Kathleen (Kathy) Louese (Martin) Snyder

Kathleen (Kathy) Louese (Martin) Snyder of Menomonie, WI passed away peacefully at her home Thursday, April 6, 2023 after a long battle with congestive heart failure. 

Kathy was born on October 23, 1942 in Bloomer, WI to Fayne August and Margaret Louese (Baker) Martin. Her family moved to Ladysmith WI where Kathy attended school and graduated from Ladysmith High School.

After graduation, Kathy moved to the twin cities and worked as a secretary for an insurance company. She met Paul Allen Snyder through her cousin and they married on October 19, 1961 in St. Paul Minnesota. Paul and Kathy lived in Cornell, WI for a short time and Pekin, IL for 4 years and eventually moved to Otter Creek, WI where they built a home and farm. There they raised three children, Gwen Elizabeth, Douglas Allen and Dana Louese. They lived in Otter Creek for 40 years before moving to Menomonie, WI where they have resided for the last 14 years. 

Kathy worked for CR Smith as a truck driver hauling milk. Her children enjoyed riding along and stopping for lunch with her at various locations in Menomonie. She also worked at Sandy Lee sewing factory in Menomonie. Her favorite job was driving school bus which she did for 28 years. She started as a school bus driver for the Colfax School District driving for the Plainview Country school. After Plainview School closed, she drove for the school district of Colfax until she was scheduled to have shoulder surgery which forced her to retire sooner than she planned. Although not necessarily a football fan, she liked to wear non packer clothing during football season just to tease the kids on her bus route.

For many years Kathy tended a garden and enjoyed canning. She took pleasure in spending time with her family and was an avid book reader and threw in a crossword puzzle now and then. She enjoyed watching her favorite TV shows which were, Murder She Wrote and the Wheel of Fortune. She enjoyed baking bread, buns and butter horns, (which always meant there would be fried dough dads). Everyone loved her homemade date filled cookies. She loved family gatherings. No matter what she was going through she did not miss the tradition of making egg rolls with the family at Christmas time. 

If you knew Kathy, you knew she loved her hats and earrings! They were big and bold and full of bling! Some of her favorite things to do were thrift, bargain and junk shopping. If you were going with her, you better wear your best walking shoes, because it was going to be long day! She always said you don’t know what you need until you see it, and dad would say she thought she needed alot!

The grandsons remember trotting up to her house. She would make pancakes no matter how early in the morning it was. They also remember going to her house in Otter Creek where you could always find ice cream treats in the freezer and they would sneak one (or two) treats every time they were there! They also remember her apple trees and the yard being loaded with beautiful apples. She always had a spunky spirit. Her son Douglas remembers running for his life up the woodpile (when he was naughty), mom chasing him to give him a whooping. She would always listen like a friend and confidante for her daughter, Gwen. Kathy would never miss a chance send a card for holidays and birthdays to her great grandchildren.

Kathy, true to form, was a fighter who survived (among other health complications); brain surgery, a heart attack and was an esophageal cancer survivor. She developed kidney failure and after 7 years on dialysis, received a kidney transplant thanks to a family friend’s donation to the Kidney Paired exchange program. She developed a close relationship with her thoracic surgeon, Dr. Robert Wiechmann, who continued to care for her. They would exchange homemade baked goods and honey right to the very end of her life.

Kathy is survived by her husband Paul Snyder, daughter Gwen Snyder of Menomonie; son Doug (Lisa) Snyder of Wheeler, WI; and daughter Dana Snyder of Greeley, CO; grandson James (Cindy) Drury and their two children, Brady and Jenna from Glenwood City, WI; grandson Arrik (Bretta) Snyder from Otter Creek, WI; and grandson Mitchal Snyder from Eau Claire, WI; her brother Richard Martin of Wheeler, WI and many nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death by her siblings Robert (Boots) Martin; Jim Martin; Kalyn Hahn; and Andrea Martin. 

Kathleen was loved by everyone who knew her. She will be greatly missed.

There will be a Celebration of Life will be held May 20, 2023 at 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. at her son, Doug Snyder E5003 1040th Ave, Wheeler WI 54772.