On This Day - January 13

SNOWDEN LANDORPH GIRDLEY was born January 13, 1898 in Martin County, Indiana.  He was the first born of Alexander Bradford Girdley (1875-1963) and Julie Ann Scott (1876-1961).  He was followed by five siblings, 3 sisters and 1 brother.  In 1900, he and his parents are living with his widowed paternal grandmother. His grandmother is also raising three grandchildren whose parents had died.  His father had his own farm by 1910 and had added 5 siblings. They were living next door to his Uncle Lafayette. When he completed his World War I registration he was a student and was described as medium height, medium build, grey eyes and dark brown hair. In 1920 he was living at home along with all his siblings and he was working as a farm laborer, not on his father's farm.  His 79 year old maternal grandmother was also in the household. There was a 1922 article in the Loogootee Tribune:

 Plainville was about 18 miles away.  By 1930 he was once again living at home. His brother, his wife and child are also living at home and uncle Lafayette lives next door. Snowden did not indicate any occupation. About 1936 he married Elizabeth (Pennington) Osburn.  Her husband of 12 years had died the previous year. There were no children from that marriage.  The 1940 census has Snowden and his wife living in Burns City, Martin County. Also in their household is Elizabeth's 72 year old widowed mother.  Snowden is working as a foreman in the government. He owns his home which is valued at $500.  In 1946 Snowden again gets his name in the newspaper.  This time he is a member of the jury for a federal court in Evansville in a case that is accusing a wealthy oil man of violating the national back act. They were sequestered in Evansville for the trial and they found the man guilty. In 1962 Snowden was again in the news:

That's right he is in the Hall of Gourd Greatness. Not in first place but place of honor. His name was in the news next when he sent a letter to the editor's in 1967.  He is responding to an opinion piece written by Rev Bates in which the reverend was discussing whether God was for or against man going to the moon. His opinion was that man is intelligent and curious and if God wills it man will go to the moon some day.  Snowden's response was:

In 1971 his wife, at age 72, dies and she is buried with her first husband. Snowden dies in 1980 of cardiac arrest.  His death certificate says he was a retired  foreman for the Navy railroad. He worked at Crane Naval Station in Martin County.  He died of cardiac arrest and was buried in the Burns City Cemetery.  

His obituary indicate he is survived by a daughter, but that is actually his sister.