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Submitted: 12/14/24 • Approved: 12/17/24 • Last Updated: 12/20/24 • R610628-G610627-S3
Arnold John
US Navy
World War II
September 7, 1924 - July 29, 2015
Dorothy
October 8, 1923 - September 7, 2010
*Obituary
Dorothy Felicia Kinate Snygg was born October 8, 1923 to George and Felicia (Trautchold) Kinate in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Dorothy passed away on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at peace with her place in the world. She was the fifth of eight children, a large and lively family. There were also aunts, uncles and cousins in nearby Sheboygan. The Kinate home was integral with the family cheese factory (The Fairplay Cheese Factory) in De Pere. Dorothy always spoke fondly of her childhood: started school at the age of three, walking through the snow with her sister Connie and their dog Cur to one of the last one-room schools. Their father presided over all the children’s homework at the kitchen table. She also enjoyed visits with her cousins and time spent at the family’s summer cottage on Lake Michigan. Dorothy’s father died when she was nineteen. This loss cut short her higher education; rather she worked at a law firm in Green Bay. In 1948 she moved to Texas seeking to make contact with her mother’s family in Waco. When this did not work out she moved to Austin, and found work with the law firm of Dan Moody. It was in Austin that she met Arnold Snygg who was studying engineering at U.T. They were married January 28, 1950 just as his G.I. Bill benefits expired. So she takes some credit for his degree. They soon became as one and had three children: Cathy, born October 22, 1951 in Denver, Colorado; John, born March 23, 1956 and Ann, born June 22, 1959 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Arnold’s career in Aerospace Engineering required frequent moves (they owned seven houses plus that many rentals) so Dorothy became an expert at managing all the details associated with these moves (selling the boat, the houses, etc.) while Arnold was off to his new assignment. Even so she developed her own interests: the League of Women Voters in Minnesota, owning an art studio on Galveston Bay, hosting foreign students in Houston where she introduced a Japanese couple to barbeque, volunteering at a historic house in California and a dream job at the Smithsonian in Washingston, D.C. But, her family was always her first priority. She and Arnold enjoyed traveling: visiting his family in Sweden and her father’s family in Bavaria and roamed the U.S.A., Canada and Mexico. These included family vacations. They also toured in Italy and Japan where they visited friends made in Houston. After Arnold retired they moved back to Austin where they continued traveling (elder hostels in Italy and the British Isles), enjoyed golf, gardening, U.T. LAMP and working in the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Theresa Catholic Church. They were never idle or bored until slowed by illness. In February of 2008 their son, John was lost to cancer. Except for this tragedy, Dorothy gives thanks for a long and happy life. Although she had lost her voice due to a stroke, she enjoyed visits by family and friends at their place at the Emeritus Assisted Living Facility. She and Arnold give thanks for the kindness of the staff at Emeritus, especially during her last day.
In celebration of her life, a Memorial Mass will be celebrated at ten o’clock in the morning on Monday, the thirteenth day of September at St. Theresa Catholic Church, 4311 Small Drive in Austin, with Monsignor Bill Brooks as celebrant. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Theresa Catholic Church Building Fund, The St. Vincent de Paul Society, or charity of choice.
*Obituary
Published by Legacy Remembers on Jul. 30, 2015.
John Arnold Phillip Snygg was born September 7, 1924 in Round Rock, Texas. He died July, 29 2015 at peace with his place in the world.
He had only one sibling, Bertha Viola, two years younger. Their parents, Sven Johan (John) and Alma Rosa Viola Axelsson Snygg were both from Sweden and were prosperous members of the Palm Valley Lutheran community.
Sven died when Arnold was only 4 and his earliest memory is that of his father in the casket with his little sister at his side saying "Papa suva" (Papa sleeps). Arnold's mother took her family back to Sweden for a long visit; returning to Round Rock in September of 1931 just in time for Arnold to start school at the age of 7 in a strange land and having never spoken English. After this first difficult year Arnold was a regular American boy; swimming in Brushy Creek, going barefoot and making friends.
In the 30's Round Rock was a village where kids were free to explore their world at will. Arnold collected fossils and arrowheads along Brushy Creek and even walked through the hobo camp to pick pecans. He had all manner of pets: a female German Shepard named Bjorn, a billy goat, a duck, a flying squirrel, and a crow that followed him around like a puppy.
During the depression when Arnold was in school he worked at Stockbridge Grocery store and on the family farm in west Texas.
After the raid on Pearl Harbor Arnold eagerly signed up for the draft and served on a destroyer in the Pacific. It was while in the navy that Arnold noticed that the initials of his full name spelled JAPS and he changed his name to Arnold John.
After the war Arnold took advantage of the G.I. bill, majoring in engineering at U.T. Austin. It was there that he met and married Dorothy Kinate just as his G.I.bill benefits were expiring. They had many good years together and had three children: Cathy, John and Ann. They knew all the stages of togetherness; young love, raising a family, making friends, gardening, traveling, playing scrabble and bridge and enjoying each others company. They were as one.
Arnold's work on large complex weapon systems and Project Apollo required a lot moving and uprooting of the family: Denver, Minnesota, Cape Canaveral, Houston, Washington D.C, and Los Angeles. It was in Minnesota Arnold became a Catholic. Dorothy was a big influence in that regard as were her two aunts who were nuns.
Arnold's most important volunteering works were: an elected director of a union in Minnesota, an environmentalist in the stinky area east of Houston and working with the working poor in the Saint Vincent de Paul society at Saint Theresa's church.
In February of 2008 Arnold and Dorothy lost their son John to cancer and Dorothy died in Sept. 2010. Except for these tragedies Arnold gives thanks for a long and happy life and to those that made it so.
Service for Arnold will be held:
Sept. 5th 2015
St Theresa Catholic Church.
4311 Small Drive
Austin, TX 78731
In lieu of flowers a donation to Saint Vincent de Paul society at Saint Theresa's church in Arnold's name would be greatly appreciated.
Hill Country Garden
Photo courtesy of Annette Shaw
Contributed on 12/14/24 by hawkinsdonna48
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Record #: 610628