Rev. Sylvester C. Martin, 90 years old of Decatur, Indiana, passed away at 8:20 p.m. on Friday, February 19, 2010 in the Adams Memorial Hospital located in Decatur, Indiana. Sylvester was born on Sunday, November 30, 1919 in Monroeville, Indiana the son of the late William Martin and the late Mahala (Disler). He married Marcile Christener on September 7, 1941 in Decatur, Indiana and she survives. Sylvester pastured his first church from 1940 to 1941 in Celina, Ohio. In 1941 he was called to minister a church in Rockford, Ohio and remained there until 1945. In January of 1945 he started attending ministerial college in Huntington, Indiana and continued until he graduated in 1948. The same year he started college he was called to serve at his home church in Zanesville, Indiana and remained there until 1951. In 1946 Sylvester began a 25-year run as a worker at the United Brethren Camp in Rockford, Ohio, which he helped to found. At the camp he served as a counselor, camp director, evangelist, business manager, & camp board member. In August of 1951 the family moved to Bluffton, Indiana to serve and were able to build a new church there. They served at the Bluffton church until August of 1958 when they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. They stayed in Cincinnati until 1961 and were able to build a church and parsonage from the ground up in that time. In August of 1961 they moved to the United Brethren Church in Decatur, Indiana and were able to stay here until his retirement in April of 1984. As a retirement gift from his church and the City of Decatur he and Marcile were given a nineteen-day trip to visit the Holy Land. During this trip they were able to visit Germany, Austria, Bavaria, & Jordon. In 1984 Sylvester spent about eight months as an interim pastor at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church and about that time he joined the Senior Citizens of Decatur where he served as President several times. After taking a short period of time off, Sylvester had a very active 1986. He started back to Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church and continued there until 1989. Sylvester also started serving on Council on Aging in 1986 and was able to continue that until 2006. In August 1986 Sylvester was on the Steering Committee for the Decatur Sesquicentennial Celebration and was the Honorary Grand Marshall of the Decatur Calithumpian Parade in October of that year. In December of 1986 he started working as a staff assistant at what is now Zwick & Jahn Funeral Home in Decatur and was able to work there for 11 ½ years. In the late 1980s Sylvester served on the steering committee and the Board of Directors for Woodcrest Retirement Community. In 1992 Sylvester was awarded the Steven Decatur Award from the Decatur Chamber of Commerce. In the winter months of November through April he was able to pastor part-time at Arbor Terrace Park in Bradenton, Florida from 1993 to 1996. In May of 1996 Sylvester join the staff of Woodcrest Nursing Center as the chaplain. He and his wife, Marcile, moved to Woodcrest in October 2000 and he served as the chaplain until 2002. Surviving are his wife, Marcile Martin of Decatur, Indiana, son, Lowell (Judy) Martin of Decatur, Indiana, son, Halden (Deb) Martin of Roanoke, Indiana, five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren. Preceding Sylvester in death were eight brothers, George, William, Milton, Septumus, Luke, Harry, Waldo, and Roscoe Martin and three sisters, Girtrude Kelly, Margurite Kumfer and Mary McBride. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 24, 2010 in the Cornerstone Community Church. Friends will be received from 2-3 p.m. Monday, February 22, 2010 in the Porter Auditorium at Woodcrest, and 6-8 p.m. Monday, February 22, 2010 in the Zwick and Jahn Funeral Home, Decatur, Indiana, and from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, February 23, 2010 in the Zwick and Jahn Funeral Home; and one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday. Preferred memorials are to Huntington University.
