“I was amazed that so many people went through such effort to present me with the pin. They must have spent many hours in preparation,” Snell said.
Snell was born March 19, 1931, in Fulton County and has lived a productive life as a Methodist minister, a husband, father and a member of the Painesville Masonic Lodge. Over his 45-year career as a minister, Snell preached in churches in Painesville, Temple, St. Mary’s, Dalton, Sommerville, and Snellville. During the course of his career and all throughout his 22-year retirement, Snell has taught Sunday School classes at Snellville United Methodist Church.
It was at his Sunday School class that Snell met his wife, Joanne. She came in one day with her mother, and the rest is history. Three years after they met, the two married, and they went on to have three children – two boys and one girl who are now retired and have children of their own. James and Joanne Snell have seven grandchildren — six boys and one girl.
Snell always considered it his duty to become a mason. His father was both a minister and a mason and instilled in him and his brother the importance of volunteerism and being active in the community. Following their father’s footsteps, both Snell boys became Masons.
“It brought back a lot of memories. My first contact with the Masonic lodge was in Painesville. My father was there, and it’s just a good memory. I know a lot of people worked hard to make this happen. It took collaboration between the two lodges, and about five masons from the Painesville lodge drove up to the Snellville lodge to present me with the award.”
The Masonic Lodges are a conglomeration of nonprofit organizations that work together as a charitable fraternity. Their purpose is to help those in need in their respective areas through volunteerism and charitable work.
The Snellville Lodge is located at 2785 Lenora Church Road. They can be reached by phone at (678) 344-4567 or by email via snellvillelodge99@gmail.com.
Photo by Emmett Clower
