Esther Snyder
Esther Lavelle Snyder (née Johnson) (January 7, 1920 – August 4, 2006) was an American businesswoman. She co-founded In-N-Out Burger, with her husband Harry Snyder, in 1948.
Esther Snyder | |
|---|---|
| Born | Esther Lavelle Johnson January 7, 1920 |
| Died | August 4, 2006 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Co-founding In-N-Out Burger |
| Spouse(s) | Harry Snyder |
| Children | Harry Snyder Richard Snyder |
Early life
Snyder was born and raised in Sorento, Illinois, as one of eight children (seven daughters, one son). She attended Greenville College and graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a bachelor's degree in zoology.[1]
Marriage and family
She met Harry Snyder in 1947, while working at a restaurant in Seattle; the two were married the following year and moved to Baldwin Park, California.[2]
Esther and Harry Snyder had two sons: Harry Guy (more commonly referred to by simply "Guy"; born 1951) and Richard Snyder (born 1952) and one granddaughter from their first son Guy: Lynsi (born 1982). Esther outlived her husband, who died in 1976 and both of their sons, one of whom died in a plane crash and the other of a drug overdose.
Death
She died on August 4, 2006, in Baldwin Park, California, aged 86, from undisclosed causes. Her only grandchild, Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, is now the heir to the In-N-Out Burger company.[3][4]
Esther Snyder Community Center
Since In-N-Out Burger was started in the city of Baldwin Park, the city named its community center after Esther Snyder.[5]
References
- "In Loving Memory of Esther Snyder". innout.com. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- "Esther Snyder, 86; Began In-N-Out Burger". The New York Times. August 13, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- "In-N-Out matriarch Snyder dies at age 86". 2006-08-06. Archived from the original on 2006-08-07.
- "Esther Snyder, In-N-Out Burger Founder, Dies at 86". The New York Times. August 13, 2006. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
Esther L. Snyder, who with her husband founded the popular West Coast restaurant chain In-N-Out Burger, died August 4. She was 86. The family declined to release further details, including the cause of death, said Bob Emmers of Sitrick & Company, which handles public relations for the chain. Esther and Harry Snyder opened the first In-N-Out drive-through stand in Baldwin Park, Calif., in 1948. In-N-Out now has 202 restaurants in Arizona, California and Nevada.
- "City of Baldwin Park - Esther Snyder Community Center". Retrieved 2009-08-18.
Further reading
- Perman, Stacy (2009). In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-134671-2.