By Tracy Gupton

Columbia Historical Museum

Snow’s Cleaners opened for business in West Columbia in 1920, a few years before Chesney’s began selling jewelry on main street in 1924 in the Brazoria County town that was once the first capitol of the Republic of Texas in 1836 and 1837. And while E. Viola & Son Funeral Home, located at 205 North Broad Street, has not been in business continually as long as Chesney’s Jewelry, it has to be in the top three at least when ranking the West Columbia family-owned businesses for endurance.

John Snow and his brother, Robert “Bob” Snow, served their country in the U.S. Army during World War I, having been inducted into the military in 1918. John returned to West Columbia at the conclusion of the war and opened a boot repair and saddle shop. He also owned racehorses and would enter his horses on race day at the track which was located between West Columbia and East Columbia.

Bob Snow opened a cleaning and pressing business in West Columbia after WWI, Snow’s Cleaners, which was very successful. He remained in business from 1920 until his death on December 26, 1961.

February is Black History Month

The Snow brothers’ mother, Anna Jeffery, was born a slave on the Varner Plantation where the Varner-Hogg State Park is now. When she was a young teenager, Anna was given to John H. Snow. Anna and the elder John Snow remained together after the Civil War ended slavery. They were the parents of six children, three boys and three girls. The Snow children were all educated in West Columbia schools.

Their third son, Jack, worked as a horse wrangler on the Borden Ranch.

Lillian Snow married Colonel Roy Burley and lived in San Antonio while Angie Snow married Daniel Clay and lived in Houston. Augusta (Gussie) married Emile Viola Sr. Gussie and Emile Viola were the parents of sons Forest, Emile Jr. and Traversia.

Emile Viola was born in Brazoria on January 18, 1888. His early school years were spent in Brazoria and he later attended and graduated from Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. After working various jobs in the southern United States for a few years he returned to Brazoria County in the early 1900s.

Emile’s degree was in finished carpentry. His skills included interior finishing and cabinetwork but Emile was a master blacksmith.

During West Columbia’s oil boom days of the 1920s he was busy making everything from horseshoes to wagon wheels. He was also called on by the local ranchers to make branding irons. In his workshop he began making coffins. People began coming to him to make coffins because of the special care he took. Each coffin was lined in muslin.

He soon started preparing to get his funeral license. Long before he got his license, Emile began preparations for opening a funeral home. He built all the equipment in the preparation room. He also constructed the building itself.

Before the establishment of Viola’s Funeral Home, most families would bathe and dress their own dead and lay them out on what they called a cooling board. The “cooling board” was usually two planks supported by sawhorses so friends and relatives could come by for a final look before burial.

Emile Viola’s West Columbia funeral home became a success and for many years he worked in partnership with his son Traversia. Emile Viola Sr. died on July 21, 1961.

Traversia Julius Viola was born in 1918. He and his brother attended school in Houston where his uncle and aunt, Daniel and Angie Clay, lived. Each week their mother would take them into Houston, and they would return home on the weekends. During the weekends and summer vacations, Traversia began learning the funeral business from his father.

After graduating from high school in Houston, he attended Prairie View A&M University. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology and minored in chemistry. Traversia attended embalming school in Houston.

For many years following Emile Viola Sr.’s passing, Traversia and Kathryn Viola owned and operated E. Viola & Son Funeral Home. They ran the family business for decades with the help of their children, sons Traversia Viola Jr., Kim Freeman Viola and Val, and daughter Marilyn Vern Smith.

Traversia Sr. and Kathryn Viola were involved in several civic organizations, including the Lions Club, Columbia Historical Museum, and Blue Run Baptist Church. They donated the land where Blue Run Baptist Church is. They were involved with the formation of the Columbia Historical Museum when it was opened in 1990.

The Violas were honored for their dedication to the community by being named Martin Luther King Celebration Committee’s Drum Majors in 2007, and Grand Marshals for the Brazoria County Juneteenth Parade, also in 2007.

Traversia Viola Sr. died in 2009 and Kathryn died in 2012.  Their daughter, Marilyn, is still involved with management of the family business today. Son Val, who died in an auto accident in 1973, and his brothers Traversia Jr. and Kim Viola have also passed away.

Traversia Sr., who operated the family funeral home for more than 36 years, was involved with Boy Scouts, The 100 Club, Brazoria County Booster Club, Old Capitol Masonic Lodge No. 86, and Nu Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Come by the Columbia Historical Museum, 247 East Brazos Avenue, in downtown West Columbia to view the Viola and Snow family exhibits, as well as the many other interesting displays the museum has to offer.  The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

And feel free to add your comments to this and every story posted on the museum’s website: columbiahistoricalmuseum.org.