Samuel Snellgroves
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City/Local News

Family marks grave of veteran ancestor
By Joy Ludwig

Sunday, November 11, 2001

Oskaloosa Dan Snellgrove always wondered what had happened to his great-great-grandfather Samuel, a veteran of both the Mexican War and the Civil War.

When he started helping his oldest daughter, Shas, 13, with a genealogy report for school about three years ago, he didn't imagine he would trace his family roots to Oskaloosa.

Snellgroves, who lives in Okla., said the family history disappeared when his great-grandfather Norman died in 1907.

"We thought Samuel had died here in Ardmore (Okla.) at the Confederate home," Dan Snellgrove said. "That was the last we knew of him."

But after connecting with distant relatives through the Internet and a historical book, he learned his great-great-grandfather had moved to Oskaloosa to live with a son. He learned his ancestor was buried in 1914 in an unmarked grave at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Oskaloosa.

"It's mind-boggling because we had searched all over the Ardmore area and southern Oklahoma," he said. "Sometimes we'd just take the kids and go look at graves on the weekends, and we couldn't ever find anything. We never thought we'd find him here."

Dan Snellgrove, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Desert Storm, knew his great-great-grandfather needed a proper tombstone. Samuel Snellgroves served with the First Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers under the leadership of Col. Alexander Doniphan that went from Fort Leavenworth down the Santa Fe Trail to invade Mexico in the Mexican War battles of Brazito and Sacramento. Samuel Snellgroves later joined the Confederate Army in Arkansas.

After receiving a granite tombstone from the federal Veterans Affairs department, about 12 family members met earlier this month in Oskaloosa to place the tombstone on the grave.

"Some of our cousins (from Arizona) who we never met before in our lives came up to meet us to place the tombstone," Dan Snellgrove said.

He said he had wanted to visit the cemetery this weekend, but was going to be busy with Veterans Day activities in Okla.

But Snellgroves' father, Buddy, who lives in Ark., said the timing doesn't really matter. He said finding out about his family history and meeting his long-lost relatives made the trip worthwhile.

"I never thought we would find out about our history, but if you start digging hard enough I think just about anyone can," he said.

Staff writer Joy Ludwig can be reached at 832-7144.


