William Paul Snider, 88

On Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, our loving, sweet, brave dad, grandpa, brother, and husband Paul went home to heaven. Surrounded by family members at his Coeur d'Alene home, he passed away moments before the arrival of 2013. The fireworks outside that were announcing the coming New Year seemed to also be celebrating Paul’s face-to-face meeting with his Lord Jesus.

Paul and his twin sister Pauline, who preceded him in death by only three months, were born on April 19, 1924 in Nampa, Idaho, to William Sherman Snider and Rose Myrtle (Moore) Snider. He and his twin joined an older sister named Rosa. The family is all together again now in heaven.

Barely 19 years old, Paul joined the Army Air Corps after high school graduation in June 1943. After training he was shipped overseas to England with the 384th bomber group. He and eight others were the crew on a B-17 Flying Fortress, Paul performing his duty as the gunner in the ball turret of the plane. He and his crew flew 30 missions over Germany in just two and a half months at the end of the war in Europe. In the journal he kept during that time he describes the daring and dangerous bombings of rail lines, oil refineries, bridges, submarine pens in many cities such as Leipzig, Hamburg, Nuremburg, even officer and Gestapo headquarters in Berlin. Because Paul loved photography, he was given the nickname "Snapshot” and was in an advantageous position in the lower turret of the airplane to not only shoot at the Luftwaffe, but take pictures that were used for Intel. On May 7, 1945, he describes the last flight of the Flying Fortress over the Ruhr Valley and the Rhine River in order to view the damage done by the Eighth Air Force that helped defeat the Nazi war machine and he states: "This was our last mission over Germany. No more targets-Berlin has fallen, Hitler is dead and victory is near..."

Paul was discharged from the service, and after an eight day journey by ship, he described his last day: "Eighth day at sea. Sept 5, 1945. Well this is it! For in the horizon I can see the outline of New York City and the Statue of Liberty. It's a glorious sight! A bright sunny day and the sea is calm and smooth. Several birds are flying around and many small boats are sailing near. Yep-this is the good ole U.S.A. and a wonderful feeling-one which I'll never forget--Thank God--."

On November 2, 1945 he married the beautiful young girl who waited for him in Idaho while he was fighting the Nazis in Europe. He and Mary Ellen Ellis were married in Nampa, Idaho, and he loved and cherished her for the rest of his life on earth. They celebrated their 67th anniversary in 2012. Paul began his career in Coeur d’Alene by managing a Standard Oil Station on Sherman Avenue in 1950. He went on to work for Van's Creamery which sold to Early Dawn, then merged with Darigold. He spent his last few years with Darigold, living in Issaquah Wash., after which he retired and moved back to his beloved Coeur d'Alene. Paul and Mary were active in Bethel Baptist Church for many years and Paul enjoyed singing solos, singing in the choir and small groups, leading worship services, and serving in many other leadership roles over the years.

He greatly loved his WWII buddies, met for bull sessions with fellow veterans weekly at Denny's, and attended many reunions of his bomber group. The highlight for Paul was when he and Mary traveled with his fellow crew member Dave Lustig and his wife Hedwig for a reunion at Grafton Underwood, England where they were stationed together during the war.

Paul had many interests and was an avid ham radio operator, tinkerer, radio builder, clock maker, and birdwatcher. He had a side business as a wedding photographer and had his own darkroom. He also enjoyed photographing reunions, graduations, mountains, wildlife and flowers. In his youth he was active in the Salvation Army, so he was thrilled with the opening of the Salvation Army Kroc Center Coeur d’Alene and documented and photographed the project from the beginning. He walked the track and exercised on the equipment every day that he was able and especially enjoyed the Sunday worship services there.

The family who loved him and will miss him for the rest of their lives are: his wife Mary; son, Rick Snider; daughters: Judith Leno, Marilyn Rank, and Paula Achenbach; and son, Jon Snider; along with sons and daughter-in-law, grandchildren, great- grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and many friends.

For those who wish to remember Paul, donations to the Kroc Center or to Hospice of North Idaho would be greatly appreciated.