Sylvester Monroe Cooke (1849 - 1916)

Born 13 Jun 1849 in Rock Island, Rock Island County, Illinois

Ancestors

Husband of Clara Dell (Condit) Cooke — married 21 Dec 1877 in Pierce County, Wisconsin

Died 30 Mar 1916 at age 66 in Rock Elm, Pierce County, Wisconsin

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Biography

• 1. Sylvester Monroe Cooke was born June 13, 1849, at Rock Island, Ill. He is a son of Asaph and Louisa (Webber) born in the state of New York in 1801, and died in Rock Elm in 1868. The mother, Louisa Cooke, born in Maine, died in Rock Elm in 1880. There were twelve children, of whom Sylvester was the eleventh.

In 1856 his parents moved to Pepin County, living there eight years, and then moving to Pierce County, settling in Rock Elm township. Mr. Cooke received his early education in Pepin county, at Frankfort. After reaching the age of twenty-one years he attended school for a time at Rock Elm. He then taught school for eighteen years in Pierce County, afterward farming for some time. In 1889 he was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court for Pierce Co., which office he held for one term, after which, in 1881, he removed to Olivet, where he resided until his death March 30, 1916. He was a Republican in politics and a staunch Prohibitionist in local affairs. For seven years he was Clerk of Rock Elm township, and occupied a similar position in Spring Lake township for about the same time. He was Chairman of the same time. He was Chairman of the town board of Spring Lake for one year, and a member of the Masonic Lodge for seven years. On December 21, 1877, he was married to Clara Condit, a daughter of William and Margaret (Hager)Condit. By this union there were four children--two living and two dead. The deceased were twins,--Ruby, who died at the age of three years, and Lloyd, who died at the age of three months. The living are Carl Clarence, born in 1879, a farmer of Spring Lake township, and Ray Sylvester, born in 1889, now attending Northwestern University at Chicago. That historic ship, the Mayflower, that came from England with seed of conscience and religion sufficient to plant and vitalize a continent, contained an ancestor of Mr. Cooke. Francis and John Cooke were on board, and the deceased is known to have been descended of Francis. [This has since proven not to be true] His great-grandfather, born in 1748, took part in the battle of Lexington, and participated in other engagements of the Revolutionary War. His brother John, born in 1841, enlisted in the First Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, later being transferred to the Twenty-first Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He was with Sherman on his famous march to the sea, and died from the effects of the campaign at Savannah in 1864. As a man of business he was careful and prompt to meet all his obligations to all men. His word was as good as his bond. He had no lack of quiet dignity and self respect, but pride and vanity and ostentation were alike strangers to him. His was a nature of broad and generous sympathies that embraced all men in all grades and needs. Kindness was instinctive with him, and whoever passed into the atmosphere of his presence felt he was in the presence of a friend. With qualities like these predominant, it need scarcely be added that as a husband his whole life was a constant benediction and joy to the partner of his labors. As a father it is impossible to find encomiums suitable for an adequate description of one in whom were united all paternal excellencies. Mr. Cooke was a devout Christian, having first experienced religion at the early age of ten years. When he came to Olivet he became an ardent church supporter. He became converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal church. He was soon made an officer of the church and was class leader for some time. The church never had a safer and wiser counselor than he. He took a deep interest in the erection of the present church edifice at Olivet, and has since sustained it as liberally as his means would permit. His piety was not of the ecstatic kind but was deep and genuine. Always was he modest in the estimate of his own religious experience, yet always hopeful that when the end should come all would be well. Within the last few weeks of his life his faith grew stronger, until a few minutes before he went to meet his God he remarked, "The Lord is here, he knows all about it; do not cry, all is well with me." His immediate surviving relatives are his wife (Clara), two sons (Carl and Ray), one brother (Edwin Cooke, of New Lebanon, Ind.), and two sisters (Mrs. O.P. Whipp, of River Falls and Mrs. Henry Doughty of Durand.)

Card of Thanks We wish to thank all the kind friends and neighbors who so willingly helped us during the sickness and death of our beloved husband and father, and for the beautiful flowers. Mr. Clara Cooke, Carl Cooke, and Ray S. Cooke^[1] also^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Spring Valley Sun, Spring Valley, Wisconsin; WHS microfilm P45462, April 6, 1916, p. 1, SYLVESTER COOKE
2. ↑ Obituary for Sylvester Cooke, from unknown newspaper, photocopy supplied by Helen Cooke Wentlandt, N8834 170th St., Spring Valley, wI 54767.