Dennis Snyder, 85 of Carroll, died Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at his home in Carroll surrounded by his family.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 10, 2024 at St. Lawrence Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Timothy Schott, assisted by Dennis’ son, Deacon Matt Snyder. Music will be by Kathy Halbur. Lectors for the Funeral Mass will be Dennis’ grandchildren, Dillon Walker and Sidney Helms. Gift Bearers and Casket Bearers will be Dennis’ grandchildren. Burial will be in the Carroll City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and will conclude with a rosary. Additional visitation will be from 9:30-10:15 a.m. on Monday at the church.
Memorials may be left at the funeral home or the church for St. Anthony Cancer Center or Gentiva Hospice.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the Snyder family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Dennis Lee Snyder was born May 30, 1939 at home in Carroll, IA, to Leonard William and Evelyn Theresa (Vanderloo) Snyder.
In 1958, Denny graduated from Carroll High School. A few months later on September 13, he married Mardy Odendahl at St. Lawrence Catholic Church. They welcomed their first of seven children in 1959. His entire life, Denny worked hard for his family. He drove trucks for Crouse Cartage Company (CCC) for 33 years. When Crouse Cartage Company closed the Carroll operations in 1999, Denny continued to enjoy the annual CCC reunions each summer. After CCC, Denny ran the printers for Stone Printing Office Supply for 16 years. Over the years, their home was a flurry of activity from Cindy the pug’s puppies to the critters brought home needing tending to the annual camping trips.
Between work, Denny and Mardy traveled together and with their children. On the weekends, they would drive up to Lake View or Okoboji for fishing adventures. Road warriors in their wood-paneled station wagon, they drove out to Colorado many times to take in the mountain scenery. Other memorable trips include Carlsbad Caverns, Niagara Falls, the Black Hills, Disney World, and California. They went on two cruises with their son, Scott, to the Caribbean and Spain. Each winter for 15 years, they migrated south to sunny Apache Junction, AZ.
Travel closer to home included decades of summer camping out at Swan Lake State Park. Their children fondly remember hiking around the lake, while their grandchildren fondly remember grandpa and grandma spoiling them with special treats. In the afternoon, Denny would start the campfire for the evening, sit in his camp chair with a bowl of shoestring potatoes, and listen to oldie country western music (Johnny Cash, George Strait, Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell, and Elvis were his favorites), while Mardy took the grandkids down to the concession stand. They would always be sure to bring back a cinnamon jawbreaker or two for Grandpa Denny.
In 1986, Denny rode his first RAGBRAI with his daughter, Tamara. This experience sparked a love of bicycling for Denny. Over the years, he rode thousands of miles along the Sauk Trail as well as numerous RAGBRAIs. After his last day of riding RAGBRAI from Carroll to Boone in 2011, he continued to participate as the sag wagon driver for his grandsons.
Denny was a child at heart and a prankster, traits he inherited from his mother, Evelyn. As a child on the farm, he and his brother, Dale, pushed a car with their sister, Kay, through the chicken coop. They thought it was hilarious, Kay not so much. When asked what was inside his belly, he once told a grandchild that it was a whole turkey. He was always up for making funny faces, playing a card game, digging the little trampoline out of the garage, or finding the old toys in the basement. If you stopped by the Salinger house on a Saturday, you’d find Denny in the park throwing a football or playing basketball with his kids in the backyard. At Christmas time, he loved to offer pink squirrels and grasshoppers, homemade by Mardy, as a holiday treat. Denny attended St. Lawrence Catholic Church his entire life as well as being a member of the St. Lawrence Men’s Club and the Knights of Columbus.
Dennis is survived by his wife of 65 years Mardy (Odendahl) Snyder of Carroll. His siblings, Dale (Judy) Snyder of Aurora, CO; Kay (Bob) Jetter of Council Bluffs, IA; and Leonard Jr. (Jan) Snyder of Lakewood, CO. His children, Tamara Snyder of Savage, MN; Christy (Denny) Vogel of Omaha, NE; Peggy (Matt) Greteman of Carroll, IA; Scott Snyder of Flower Mound, TX; Linda (Fran Pike) Walker of Monticello, MN; Matt (Lenorr) Snyder of Custer, SD; and June (Tryg) Tow of Peoria, IL. 19 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
Dennis is preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Evelyn (Vanderloo) Snyder. His parents-in-law, George and Florence (Schoeppner) Odendahl. His brother-in-law, Wayne Nepple. His sister-in-law, Betty Anderson. His grandchild, Maxwell Tow.