With deep love and gratitude for a life well-lived, we announce the passing of Cornelia (Corrie) Johanna Snyder who entered Glory on Sunday morning, September 7, 2025, in her beloved home on Elizabeth Crescent in Whitby, Ontario, surrounded by her children and a host of unseen angels.
Corrie was born on May 8, 1938, in Heinkenszand, Zeeland, the eldest of six children born to Francois Martinus Dieleman and Magdalina (Lena) Martina Dieleman (née Koeman). At the tender age of six, her town was joyfully liberated by Canadian forces — a memory she cherished deeply throughout her life.
At 16, her dreams of becoming a teacher were disrupted when Corrie said goodbye to her homeland and traveled across the ocean aboard the Groote Beer alongside her family. It was there she met Herman Snyder, the man she would marry two years later. Together, they built a life rooted in faith, family, and love.
They began their life together in Oshawa, where their first child, Frank, was born. Soon after, they moved to Elizabeth Crescent and built a bungalow where four more children — Edward, Marian, Margaret, and Henriette — joined the family. As their family continued to grow, they built a second, larger home next door, where Anita and Clarence (Richard) were born. This house became Corrie’s sanctuary and the setting for a lifetime of memories. She often gave thanks to God for this home, even in her final days.
Corrie’s faith in Jesus Christ was the cornerstone of her life. Her desire was to point her family toward Christ and fervently prayed that each of her children would walk with Him. She often said that it was not what she had done, but what God had graciously done — answering the deepest desire of her heart. That same prayer continues for all her descendants.
She is lovingly remembered as the dear mother of:
Frank (Jane), Edward₶ (Arlene), Marian (John), Margaret (Kevin), Henriette (John), Anita (Don), and Richard (Tiffany).
Cherished grandmother to 38 grandchildren:
Neisha (Rob), Jeffery (Sarah), James (Heather), Aaron (Ashley), Ryan (Anne), Amanda, Megan, Nicholas (Abby), Stephanie (Manoj), Aileen (Brandon), Robert (Susan), Jeremy (Joanna), Michael (Kennedy), Jonathon (Leanne), Maaike, Joanna, Michelle, Scott (Bethany), Amanda (Dave), Christine (Ryan), Kim, Rueben (Quinleigh), Simeon (Nicole), Theodore (Brianna), Devan (Jillian), Jeminah, Alex (Lindsay), Philip (Janine), Mark, Kaitlyn, Christian, Joshua, Michaela, Daniel, Richard, Sophia, Annalyse, Caleb, and David.
Beloved great-grandmother to 69 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will take place on Monday, September 15, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Barnes Memorial Funeral Home.
The funeral service will be held at Hebron Christian Reformed Church (Whitby) at 1 pm Tuesday September 16. Internment will be held with family and close friends prior to the service.
Corrie’s life was a beautiful testimony of grace, strength, and enduring faith. Her love lives on in every child, grandchild, and great-grandchild she leaves behind.
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
— 3 John 1:4
