Individual Details
Sylvanus Whetzel Swain
(17 Dec 1854 - 31 Dec 1927)
From Benton Area Newspaper (unknown). S. W. Swain died at his home on North Main street early last Saturday, after a brief illness of heart trouble. The first warning that Mr. Swain had was last Thursday, when he had started down town. He had reached the Stotlar-Herrin Lumber Co. yards, less than two blocks from his home, when he was overcome and forced to retrace his steps. The second and fatal attack came at 5:30 Saturday morning.
Funeral services were conducted at the First Christian Church Monday afternoon, during the course of which Judge Thos. J. Layman read the following timely review of Mr. Swain's life.
Sylvanus Whetzel Swain was the son of Evan and Harriet Harrison Swain. He was born near Buckner Hill, in Browning township, Franklin County, Illinois on December 17, 1854 and died at his home in the city of Benton on the evening of December 30, 1927. His father was a native of Tennessee, coming to Illinois when a boy. His mother was a daughter of Lemuel R. Harrison, one of the pioneers of Franklin county, who was a potent factor in the development of our community and held the offices of county surveyor and county clerk.
The first ten years of the life of Mr. Swain were spent in the vicinity of his birthplace. The school he first attended was located on the site now occupied by the village of Buckner. In 1862 his father enlisted in the Union Army, and for a period of three years he was a faithful and __________. His mother, left with her little children, courageously faced the battle of life while her husband was in the Southland fighting in defense of his county.
In 1864 Mrs. Swain removed with her children to a farm near the village of Ewing in order that she might be near Charlotte and William King, her sister and brother-in-law, while her husband was in the army. There, for several terms, Mr. swain attended the Shiloh school.
In the year 1867 Dr. John Washburn, the pioneer educator of Southern Illinois, came into the Ewing neighborhood and organized and conducted in Frizzell's Prairie Baptist Church the Ewing High School, the fore runner of Ewing College. Mr. Swain was fortunate to come under the tutelage of this good and gifted man, being a student of Ewing College during the school year of 1876-77. Among his fellow students were the late C. A. Aiken, Sr., of Benton, the late Prof. John Richeson and Justice W. W. Duncan of the Illinois Supreme Court.
In the autumn of 1876 Mr. swain embarked in the teaching profession and was employed to teach the old historic "South School" in Six Mile township. Here he taught for four successive years, and this was, to him, a happy period of his life. Here he met, wooed and won the girl of his choice, Florence Kirkpatrick, and they were married at the Yuletide season on the evening of December24, 1878. Together they bravely trod life's pathway for more than forty-nine years. To them were born a daughter, Gertrude, wife of W. J. Fitzgerrell of Ewing College. * Mr. Beaty, for more than twenty-five years, has been a prominent educator in the Philippine Islands. The graduating class of 1896 had four members, Jud Payne, Will, Orr, the late Will Seeber and the writer of this memorial. When we recall the influence of this good capable and kindly man, we can truly say:"He was a man, take him for all in all; We scarce shall look upon his like again."
In 1899 Mr. Swain removed to the city of Benton and engaged in the milling business for a period of five years. He afterwards operated a mill in Marion, Illinois, and was a hardware dealer in the city of West Frankfort. Nine years ago he returned to Benton. Since 1920 he has served as a justice of the peace of Benton township.
In the year 1900 Mr. Swain united with the First Christian Church of Benton and remained a consistent member until his death.
[The remainder describes Mr. Swain's character and the community's grief upon his death. The last of the obit stops abruptly leaving off the very end of it. It does mention that Mr. Swain was engaged in writing for his grandchildren the memoirs of his life.]
*They also had two sons, Theodore Paul Swain and Frank Hurd Swain.
Funeral services were conducted at the First Christian Church Monday afternoon, during the course of which Judge Thos. J. Layman read the following timely review of Mr. Swain's life.
Sylvanus Whetzel Swain was the son of Evan and Harriet Harrison Swain. He was born near Buckner Hill, in Browning township, Franklin County, Illinois on December 17, 1854 and died at his home in the city of Benton on the evening of December 30, 1927. His father was a native of Tennessee, coming to Illinois when a boy. His mother was a daughter of Lemuel R. Harrison, one of the pioneers of Franklin county, who was a potent factor in the development of our community and held the offices of county surveyor and county clerk.
The first ten years of the life of Mr. Swain were spent in the vicinity of his birthplace. The school he first attended was located on the site now occupied by the village of Buckner. In 1862 his father enlisted in the Union Army, and for a period of three years he was a faithful and __________. His mother, left with her little children, courageously faced the battle of life while her husband was in the Southland fighting in defense of his county.
In 1864 Mrs. Swain removed with her children to a farm near the village of Ewing in order that she might be near Charlotte and William King, her sister and brother-in-law, while her husband was in the army. There, for several terms, Mr. swain attended the Shiloh school.
In the year 1867 Dr. John Washburn, the pioneer educator of Southern Illinois, came into the Ewing neighborhood and organized and conducted in Frizzell's Prairie Baptist Church the Ewing High School, the fore runner of Ewing College. Mr. Swain was fortunate to come under the tutelage of this good and gifted man, being a student of Ewing College during the school year of 1876-77. Among his fellow students were the late C. A. Aiken, Sr., of Benton, the late Prof. John Richeson and Justice W. W. Duncan of the Illinois Supreme Court.
In the autumn of 1876 Mr. swain embarked in the teaching profession and was employed to teach the old historic "South School" in Six Mile township. Here he taught for four successive years, and this was, to him, a happy period of his life. Here he met, wooed and won the girl of his choice, Florence Kirkpatrick, and they were married at the Yuletide season on the evening of December24, 1878. Together they bravely trod life's pathway for more than forty-nine years. To them were born a daughter, Gertrude, wife of W. J. Fitzgerrell of Ewing College. * Mr. Beaty, for more than twenty-five years, has been a prominent educator in the Philippine Islands. The graduating class of 1896 had four members, Jud Payne, Will, Orr, the late Will Seeber and the writer of this memorial. When we recall the influence of this good capable and kindly man, we can truly say:"He was a man, take him for all in all; We scarce shall look upon his like again."
In 1899 Mr. Swain removed to the city of Benton and engaged in the milling business for a period of five years. He afterwards operated a mill in Marion, Illinois, and was a hardware dealer in the city of West Frankfort. Nine years ago he returned to Benton. Since 1920 he has served as a justice of the peace of Benton township.
In the year 1900 Mr. Swain united with the First Christian Church of Benton and remained a consistent member until his death.
[The remainder describes Mr. Swain's character and the community's grief upon his death. The last of the obit stops abruptly leaving off the very end of it. It does mention that Mr. Swain was engaged in writing for his grandchildren the memoirs of his life.]
*They also had two sons, Theodore Paul Swain and Frank Hurd Swain.
Events
| Birth | 17 Dec 1854 | Franklin Co., Illinois |  | ||
| Marriage | 24 Dec 1878 | Franklin Co., Illinois - Florence E. Kirkpatrick | | ||
| Death | 31 Dec 1927 | Benton, Franklin Co., Illinois | | ||
| Burial | Masonic and Odd Fellows Cemetery, Benton, Franklin Co., Illinois | |
Families
| Spouse | Florence E. Kirkpatrick (1859 - 1944) |
| Child | Theodore Paul Swain (1879 - 1960) |
| Child | Gertrude Ophelia Swain (1881 - 1971) |
| Child | Frank Hurd Swain (1884 - 1961) |