Annabelle Hill Trayner Snarr Annabelle Hill Trayner Snarr, 90, passed away at the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center on May 20, 2006 from cancer of the liver and colon. She was born September 28, 1915 in LeGrande, Oregon to Jacob H. and Lottie Parkinson Hill Trayner where she lived the first eight years of her life. The family moved to Idaho Falls in 1923 when her father was appointed the first superintendent of the new LDS Hospital on Memorial Drive.

Annabelle attended school at Riverside which was located two blocks from their home on J Street. Then to Central, O.E. Bell, and Idaho Falls High School. She participated in several school plays and enjoyed running track. She began reciting poetry as classroom assignments and became hungry for more. The length nor difficulty of the poem never mattered, since it was the beautiful words, ideas and moral of the story that both motivated and inspired her.

She married her high school sweetheart, Merland Edwin Snarr in 1934 in the depth of the depression. Their marriage was solemnized in the Idaho Falls Temple on June 5, 1964. They lived in Idaho Falls for eight years and Merland took work wherever available, including Pacific Fruit Company to cab driver to grocer. Annabelle helped out with her skillful hands at Strouds Photography tinting photographs. I

In 1941 Merland and his brother Dick were asked to take over the Snarr farm from their father, Arland Daniel Snarr. Together, they formed a partnership with the shake of their hands and Dick and Margaret along with Merland and Annabelle moved to the farm. Merland and Annabelle settled into a three room bunkhouse with no running water nor indoor plumbing. However, they did have a newly painted white outhouse. Annabelle often said, "It was the most joyous time of my married life."

Annabelle was always active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as teacher, speaker, and had a particular passion for all that was incidental to drama. She was gifted with expressing herself through both the written and spoken word and also began designing and making costumes brought about by the great demand in the Upper Snake River Valley. She launched Ann Snarr's Costumes and was busy costuming productions from West Yellowstone to Pocatello, serving the valley for over 25 years. She took extra pride in costuming many productions at Ricks College. Annabelle looked forward to helping with costuming the annual July 24th Pioneer Days Celebration, where her handiwork was seen on floats, at various events, and culminated in the evening theatrical production at the Civic Auditorium. Some of her best known costumed productions were Promised Valley, My Fair Lady, Music Man, King and I, Oklahoma, Show Boat, LaBoheme, Joseph and His Brothers and Brigadoon.

All the time she was working on the costumes she was also hand hooking award winning rugs (41), doing creative needlepoint samplers, which were works of art, since each creation was her own original design. Her samplers were unique because most of them were based upon quotations from the worlds greatest thinkers, poets, and prophets. They became priceless gifts to her children's homes, inspiring her posterity. Many who visited her home were given the "grand tour". She even dabbled in oil painting. Her family was amazed when at age fifty she bought an organ and started lessons with great determination to play Church hymns and love songs. Later, to relax and find solace she shifted her boundless energy and fruitful mind by using her all consuming artistic nature and sewing gifts into making Raggedy Ann Dolls. It was here she could complete a piece of artwork in less than eight hours. Each of the nearly 300 dolls were slightly different, and she autographed each one under their pantaloons.

She traveled extensively with her husband after he retired from farming. They visited and grew to love southern England, particularly Canterbury, as guests of their son, Douglas. Visiting Washington, D.C., historical sights and battlefields, stirred in her a zeal for America and it's history. She even memorized Johnny Cash's classic, "The Ragged Old Flag" which has been quoted by her up and down the Snake River Valley.

Following the death of her beloved Merland in 1992, she served a 12 month LDS Family History Mission. Upon her return, she increased her reading time. She kept a written journal that included the title of the book, the author, and a brief impression about the book. The journal records the reading of 839 books over a period of 22 years. Most importantly, she was careful to select only from "the best of books."

She loved to visit Assisted Living Centers to entertain the sick and aged. This consisted of hundreds of visits where she would recite poetry, give readings, tell stories, and generally lift the spirits of those in need. She would often say, "Someday I might be here, and I would surely love a visit."

Annabelle will be missed by many, particularly her Osgood friends, and by her family which include Douglas T. (Carol) Snarr of Salt Lake City, M. James (Gerri) Snarr of Farmington, Utah, Dorthea Ann (Kenneth) Carter of Scottsdale, AZ, and D. Lee (Sydney) Snarr of North Salt Lake. She has 16 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. She is survived by her dear sister of 88 years, Margaret "Boo" Hannan of Olympia, WA. She was preceded in death by her older sister, Ida Trayner Holden of Idaho Falls and her grandson, James Scott Snarr.

The family will visit with friends from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Tuesday, May 30 at Coltrin Mortuary, 2100 1st Street in Idaho Falls and from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm Wednesday, May 31 at the Osgood LDS Ward, 7940 North 35th West , Idaho Falls. Funeral services will be at 1:00 pm Wednesday, May 31 at the Osgood Ward with Bishop Gregg W. Landon officiating. Burial will be at the Rose Hill Cemetery . Condolences may sent to the family online at www.coltrinmortuary.com