lieu of flowers.

Tressie Melba Snider

May 9, 1926 - May 1, 2024