SNOWBALL CEMETERY
Near Yulee, Florida
Pauline Gertrude Ellis Roberts, then 85 years old, wrote two books, one on the Snowball Family entitled History of the Snowball Family, 1796-1972, which traced the family back to Maine in 1796. The other book was about the Jacksonville Zoo which she researched for several years before printing it. In 1977, she provided information to the Jacksonville Genealogical Society for publication in its quarterly and it is included here.
Mrs. Roberts was the granddaughter of Edwin Ruthben Snowball and his wife, Charlotte Marion Whittemore. She said, “The old Snowball Plantation house stood atop a yellow sandhill, one mile west of Lofton Creek on Harts Road. The graveyard was between the old plantation house privy and the backyard fence, bordering on Harts Road. This was a deep rutted dirt wagon road that crested the hill back of the house and ran parallel to the fence. It crossed Lofton Creek east and wound its way to Chester, Florida.”
She continued, “ My grandfather, Edwin Ruthben Snowball, died on June 20, 1891, at the age of 58 and was buried in the backyard graveyard along with kith and kin of the Snowball and Whittemore families. All seven of the Snowball children and their spouses signed a warranty deed which was executed on 2 April 1904. This deed transferred from my grandmother, Mrs. Charlotte Marion Snowball, to Mrs. E. J. Johnson, both of Nassau County, the last of the old Snowball Plantation property except one quarter of an acre for a graveyard.”
The seven children of Edwin R. and Charlotte Marion Snowball were:
Charlotte Marion Whittemore Snowball died on March 11, 1920, at the age of 71 years. She was buried beside her husband on the old plantation.
Charles Albert Snowball, a cousin of Edwin R. Snowball was an architect, carpenter and education. He was elected as Superintendent of Nassau County Schools before the turn of the 20 th century. He made his home in Fernandina where he died, but was buried in the Snowball Cemetery.
The last burial in the cemetery took place in 1944. The cemetery is abandoned with overgrown trees, bushes, vines, tangled rusted wire and other debris. Mrs. Roberts said that seven Whittemore gravestones were standing among the debris in 1973. In 1974, only two were remaining. Vandalism destroyed these and several more.
Mrs. Roberts compiled the following list on August 1, 1977 of persons buried in the Snowball Cemetery from her knowledge.
Edwin Ruthben Snowball, born June 15, 1833 in Blue Hill, Maine, died June 20, 1891 on the old plantation near Yulee at the age of 58 and buried in the Snowball graveyard.
Charlotte Marion Whittemore, born April 14, 1849 in Dahoma, Florida. Married E. R. Snowball. Died March 11, 1920 at the age of 71 in Yulee, Florida.
Charles Albert (Cousin Bert) Snowball, born in Blue Hill, Maine. Died in Fernandina, Florida, in 1903. [See obituary The Nassau Genealogist, Vol. III, #4, p. 85.]
Amon Haywood Thompson and Ellis Leroy Thompson (twins), born October 6, 1919 in Jacksonville, Florida. Amon died June 1, 1920 at the age of 8 months in Jacksonville. Ellis died November 1, 1923 at the age of 4 years in Jacksonville. Both buried in the Snowball Cemetery.
Ella Marion Snowball Rose, born April 14, 1875 on the Snowball Plantation, died January 10, 1933 in Yulee, Florida at the age of 58.
Isiah McCalvy Edmondson, born March 18, 1874 in Callahan, Florida. Died March 17, 1944 at the age of 70 in Yulee, Florida.
Baby girl Edmondson, born and died on November 4, 1922.
Mary M. Whittemore, died February 18, 1912 at the age of 52 in Yulee, Florida.
Sam P. Whittemore died January 25, 1934 on the old plantation near Yulee, Florida.
Mrs. Roberts further stated that on April 15, 1974, there were nine indentations (sunken graves) where the Snowballs were buried, of which she could identify eight, none of which had visible tombstones or markers. Additionally, there were six Whittemore tombstones in the Whittemore section.