Feb. 8, 1911 Brazil Newspaper
Minister Is Dead
Rev. J. W. Syester of Spokane, Wash.
Former Clay County Minister Dies.
Rev. J. W. (John W.) Syester, well known Baptist minister formerly of Clay county, later
of Spokane, Wash., died Tuesday night, Feb. 8. Mr. Syester was born in TN, April 17,
1835, came to Indiana when a boy and settled in putnam county at the age of 22 years. He
was united in marriage to Miss Levina McCullough who departed this life March 31, 1897.
(Note: Levina was dau. of Wm. & Levina Myers McCullough.)
To their union eleven children were born, five of whom have died. Those surviving are:
Silas, Joseph and McChevy Syester; Mrs. John Acree of this city; Mrs. Rachel Syester, of
this city and Mrs. Charles Malone of Coalmont. The deceased was here visiting his
children and relatives last fall. He has not been well since and death relieved his
sufferings. The deceased formerly lived here and is well known in the Baptist communities
over the county.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb. 17, 1939, Brazil Newspaper
Mrs. John P. Acree Called by Death
Mrs. Sarah E. Acree, widow of the late John P. Acree, died at 12:15 o’clock, Tuesday
afternoon at the family residence, 728 East National Avenue, following a lingering illness
at the age of 79 years.
Mrs. Acree was a daughter of the late Rev. J. W. and Levina McCullough Syester, native of
TN, who were among the early settlers of this vicinity. She was born in Putnam county and
when she was about 15 years old the family moved to Parke county, northeast of Carbon.
She was married to John P. Acree on October 11, 1886 and they established a home at
Harmony, later coming to Brazil, which has been their home for the past 32 years.
Mrs. Acree was a woman of unusual talent, following in the footsteps of her father, who
was a United Brethren preacher, she prepared herself for the ministry and for more than 20
years had been active in the religious life of the community. She served as pastor of the
church of the United Brethren in Union for 3 years and was later elected presiding elder,
which position she filled for about 10 years.
Mrs. Acree was preceded in death by her husband, May 18, 1938; she is survived by one
son, W. Denver Acree of this city; one sister, Miss Rachel Syester, city three brothers:
M. C. Syester, city; Silas Syester, of Terre Haute, and Joseph Syester of Hymern; two
grandchildren; W. Denver, Jr. and Katherine E. Acree, city, and ten nieces and seven
nephews.
The body was returned to the residence from the Lawson & Son Funeral Home, where
funeral services will be held at 2 o’clock this (Friday) afternoon with Rev. Wm Lowe, of
Rosedale officiating. Burial will be made at Cottage Hill cemetery.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
December 7, 1942, Brazil Newspaper
Silas C. Syester
Silas C. Syester, 84 years old, died at 5:45 o’clock Saturday evening at the residence,
217 South 11th Street. The body was taken to the Gillis Memory Chapel where funeral
services will be held at 2 o’clock Tuesday afternoon. Burial will be in Highland Lawn
cemetery.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, October 6, 1947, Brazil Newspaper
Miss Rachel Syester
Dies at County Hospital
Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at the Lawson & Son funeral home for
Miss Rachel Anna Syester, age 73, of 713 East Jackson Street who died Sept. 25, at the
Clay county hospital where she had been under treatment for three months.
The deceased was a daughter of the late John W. and Levina McCullough Syester and she had
lived at Poland, Cory and Alum Cave, near Coalmont. In 1907 Miss Syester located at Terre
Haute where she was employed as seamstress at the Rose Orphan’s home for 22 years. Since
her retirement nine years ago, she had made her home in this city.
She is survived by two brothers, Joe Syester, of Hymera, and Marion C. “Mack” Syester, of
this city; also several nieces and nephews.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 2, 1952, Brazil Newspaper
Joseph “Joe” Syester
Hymera, Ind., Nov 1—Special—
Joseph “Joe” Syester, 91 years old, died at the residence here at 1 o’clock Saturday
afternoon. Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Stelle Asbury of Shelburn, Miss Vina
Syester of Hymers, and Mrs. Leona Wise of Terre Haute; one son, Robert, of Wilford; one
brother, Mack of Brazil; 13 grandchildren; 17 g-gr-children, and several nieces and
nephews. The body was taken to the McHugh Funeral Home where services will be held at
1:30 o”clock Monday afternoon. Burial will be made in Shiloh Cemetery.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, March 21, 1958, Brazil Newspaper
Funeral Services held for “Mack” Syester
Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at the Lawson & Son Funeral Home for
Marion C. “Mack” Syester, age 81, of 511 S. Alabama St., who died Friday morning at the
Leavitt Nursing Home where he had been a patient for a few days.
Born in Parke County, he had moved to Clay County with his parents, John W. and Levina
McCullough Syester, when he was a small child. He was reared in the Carpenter’s Mill
community near Poland.For several years he waas employed as a trainman by the Big Four
Railroad. He located in Brazil about 60 years ago and became a well known painter and
decorator here. He wa a member of the Knightsville Masonic Lodge.
His wife, the former May Hanna Richey preceded him in death seven years ago. Surviving
are a son, Fred Syester of Indianapolis and a daughter, Mrs. George L. Edwards, of Brazil;
three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.