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Longtime Frisco residents Bert and Shirley Snyder have spent half a century in and around Summit County. Now they split their time between Frisco and the more temperate climate of Grand Junction.
They met in the fall of 1956, when they both were teaching school at the old town of Climax atop Fremont Pass. Four months later, they married on December 26, 1956.
Bert was teaching high school science and math, and Shirley was teaching kindergarten. At the time, Climax was booming. "They were desperate for teachers," said Shirley, who had a two-year teaching certificate from Western Michigan University. "That year I had 72 kindergartners."
Bert was born in Eads, Colorado to Cecil and Daphne Snyder on December 31, 1928. He spent his early years in Eads (southeast Colorado), then spent four years in Iowa, where his father taught school. In 1943, the Snyders moved back to Colorado when Bert's father became superintendent of schools in Aspen. Bert graduated from Aspen High School (then Pitkin County High School) in 1946.
"The year I graduated was the year Aspen put in its first chairlifts," said Bert from his Frisco home last Tuesday. He said he worked that summer cutting down trees for $1 an hour to make passage for the new lifts. Before that, he said there were only rope tows.
Afterwards he went to Western State College in Gunnison, where he skied on the team for four years, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1950.
They met in the fall of 1956, when they both were teaching school at the old town of Climax atop Fremont Pass. Four months later, they married on December 26, 1956.
Bert was teaching high school science and math, and Shirley was teaching kindergarten. At the time, Climax was booming. "They were desperate for teachers," said Shirley, who had a two-year teaching certificate from Western Michigan University. "That year I had 72 kindergartners."
Bert was born in Eads, Colorado to Cecil and Daphne Snyder on December 31, 1928. He spent his early years in Eads (southeast Colorado), then spent four years in Iowa, where his father taught school. In 1943, the Snyders moved back to Colorado when Bert's father became superintendent of schools in Aspen. Bert graduated from Aspen High School (then Pitkin County High School) in 1946.
"The year I graduated was the year Aspen put in its first chairlifts," said Bert from his Frisco home last Tuesday. He said he worked that summer cutting down trees for $1 an hour to make passage for the new lifts. Before that, he said there were only rope tows.
Afterwards he went to Western State College in Gunnison, where he skied on the team for four years, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1950.
That fall, he went to Climax where he began his teaching career. Later he would return to Western State College for three summers and earn his Masters Degree.
After two years of teaching in Climax, Bert was drafted into the army and spent eight weeks of basic training in Missouri, then two months as a clerk typist. His last year and a half were as an instructor with the Mountain and Cold Weather Training Command (Camp Hale), where he taught Special Forces Paratroopers winter survival techniques on getting around on skis and snowshoes and building shelters and snow caves.
For Shirley Riddle, the road to Climax was a little more circuitous.
She was born to Mabel and Everet Riddle on March 3, 1935 in Vicksburg, Michigan, where her father worked in the town's mill.
She graduated from Vicksburg High School in 1953. Tired of small town living and looking for some adventure, she and a girlfriend went to Washington D.C. right out of high school, where Shirley landed a job with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"I was a file clerk for J. Edgar Hoover," said Shirley. She spent a year in Washington, then returned to Michigan where she went to school in Kalamazoo.
In 1956, she and another friend - Susy Randall (now Susy Culbreath) - boarded a train called the Coloradoan and came to Denver.
After two years of teaching in Climax, Bert was drafted into the army and spent eight weeks of basic training in Missouri, then two months as a clerk typist. His last year and a half were as an instructor with the Mountain and Cold Weather Training Command (Camp Hale), where he taught Special Forces Paratroopers winter survival techniques on getting around on skis and snowshoes and building shelters and snow caves.
For Shirley Riddle, the road to Climax was a little more circuitous.
She was born to Mabel and Everet Riddle on March 3, 1935 in Vicksburg, Michigan, where her father worked in the town's mill.
She graduated from Vicksburg High School in 1953. Tired of small town living and looking for some adventure, she and a girlfriend went to Washington D.C. right out of high school, where Shirley landed a job with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"I was a file clerk for J. Edgar Hoover," said Shirley. She spent a year in Washington, then returned to Michigan where she went to school in Kalamazoo.
In 1956, she and another friend - Susy Randall (now Susy Culbreath) - boarded a train called the Coloradoan and came to Denver.
"We were thinking of going to California at first," she said. "But it seemed a bit too far."
She said they went to a placement office in Denver, then took a bus ride to Naturita and Nucla to check out job openings.
"We were astounded by the mountains," she said of their trip to the state's southwest corner, but not impressed by the living conditions. "It was literally like a tent city."
They ended up in Climax, where they found two openings at North America's highest school - 11,400 feet.
After the Snyders married, they spent one more year at Climax and had their first child, Candy.
In 1958, they moved to Frisco where Bert continued to teach and Shirley began substituting as she had three more children: Craig, Wendy and Amy.
She said they went to a placement office in Denver, then took a bus ride to Naturita and Nucla to check out job openings.
"We were astounded by the mountains," she said of their trip to the state's southwest corner, but not impressed by the living conditions. "It was literally like a tent city."
They ended up in Climax, where they found two openings at North America's highest school - 11,400 feet.
After the Snyders married, they spent one more year at Climax and had their first child, Candy.
In 1958, they moved to Frisco where Bert continued to teach and Shirley began substituting as she had three more children: Craig, Wendy and Amy.
Bert taught high school math and science for 17 years in Summit County - the high school then was in the Colorado Mountain College building in Breckenridge. He said the building was eventually condemned, and the school district built what is now Summit Middle School.
After 25 years of teaching, Bert sold real estate for 14 years before retiring in 1992.
The family always enjoyed the quality of life in the mountains.
"As a family, we used to love to go into the Gore Range on fishing trips," Bert said. "Back then, you hardly saw anyone else at the high lakes."
After the reservoir went was built, Bert bought a sailboat and enjoyed racing in the local regattas.
The children have all stayed in Colorado. Candy lives in Frisco, Craig lives in Grand Junction, Wendy lives in Silverthorne and Amy lives in Frederick.
Now the Snyders have retired and are thankful to spend their summers at their home in Frisco, and winters at their home in Grand Junction, which backs up to the Colorado National Monument in the Redlands.
After 25 years of teaching, Bert sold real estate for 14 years before retiring in 1992.
The family always enjoyed the quality of life in the mountains.
"As a family, we used to love to go into the Gore Range on fishing trips," Bert said. "Back then, you hardly saw anyone else at the high lakes."
After the reservoir went was built, Bert bought a sailboat and enjoyed racing in the local regattas.
The children have all stayed in Colorado. Candy lives in Frisco, Craig lives in Grand Junction, Wendy lives in Silverthorne and Amy lives in Frederick.
Now the Snyders have retired and are thankful to spend their summers at their home in Frisco, and winters at their home in Grand Junction, which backs up to the Colorado National Monument in the Redlands.
