FRANCES PORTER SNYDER

Frances (Francie) Porter Snyder, age 77, of Jenison, passed away peacefully Jan. 18, 2025, surrounded by her family. Born in 1947 in Alpena, she is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Jeremy and Noreen Porter; daughter and son-in-law, Kristen Porter and Greg Lynas; granddaughter, Ella Porter Lynas; brother and sister-in-law, John and Susi Faber and their son Ethan; sister and brother-in-law, Lori and Rick Crawford and their children Jacob and Jessica; and nephew, Aaron Lundy. She was preceded in death by her sister, Susan Lundy and loving husband, Allen Snyder, also of Alpena.

Francie, a lifelong Michigan resident, was born and raised in Alpena to Loraine and John (Johnny) Faber. Johnny was the Sheriff of Alpena County for 30 years until 1976, and Francie and her siblings grew up in the quarters attached to the county jail, where they had their own jail cell full of toys for a playroom. In 1968, she was married to John Porter and the couple lived and raised their children in Alpena until they moved to Marquette in the fall of 1984. Francie became the director of the Marquette County Historical Society Museum and was instrumental in the museum’s operation and success for nearly 20 years. She became the Executive Director of the Berrien County Historical Association in 2006, where she served until her retirement in 2013. She was reacquainted with Allen Snyder at the Alpena High School 40th class reunion in 2005. The two had been friends in the first grade but hadn’t seen each other since school. They were happily married from 2006 until Allen’s passing in 2019.

Francie instilled in her children a penchant for creativity and a love for the arts – from ballet, theater, and drawing to yoga, photography, and rock and roll. She nurtured and proudly encouraged every creative inkling that came along and shared in the journey that led them to adulthood. It brought her great joy to share a trip to the Stratford (Ontario) Theatre Festival with Kristen and Ella and see her love of theater passed along to a third generation. She was an accomplished artist herself, following her life’s passion of using the finest yarns from around the globe to knit the most intricate and beautifully patterned sweaters.

She was charitable, compassionate, and fiercely opinionated; a champion of women’s rights, human rights, diversity, and the welfare of those in her community and beyond. She loved animals, and her equally opinionated cat, Percy, was loyally by her side in her later years.

Francie and Allen traveled often, spending time at Detroit Tigers’ training camp in Florida and at their games in Detroit, and a trip to Scotland in 2019. They especially loved visiting Northern California, where their ashes will be spread in the Pacific Ocean together, off the Monterey Peninsula.

The family will hold a celebration of life gathering from 1 to 3 p.m. on April 12, 2025, at Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. Memorial donations may be made in Francie’s honor to Mel Trotter Ministries or the World Central Kitchen. The family welcomes memories and messages at www.cookcaresgrandville.com in their guestbook online.