The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota*

Edwin Sylvester dies in St. Paul, still a prisoner

December 2, 1926 - January 5, 1934

PAGE 222

to be served at the expiration of the first term. He has served about nine months of his term. Kennedy has not been back since he was sentenced from one to ten years which term he began just a year ago.
Their appearance in the local court was occasioned at the request of James A. Carley, attorney for the closed bank on a court order issued by Judge Karl Finkelnberg. This case has been brought up for retrial from the November term of last year at which time Austin was given the verdict on a plea that he had settled the note by paying E. L. Sylvester $3,500 in cash. With the apprehension of Sylvester, Carley asked for a new trial on the grounds of additional evidence. The case was thrown out of the calendar at the May term because of improper filing of the notice and postponed to the November term. The case was expected to come before the court on Wednesday. A number of local people have been present at the proceedings and more will attend until the trial is over.

1930

June 6, 1930-

E. L. Sylvester Buried Thursday
Died at St. Paul Hospital Wednesday – Remains Brought Here
Word was received here Wednesday of the death of Edwin L. Sylvester at a St. Paul hospital that morning. It was known that his health was failing rapidly and in the past few weeks local people had heard that his condition was such that he could not last long. He had been under hospital care for the past two months, a parole having been granted to permit him to be taken to St. Paul. The body was brought here Thursday afternoon for burial at Greenwood Cemetery with private services.
Mr. Sylvester was born in Plainview township March 16, 1859 his father coming from Wisconsin and settling on the farm in 1855. He attended the district school and three years at the Plainview High School. He taught school for two years spending his spare time working on his father’s farm. In 1882 he became clerk in the Plainview State Bank, becoming president of the institution in 1905. In 1906 it was incorporated as a State Bank and was the oldest bank in the county having been established in 1865.
The story of his life from then on needs no recounting. The failure of the bank in 1925was occasion for telling that story many times. After evading the law for a year, he was sentenced to 15 years in Stillwater Prison.
Deceased was married November 22, 1855 to Hettie L. Dillon. They were the parents of 5 children, one son Byrl E. having been killed ring the War. The surviving children are Mrs. Nettie Caldwell of St. Paul, Mrs. Meta Larsen, Minneapolis, Park of Plainview and Edwin of Chicago. This death stirs again the memory of this community of a man who was one of Plainview’s most prominent citizens. His personality was one that all will be pleased to remember. The bank failure brought out facts that took the community a long time to realize their impact because of the regard in which he had been held. These facts showed a weakness from which he has not been excused but there is a feeling among those who were his friends that he was a victim of circumstances that have not been disclosed.

1934

January 5, 1934-

Funeral Services Conducted Sunday for P. D. Sylvester
Passed Away Last Thursday After Being Struck by Hit-Run Motorist
Was in Hospital for one Week
Was Well Known, Prominent in Community Affairs
The life of Park Sylvester expired on Thursday December 28 at the General Hospital at Virginia, Minnesota where he had been taken just a week previous, following

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* SOURCE: Manzow, Ron (compiler), "The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota - a collection of information taken from the Plainview News, other newspapers, letters, and diaries beginning in 1884": Plainview Area History Center, 40 4th St. S.W., Plainview, MN 55964. Compiled in 2001.

NOTE: from Ron Manzow, December 2001: "Feel free to reproduce the pages for anyone who wants a copy. It was compiled to be shared... All I ask is that they consider sending a check to the [Plainview Area] History Center to help us out. That should be enough."