Kathryn Virginia "Kitty" Snead, 98, of St. Clairsville, Ohio, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. She was born on March 11, 1918 in Wheeling, West Virginia, a daughter of Charles and Phoebe Williams.

She attended Simpson Methodist Church in Wheeling which her great grandparents helped to build. Kathryn graduated from Lincoln High School in Wheeling with honors. She attended West Virginia State University and later graduated summa cum laude from Ohio University where she researched her genealogy and wrote a manuscript titled, "The Changing Status of the Manumitted Slave: Black Colonization in Ohio." Her goal was to have this published later. She graduated in the 40's but never formally participated in the ceremony so after many years, she finally participated in graduation ceremony at OUE in May of 2015.

She married Carlyle Harris Sr. and Arthur M. Snead both preceding her in death. She is the mother of three children, Carlyle Harris Jr. of Wheeling, Phoebe McIntosh of Cleveland, Ohio and Jennifer Snead Johnson of St. Clairsville; and five grandchildren, Alicia Bennett, Kim Durham, Nichole Harris, Arthur Johnson and Josh Johnson and two great granddaughters.

Kathryn's dream was to teach and she lived her dream by teaching at Ohio University Eastern and being the last surviving teacher from Lincoln School in Wheeling and ending her career as a home teaching tutor from St. Clairsville School System. She was a member of Thoburn United Methodist Church in St. Clairsville and former member and organist at Warnock Community Church. She was a charter member, past president and past secretary and newsletter editor of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and AARP Chapter #2994; a member of the St. Clairsville Senior Center and of Laubach Literacy Association. Kitty was a 20+ year member of the executive board of the Belmont County Senior Services.

She received several outstanding awards, such as the Coretta Scott King Award and Rosa Parks Award. There were many times she portrayed famous persons from black history to make history come alive to her audience, especially her young students. She wrote poetry, short stories and delivered magazines to local nursing homes.

Family and friends will be received at Toothman Funeral Home in St. Clairsville, Ohio on Thursday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., where services will be held on Friday at 10 a.m., with Pastor Mark Carpino officiating. Burial will follow at Holly Memorial Gardens, Pleasant Grove, Ohio.