NORTH VERNON
Karen (Boling) Snyder’s tireless advocacy for public education ended with her passing on Sunday, Jan. 8. She was 83.
A dedicated lifelong Democrat, Snyder chaired the Jennings County Democrats twice. She volunteered countless hours to party efforts and political campaigns over the years. She also led a variety of North Vernon community volunteer efforts, including the Area Plan Commission Board of Zoning Appeals, selection committee for the Lilly Scholarship, and Jennings County United Way.
Snyder worked for Jennings County Schools for 35 years as head of the Speech and Hearing Department, correcting speech problems in students aged 6 to 18. In the 1990s she was appointed to lead the State Committee on Speech and Hearing Standards and was elected to five consecutive two-year terms as president of the Indiana Political Action Committee for Education. In the early 1980s, Snyder led the Jennings County Classroom Teachers’ Association. She also served as district chair of the South Eastern Political Action Committee.
At the time of her passing, Snyder was a member of the Jennings County Retired Teachers Association and the Well-Read (Red) Hatters group.
A 1957 graduate of Milroy High School, Snyder held bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Speech and Language from Indiana University.
Karen Snyder was the widow of North Vernon native John W. Snyder. She was preceded in death by her parents, Naomi (Ryckman) and Glen Boling and older sister, Kay (Boling) Montgomery. She is survived by a sister, Karmen Gulde of Rushville; two daughters, Ginger Morgan of Greenwood and Tracy Hall of North Vernon; three grandchildren, Catherine Morgan of Greenwood, Kipp Morgan of Indianapolis, and Lidia Hall of Indianapolis; and several beloved nieces and nephews.
Visitation will precede the funeral from 11 am-2 pm on Sunday, January 15, 2023, at Sawyer-Pickett Funeral Home in North Vernon, with the service at 2 pm. Burial will be in the Vernon Cemetery. Sawyer-Pickett Funeral and Cremation Service are entrusted with the arrangements.
In Snyder’s memory, donations may be made to the Jennings County Democrats or to the North Vernon Park Theater.
Friends and family are invited to light a candle or leave a message of condolence in Karen’s memory at www.sawyerfuneralservice.com.
