FARMERS AND MERCHANTS BANK
Benton Harbor, Michigan, Berrien County

F&M Bank was officially Farmers and Merchants Bank. It merged with the National Bank of Detroit and
then Bank One and is now a part of JP Morgan Chase or Chase Bank.The original building was located in the 100 block of West Main Street
in Benton Harbor. It moved some years ago to 400 Riverview Drive in Benton Harbor.

Sherwood Snyder took all of these snapshots and believes he gave a set to everyone involved.
How he managed that on the meager pay they received as "clerks" is beyond him.
he used his parents old box brownie and was practicing the use of time exposures
when he undertook the project. (He did a fabulous job).

Photos submitted by Bev Edwards

Click on the picture's for enlargements
Photo's taken 1945-1946

#1 Farmers And Merchants Bank
#2 Bank Lobby	#3 Kenneth Keefer Vice President Born: 12 October 1892 Died: July 1969 Kenneth Keefer and son lived on Pipestone in the "great homes" area.	#4 Mary Farnum-Hall Mary was Sherwood's boss and a relative of Don Farnum, the legendary basketball coach at Benton Harbor High School.  The gym carries his name
#5 Richard Williard (A Bank Romance with June Field). Richard became the president of the F& M bank.	#6 Janice Emhoff	#7 Sherwood Snyder Sherwood went on to study theatre in New York City, received his Ph.D. at University of Minnesota, taught at several universities, and retired from Chicago State University.
#8 Clara Marie Dumond Price Born: 29 July 1921 Died: 13 June 2006 Clara's father was Joseph Hastings Dumond who worked at the Herald-Palladium in Benton Harbor for many years.	#9 Vere Beckwith President Born: 22 October 1889 Died: 3 December 1974 Vere lived on Empire.	#10 Herbert Remus Born: 19 February 1904 Died: October 1981 Herb was one of the 3 or 4 VP's at the bank.
#11 George Taylor Vice President. George lived on Pipestone.	#12 June Field (A Bank Romance with Richard Willard).	#13 Jack Vance Jack was the nephew of Vere Beckwith, Bank President.
#14 Alvin C. Kroening Born: 22 September 1926 Died: 23 June 1999	#15 Max Styzynsky	#16 Esther Weinberg
#17 Left - Adeline Grams-Krieger. Adeline was the sister of Evelyn. Right-Marriane Bush	#18 Gerry Vigansky Gerry was a Teller and was a diabetic who often had to leave his post to get a coke or candy to raise his sugar level; often this happened when he was waiting on a customer.	#19 Evelyn Grams-Kolberg. Born: 3 January 1919 Died: April 1979 Evelyn was the sister of Adeline and lived on Pavone.
#20 Wanda Tidey-Ullig (Mrs. Vernon) was the daughter of Earl Tidey who was county clerk for many years.  Wanda was a cheerleader at BHHS, and like Sherwood was a high school student when these photos were taken.	#21 Left-Beverly Strome Beverly's married name was Mrs. Richard Layne (rather than Laine), she's deceased. Right-Elnora Ross Eleanor Ross Cobb (Mrs. Bill), her mom ran the restaurant at the bus station.	#22 Ella Washburn Ella is Mrs. Ralph Washburn, it was Ella that provided Sherwood with the opportunity to meet Henry Fonda while Sherwood was studing in New York City.  Henry was on Broadway starring in Mr. Roberts.
#23 Sherwood Snyder Sherwood is the Photographer of these wonderful photo's. (His Father was Sherwood Sr. who was Born: 25 July 1904 & Died: 22 November 1990)	#24 Ferguson Theil	#25 Marriane Bush
#26 Beverly Strome Layne Sherwood's cousin Beverly, was also a cashier at the Starlight Drive-In.	#27 Iva Anderson who lived on Wissing Lane. .	#28 Antoinette Hasse Schlender (Mrs. Paul), daughter of Rev. Hasse the Lutheran minister at St. Matthew's in BH.  She was a Trust Officer.
#29 Robert Connell Trust Department.	#30 Lois Isabelle Hammontree Griese Born: 28 October 1907 Died: 30 November 1984	#31 Beatrice Puterbaugh Beatrice was a secretary.
#32 Left - Dorothy Bittner Stover. Dorothy lives about 2 miles down the road from Sherwood and always works at the polls during elections. Right - Iva Anderson	#33 Dorothy Bittner Stover	#34 Anita Heyn-Mummaw
#35 Kenneth Schuchnecht	#36 Kenneth Schuchnecht	#37 Left- Katherine G. Tenter Rosenhagen Born: 12 May 1928 Died: 9 May 2005 Right- Herbert W. Remus Born: 19 February 1904 Died: 20 October 1981
#38 Front Row Left to Right - Wanda Tidey Ullig, Katherine Tenter Rosenhagen & Ella Washburn. Back Row Left to Right - Eleanor Ross Cobb, June Field Willard & Evelyn Grams. Sherwood designed all of those goofy hats, as he called them, though he thought they were special at the time, for a competition at the Chicago Tribune. The ladies of the bank agreed to pose with them before he sent then off. He won third place, $50, and a millinery book.	#39 Edward Pullin He was doorman, janitor, mascot...an old fashioned gentleman.	#40 Mozell Porter, cleaning lady, very quiet.
#41 Helen Anderson	#42 Violet Schiman Sherwood believes Violet came to the bank working on a project for Mercy Hospital.	#43 Elsie Mallinger
#44 Joanne McKahan	#45 Vera Schwartz
Front Row, Left to right - #17 & #25 Marriane Bush, #27 Iva Anderson, #30 Isabelle Griese, #21 & #26 Beverly Strome, #19 Evelyn Grams, #22 Ella Washburn. Back Row, Left to right - Elsie Mallenjer, #31 Beatrice Puterbaugh, #16 Esther Weinberg, Helen Cook, #6 Janice Emhoff, #12 June Field, Vera Shwartz, #17 Adeline Grams-Krieger, #4 Mary Farnum, #32 & #33 Dorothy Bittner.

Notes:

The original Snaps photo album was donated to the Berrien County Genealogical Society.
(It seemed appropriate)

4 June 2007 Addition
Loads of pictures identified by Adeline Grams-Krieger, through the Berrien County Genealogical Society.

3 October 2006 Addition
Going through what I have of my mother's pics this morning, trying to find a picture of the Church where we were raised in St. Joseph County for another Coordinator for MI GenWeb, and I ran across this picture that I had tossed aside to idnetify at a later date. I turned it over this time and found names written on the back. I then realized that these women looked familiar to me. We now have some names to faces of women who worked for the Farmers and Merchants bank.

25 April 2008 Addition
3 Photos added . Dontated by Sherwood Snyder.