Sample family crest; Actual size=135 pixels wide

Danny Snellgroves USMC

Samuel A Snellgrove

Descendants of Samuel Andrew Snellgroves

1 Samuel Andrew Snellgroves Age at death: 89 b: September 26, 1824 in RED RIVER COUNTY, TEXAS d: June 03, 1914 in Oskaloosa, KS Pleasant View Cemetary
. +Marinda Davis m: January 14, 1849 in Parkville, Platte County, MO Age at death: 23 est. b: 1827 d: March 20, 1850 in Liberty, Clay County, MO
........ 2 Nancy Snellgroves b: 1849
........ 2 William Andrew Snellgroves Age at death: 80 b: October 15, 1849 in CLay County, MO d: January 24, 1930 in OK
........... +Mary Alice Roberts m: August 16, 1874 in CLay County, MO Age at death: 76 b: February 24, 1858 in CLay County, MO d: October 10, 1934 in OK
.................. 3 Bert Wm. Snellgroves Age at death: 76 est. b: August 31, 1875 d: 1952
..................... +Myrtle
.................. 3 Luther E. Snellgroves Age at death: 36 b: August 22, 1877 in Indian Territory d: April 27, 1914
..................... +Nannie Patterson m: August 08, 1897 Age at death: 28 b: January 10, 1876 d: January 21, 1904
.................. 3 Laura Snellgroves Age at death: 50 b: August 22, 1877 d: March 07, 1928
..................... +Scott Rawlins
.................. 3 Sarah M. Snellgroves b: 1878
.................. 3 Amanda Snellgroves Age at death: 24 b: November 21, 1879 d: April 20, 1904
..................... +Robert Keys
.................. 3 Thomas Snellgroves Age at death: 0 b: November 21, 1879 d: December 02, 1879
.................. 3 Minnie Snellgroves Age at death: 69 b: May 06, 1892 d: February 04, 1962 in Brawley, CA
..................... +Britt Hardwick
.................. *2nd Husband of Minnie Snellgroves:
..................... +John D. Honeysuckle
.................. 3 Dena Ivy Snellgroves Age at death: 84 b: April 24, 1885 in OK d: April 30, 1969
..................... +Jeff Fisher
.................. 3 Bessie Snellgroves b: September 22, 1888 in Dennison, TX d: in Bucky, AZ
..................... +Byrd
.................. *2nd Husband of Bessie Snellgroves:
..................... +Loper
.................. 3 Jesse Snellgroves Age at death: 78 b: September 22, 1888 in Dennison, TX d: December 30, 1966
..................... +Violet Lamb b: in Purcell, OK
.................. *2nd Wife of Jesse Snellgroves:
..................... +Iva Geneva Skaggs m: September 01, 1920 in Elmore City, OK Age at death: 44 b: April 01, 1901 d: July 09, 1945
.................. 3 Wm. Andrew Jr. Snellgroves Age at death: 79 b: February 18, 1894 d: September 27, 1973 in Cleburne, TX
..................... +Margaret Birdie Garrett
.................. 3 Frankie Snellgroves Age at death: 0 est. b: February 18, 1894 d: 1894
*2nd Wife of Samuel Andrew Snellgroves:
. +Harriet Roberts m: October 16, 1853 in Platte County, MO
........ 2 James N. Snellgroves b: 1852
........ 2 George Snellgroves b: 1859
........ 2 Newton Snellgrove Age at death: 86 b: July 07, 1863 in Clay County, MO d: December 14, 1949 in Oskaloosa, KS Pleasant View Cemetary
........... +Josephine Roberts m: August 02, 1883 in Sherman, TX Age at death: 56 b: December 04, 1864 in Liberty, Clay County, MO d: August 30, 1921 in Oskaloosa, KS Pleasant View Cemetary
.................. 3 [1] Ardona Snellgrove Age at death: 7 est. b: 1885 in Jefferson County, KS d: October 1892
.................. 3 [2] Enna Mae Snellgrove Age at death: 58 est. b: January 1888 in TX d: 1947 in Jefferson County, KS Pleasant View Cemetary
..................... +[3] Frank Ottinger m: 1906 Age at death: ? d: 1962 in Hardy Oak Cemetary, Jefferson County,KS
.................. 3 [4] Iva Dean Snellgrove Age at death: 84 b: June 28, 1890 in Jefferson County, KS d: October 09, 1974 in Oskaloosa, Jefferson County, KS
..................... +[5] James Ottinger
.................. 3 [6] Newton O. (Earl) Snellgrove b: January 1893
..................... +[7] Ethel
.................. 3 [8] Velma L. Snellgrove Age at death: 54 est. b: 1904 in KS d: June 08, 1958
..................... +[9] W. A. Luce Age at death: ? d: June 07, 1975
........ *2nd Wife of Newton Snellgrove:
........... +May Kyle Golden m: November 07, 1931 in Jefferson County, KS Age at death: 73 b: July 04, 1881 in Jefferson County, KS d: February 05, 1955 in Jefferson County, KS
.................. 3 [1] Ardona Snellgrove Age at death: 7 est. b: 1885 in Jefferson County, KS d: October 1892
.................. 3 [2] Enna Mae Snellgrove Age at death: 58 est. b: January 1888 in TX d: 1947 in Jefferson County, KS Pleasant View Cemetary
..................... +[3] Frank Ottinger m: 1906 Age at death: ? d: 1962 in Hardy Oak Cemetary, Jefferson County,KS
.................. 3 [4] Iva Dean Snellgrove Age at death: 84 b: June 28, 1890 in Jefferson County, KS d: October 09, 1974 in Oskaloosa, Jefferson County, KS
..................... +[5] James Ottinger
.................. 3 [6] Newton O. (Earl) Snellgrove b: January 1893
..................... +[7] Ethel
.................. 3 [8] Velma L. Snellgrove Age at death: 54 est. b: 1904 in KS d: June 08, 1958
..................... +[9] W. A. Luce Age at death: ? d: June 07, 1975
........ 2 Ida Snellgroves b: July 07, 1863
*3rd Wife of Samuel Andrew Snellgroves:
. +Amanda Collins m: May 22, 1868 in Clay County, MO Age at death: 32 est. b: 1850 in MO d: March 12, 1882 in DEXTER,TEXAS
........ 2 Norman Snellgroves Age at death: 38 b: December 22, 1868 in Clay County, MO d: February 26, 1907 in Hastings,OK
........... +Ida Elizabeth Brooks m: 1889 in Kimpton, Oklahoma Age at death: 83 b: March 19, 1874 d: November 28, 1957 in Ryan, OK
.................. 3 Dora Snellgroves Age at death: 85 b: May 18, 1898 in Indian Territory, OK d: June 26, 1983 in Westville, OK
..................... +James Kennedy
.................. *2nd Husband of Dora Snellgroves:
..................... +Prince
.................. *3rd Husband of Dora Snellgroves:
..................... +Skaggs
.................. 3 Arthur Snellgroves Age at death: 94 est. b: April 13, 1900 in Indian Territory, Oklahoma, U.S. d: 1995 in Cauthron, Arkansas
..................... +Mattie Pearl Bowen m: December 29, 1918 in Oklahoma Age at death: 84 b: August 06, 1902 in Commanche, OK d: July 19, 1987 in Cauthron, Arkansas
.................. 3 Myertle Snellgroves b: 1902
.................. 3 Bessie Snellgroves b: 1904
.................. 3 Laura Snellgroves b: 1906
........ 2 John H. Snellgroves b: 1878