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SNELLER, HENRY H. AND TENA (VAN ROEKEL)

Henry H. Sneller was born February 14, 1908 to Henry and Dena (Koerselman) Sneller at Sioux Center. Tena Van Roekel was born on January 24, 1910 to Henry C. & Allie (Vander Ploeg) Van Roekel at Sioux Center. They were married at the farm home of Tena's parents by the Rev. L.A. Brunsting on February 24, 1937.

Henry had 11 years of schooling and Tena had eight years of rural public and Christian school education. Henry worked on the farm before marriage, and Tena went out doing housework, but had to stay home and work most of the time. She helped her mother make the meals, and especially during corn picking time when a good hot breakfast was necessary before going out to the field to pick the corn by hand on a cold fall morning. There were lots of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and warm, fresh milk right from the milk barn.

After Henry & Tena were married they moved to a farm 3 1/2 miles west Sioux Center where they lived for one year. Then they moved to a farm 3 miles northwest of Sioux Center where they farmed until Henry's death on March 17, 1982. Tena then bought a house in Sioux Center and moved there on January 25, 1983.

The Henry Sneller Family: Front L-R: Henry
and Tena Sneller Back L-R: Stanley and Har-
vard

Two children were born into this family, the first being Harvard Glenn in 1939, and who farms near Sioux Center. Harvard married Annette Faye Hoekstra at Sheldon, and they have five daughters and four grandchildren.

Stanley Gene is the second son who was born in 1946 at Sioux Center. He married Cynthia Marie Tellez in Siena Madre, California, and they have three sons. Stanley works in the pizza business and has lived many different places, but has been in California now for some years.

Henry and Tena have had the chance to make a number of trips over the years to visit them in California and earlier years in Wisconsin.

by Ellen Van Roekel

Source: Sioux Center Iowa 1991 Centennial Book--Family Contributor, Mary Haverhals