Loyce G. "Snip" Steele

 

Loyce G. “Snip” Steele, a 50-year resident of High Springs passed away quietly on June 6, 2011 at his home, which is just as he wanted.  He recently celebrated his 88^th birthday on May 31.

Snip was one of nine children born to Richard Andrew and Mary Lee Bolton Steele who were lifelong residents of Centre, Ala.  His father operated the ferry and farmed all of his years.  In 1938, Snip moved with his family to the bustling little community of High Springs to obtain work where he fell for the beautiful and only love of his life, 17-year-old Verna Mae Knight.  He spied her through the store windows of the Suwannee Grocery while making his Saturday night stroll of the High Springs’ sidewalks.  Snip and his family returned to Alabama in early 1941, but decided he wasn’t leaving his “High Springs Sweetheart.”

He “borrowed” his daddy’s truck and drove all night back to High Springs and whisked her away without telling anyone, back to Centre.  They were married the next day on February 4, 1941 and celebrated their 70^th Anniversary in February of this year.  They returned to High Springs and made their home until Snip was drafted into the Army on his birthday in 1944.  He completed his basic training at Camp Blanding and then joined the paratroopers and was sent to Ft. Benning, Ga.  He served in Manila in the Philippines and was slated to be on the initial ground invasion into Japan, but as they prepared to depart they received word the bombs had been dropped.  His Company D, 187^th Airborne Glider Infantry was selected to fly as McArthur’s honor guard into Japan.  They landed at Atsugi Air Strip outside of Tokyo, and he served there until his honorable discharge on October 26, 1946.

Snip and Verna Mae made their home in High Springs until 1954 when they made an opportunistic move to Anchorage, Alaska.  He was convinced there were jobs and money to be found in territory of Alaska, and as always he was ready and made the leap.  Verna Mae followed two months later with their children, Gerry and Linda.  He found his vocation on Elmendorf AFB as a heavy equipment operator for the Civil Service and worked in the far north country until his retirement in 1972.  Once again they returned to their hometown of High Springs with their third child, Ricky, who had been born in Alaska.

He still was not ready for retirement and was hired by the City of High Springs to maintain all the unpaved roads with the city’s road grader.  He was an expert with the equipment and kept both roads repaired and residents happy with his skill and ability to mend the excessive run-offs and control the pot holes.  He was able to wield his grader with the expertise of a studied landscaper and quickly became a fixture on his big yellow machine.   He completed his career with the City in June 2004.

All of this does not capture the essence of Snip.  He was a happy and hard working individual who loved hunting, fishing and to surround himself with friends and family who enjoyed the same.  He had a wide circle of friends and always extended his hand to help his neighbor.  His home was open to anyone who needed help and assistance, and did so with a sense of it was the right thing to do, and you don’t have to talk about it so much.  He loved to joke and laugh and always had a story to place you right there on the mountain or in the boat with him.

In the spring of 2007, Snip joined the Mt. Horeb Baptist Church at the age 83 and did this with the same gusto as he had lived his life – “All In.”  He loved the Christian fellowship, the singing and praising God and the down to earth sometimes fiery preaching.  He said he wasn’t able to carry much of a tune, but that never stopped him from joining in to praise God and celebrate his love for his new found family.

Snip is survived by his wife of 70 years, Verna Mae Knight Steele of High Springs; his sons, Gerry G. (Loretta) Steele of Anchorage, Alaska and Ricky (Nancy) Steele of High Springs; his daughter, Linda Maney also of High Springs; 16 grandchildren, 47 great grandchildren and three great, great grandchildren; three sisters Ruby King of Tallassee, Ala., Mary Shirk of Clinton, Alaska, Betty (Gilbert) Prater of Soddy Daisy, Tenn. and two brothers, Bobby (Ann) Steele of Huntsville, Ala. and Tommy (Susan) Steele of McKinney, Texas.   His sisters, Idene Gibson, Irene Williams and his brother, Sam Steele, all preceded him in death.  He is also survived by a host of friends and family members who hold him and his memory close at heart and know we have lost an original.

Snip’s viewing will be held at Mt. Horeb Baptist Church on Thursday, June 9^th at 5:00 p.m. with funeral services to follow at 6:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, friends and family may make donations to assist Snip with one final trip on this earthly realm to return to Alaska for his ashes to be spread on his beloved and beautiful Monument Valley.

Arrangements are entrusted to Evans-Carter Funeral Home in High Springs.