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Charles Snyder of Cohoe passed away last November. He was born in Nome in 1938 to Roy Sr. and Ann Snyder. Earlier (1936), his sister, Dolly, and her husband, Harry Gerberg, moved from Nome to Cohoe.

They became Pete Jensen's neighbor. Jensen, a Dane, had moved to Kasilof in 1916. Five years later he started Swallow Nest Silver Fox Ranch.

The Gerbergs planned to raise mink, but as they were establishing themselves on the property, the fur market established itself in the toilet. So they became setnetters and sort of fished themselves out of an economic downturn.

Some time around 1950 Alaska Road Commission built Crooked Creek Road (later renamed Cohoe Road.) Soon after they built Webb-Ramsell Road to access the homesteads of the Jensens, Wayne Webb, Archie Ramsell and the Gerbergs.

In the early to mid 1960s Jensen sold his property to Roy and moved to the pioneer home in Sitka. Roy and Ann moved into Jensen's house, next to Roy's sister, Dolly. The Snyders daughter, Corrine, came with them. Several members of the community got to know the family.

"Roy told a lot of good stories," said neighbor Trudy Webb. "Everything Corrine cooked turned out great. I got several recipes from her. They were good neighbors."

Lyle Cole returned to Kasilof in 1949 and had the opportunity to hunt with Roy. Lyle says Roy was a good shot and exceptionally resourceful.

"Someone once buried a dozer in a swamp, but Roy scraped out the muskeg as the frost went down. Pretty soon he was able to just drive it out," Lyle said.

Corrine inherited her parent's property and gave it to Charles. In the late 1980s he lived in Kenai. Then trespassers were stomping around, starting fires under the trees and fishing.

Charles is quoted as saying, "If they are camping out they might as well pay." So he started Cohoe Cove campground. About 1989 Charles met Louise at the Eagles club in Kenai and they soon married. Six months later their house in Kenai burned down. Before long they moved into the Gerberg's old house and built on their own property.

Once in Cohoe, Charles and Louise got involved in the community. Charles organized the Kasilof Eagles, which was chartered with 76 members and him as president in 1992. Their early meetings were in the McLane Center. Louise helped organize a local Eagles Axillary (women's group), but they later disbanded.

About 1999 the Eagles built on Jason Road in Cohoe and moved there. In 2000 national regulations temporarily allowed women to become members. Louise joined and was elected president. In doing so, she became the first female president of an Eagle Aerie in Alaska.

A list of presidents include: Charles Snyder 1993-94, Larry Edmands 1994-95, Greg Callie 1995-96, LaVerne Kitchen, 1996-99, Willis Casey 1999-2000, Louise Snyder 2000-02, James Culhane 2002-04, Michael Merlo 2004-06, Edward Pearson 2006-07, Michael Merlo 2008 to present.

On Memorial Day, Louise will scatter Charles' ashes from his nephew, Doug Helle's, drift boat at Snyder Hole, in the Kasilof River.

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This article was provided by Brent Johnson with the Kasilof Historical Society. Sources: Alaska's No.1 Guide by Cassidy and Titus; Once Upon the Kenai compiled by Kenai Historical Society; Dolly Christl (friend of Gerberg's), Lyle Cole (friend of Roy Snyder), Jeannie Conley (Charles & Lucy Snyder's daughter), Larry Meyer (Kasilof historian), Louise Snyder (Charles' widow); Trudy and Steve Webb (Snyders and Gerbergs neighbors).