Agnita, daughter of Sylvester and Anna Mae Hughes Craycroft, was born April 8, 1907, in Big Spring, Ky. Her formal education began at Hall School in Big Spring. The family moved to Vine Grove where she enrolled as a fourth-grader at Maple Grove School. In 1919, the Mount Saint Joseph Ursulines opened St. Martin School at Flaherty and it was there that Agnita met the Ursulines. At age 15, Agnita felt called to religious life. She entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph, received the Ursuline habit on August 15, 1923, and became known as Sister Mary Sylvester.
Sister Mary Sylvester’s early assignments were St. Michael School, in Fairfield, Ky., and St. James School, Louisville. Years later in her teaching career she returned to St. James as principal and superior. Other assignments included SS. Joseph and Paul in Owensboro, and Seven Holy Founders in Affton, Mo., where she served as teacher for six years followed by another six years as superior and principal. She was principal and superior at St. Margaret Mary in Lyndon, Ky. In 1965, Sister Sylvester was appointed principal and superior at St. Edward School in Jeffersontown, Ky. She retired from school involvement at St. Edward School in 1984, but remained as coordinator of community living for the Sisters until she came to Mount Saint Joseph as an infirmary patient in the fall of 1992.
Throughout her years of commitment to the education of youth, Sister Sylvester endeared herself to students, parents and co-workers through her wealth of knowledge, her compassion, her open-minded excitement about life and her loyalty in relationships.
Sister Sylvester died on February 15, 1993. Fathers Joseph Hamilton, James Hargadon, and Trumie Elliott concelebrated the funeral Mass on February 18. The Sisters and faculty of St. Edward School took part in the funeral services. Sister’s pallbearers were her nephews and parishioners of St. Edward. Ursuline Sisters who had been faculty members at St. Edward were honorary pallbearers. Sister Mary Sylvester’s remains are buried in the convent cemetery.