Obituary

Harvey Snapp, 86, of Newton died Sunday (Oct. 28, 2007) at the Kansas Heart Hospital in Wichita.

He was born in rural Republic County on Sept. 9, 1921, to Raymond and Avis (Blackwood) Snapp. He graduated from Belleville High School in 1939 and enrolled in Kansas State University, where he received a degree in agriculture in 1944. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the Rainbow Division in France and Germany, and participated in the liberation of Dachau concentration camp. He earned the Bronze Star for valor and served in the army of occupation in Austria until his discharge in 1946. He enrolled in The University of Kansas School of Law, where he received his law degree in 1949. He married Marguerite C. Glotzbach on Aug. 28, 1951, in Manhattan. They moved to Hoisington, where he practiced law before he joined the legal department of Railroad Building and Loan Association in 1955. He worked as general counsel for Railroad Savings until his retirement in 1986. He continued in the private practice of law with his son Donald, at the Snapp Law Firm in Newton until his death.

He was active in many charitable and civic causes in the Newton area. He was a Cub Scout leader for more than 50 years. He held many offices and positions with the Knights of Columbus and St. Mary's Parish in Newton. He received service awards from the Boy Scouts of America, including the Silver Beaver Award and the Bronze Pelican Award, as well as the St. George Award from the Catholic Committee on Scouting. He twice received the Distinguished Service Award from the Kansas Bar Association and was recognized several times for his service to The University of Kansas and the Knights of Columbus. At the time of his death, he was nominated as honorary chairman of the Building on an Everlasting Foundation campaign of St. Mary's Catholic School and was serving on the committee to commission and erect a World War II Veteran's Memorial on the campus of Kansas State University. He enjoyed singing with the Salt Miner's Barbershop Chorus in Hutchinson for many years.

He is survived by his wife of the home; five children, Donald of Newton, Mary of Seattle, David and wife Debbie of Dodge City, Randall and wife Beth of Tulsa, Okla., and Joanne Ruggiero and husband Mike of North Newton; and 11 grandchildren.

Visitation will be from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday (Oct 30) at Broadway Colonial Funeral Home in Newton. Rosary will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Newton. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday (Oct 31) at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Burial will be in the St. Mary's Catholic Church Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Quivira Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Building on an Everlasting Foundation Fund of St. Mary's Catholic School or the World War II Veteran's Memorial Fund of Kansas State University.