ANNIE M. SYKES
Inspiring Teacher of Music
Contributed by BetteJo Hall-Caldwell
Miss Annie M. Sykes
Ilion Citizen, Thursday, April 4, 1907
Her Long and Useful Life of Nearly 86 Years Brought to a Close was Music
Teacher for Half a Century.
The last issue of the Clinton Courier contained an extended obituary notice
of Miss Annie M. Sykes, who twenty odd years ago was well known in Ilion
and Herkimer, where she had a number of pupils whom she instructed in
music. She was a very lovable lady whose life was a long and useful one.
The tribute to her memory was written by her nephew, H.B. Sykes, one of
the editors of the Clinton Courier, and from it we make the following
liberal extracts:

"Miss Annie M. Sykes, one of the oldest and best known natives of Clinton, died in Lyons,
Wayne co., Thursday morning, March 21st. Among those who gathered to pay the last tribute of
respect to the aged teacher were three ladies from Ilion, former music pupils of Miss Sykes
in that place and representing a large class which she taught in the village some twenty years
ago and who became devoted friends of their instructor, whose life work as a teacher of vocal
and instrumental music had won for her distinction far beyond the bounds of her native town and
even of Central New York. These ladies from Ilion brought floral offerings which they were
permitted to strew with loving hands over the casket containing the mortal remains of one whom
they had learned to love and revere long years ago, when she was nearing the close of her
remarkable career as a musical instructor and they were entering upon the hopeful activities
and joys of young womanhood. This somewhat unusual bond of friendship between teacher and pupils
manifested after so many years of separation from the time when it had its inception in
the faithful and superior instruction rendered, has apparently grown and ripened with the
passing of time, and its simple and touching manifestation at this time is but an earnest of
what these true friends have it in their hearts to do to honor the memory and friendship of
their revered teacher. For they have asked and been granted the privilege of placing a simple
memorial stone to mark her earthly resting place. There are probably hundreds of the former
pupils of Miss Sykes living all over the country, who were under her instructions during the
long period of years when she taught music in the various ladies seminaries in Clinton who would
be pleased to learn of the thoughtful and spontaneous act of her former Ilion pupils. Their offer
has been accepted with appreciation of the beautiful spirit which prompted it and in view of the
peculiar circumstances which drew it forth. No teacher was ever more devoted to a profession than
was the subject of this sketch to hers, and having devoted her entire active life to its
labors, it seems entirely fitting that her pupils should be given the privilege of jointly
expressing in this modest way their recognition of her worth and their reverence for her memory.
"Annie M. Sykes was the eldest daughter of Orrin and Nancy [Catilin]
Sykes, and was born in Clinton, Aug 4,1821. Her rudimentary education
was obtained in the common schools of those early days, and it is
traditional in the family that she was a remarkably bright pupil, having
learned to read and write by the time she was four years of age. In her
young girlhood she enterd the Young Ladies' Domestic Seminary,
established in this village in 1833 by Rev. Hiram H. Kellogg, an
institution which had a brief but brilliant career, and which became the
forerunner of Mount Holyoke Seminary and other famous institutions for
the all-around education of young women. Leaving M. Kellogg's school at
an early age Miss Sykes at once engaged in teaching school and continued
to follow this vocation in this and neighboring towns and in more
distant places for a number of years. She early manifested considerable
musical talent, and this she cultivated while in Mr. Kellogg's school and
in the singing schools which flourished in those days. In these and
other ways Miss Sykes developed her musical talents and at length gave
up school teaching to devote herself entirely to musical instruction, a
career which she followed with remarkable success for a period
approximating fifty years. Early in her career Miss Sykes was enabled to
go to New York and receive instruction from the noted Italian vocalist,
Bassini, whose methods for voice culture have never been surpassed, and
as an exponent of which Miss Sykes achieved berilliant success. She was
successfully in charge of the musical departments of the White Seminary,
Houghton Seminary, Cottage Seminary and Rev. Benjamin W. Dwight's School
for Girls, all of which have flourished and faded in this educational
center. It was while Miss Syke was in charge of the muiscal instruction
at the White Seminary, the female department of the Clinton Liberal
institute, which was at the zenith of its prosperity that she became the
teacher of a young lady from Jefferson county, Miss Antoinette
Sterling, whose marvelous contralto voice later became the wonder and
admiration of two continents, and the glory of whose triumphs in musical
circles of a generation ago, in this country and in Europe was reflected
in no small degree upon and proudly rejoiced in by her early musical
instructor, the subject of this sketch. Miss Sterling [afterward Madame
MacKinlay, of London,] herself never failed to acknowledge her
indebtedness to Miss Sykes, and rejoiced to visit her old teacher and to
correspond with her during a period of many years. Miss Sterling died
some years ago, after a long and brillanti career, having sung before
Queen Victoria and many other of the crowned heads of Europe.
"In 1873, Miss Sykes herself established a ladies' boarding school in
Clinton, principally for musical instruction, although other branches
were taught. This school opened with much promise, but its career was
abruptly terminated at the end of its first year by a fire which
completely destroyed the building and caused considerable loss to those
interested. It was soon after this disastrous enterprise that Miss Sykes
was led by circumstances to take up private musical instruction in
Ilion, and in a short time she had a large class there which occupied
her time for the greater part of each week. She also had pupils in other
nearby places and in Utica and Clinton. During this period, and indeed
for many years previously, she gave occasional concerts in Clinton,
Ilion and other places, of a character seldom enjoyed in these days, and
nearly always drawing a large audience.
"The concerts exhibited the work of her pupils to advantage and were of
such an enjoyable character that many of them are recalled with
pleasure to this day by those who remember to have attended them. It was
during these years of labor among the hospitable and appreciative people
of Ilion and its sister villages that Miss Sykes won many lasting
friendships and culminated her long and arduous career as a teacher of
music.
Miss Sykes had a large and generous heart and a capacity for love and
labor rarely excelled in a woman. The fruits of her labors were
scattered with a prodigal hand among those she loved. She was devoted to
her parents and kindred and gave her entire life to their service and
the promotion of their happiness and comfort. Brought up amid the
surroundings of poverty and hardship, she hewed out her own career, and
in spite of difficulties and labors, that would have disheartened many a
man, this woman waged a man's battle with the world and lifted herself
and her loved ones toward higher and better conditions of life. She
"looked not upon her own things but upon the things of others" and "took
no thought for the morrow."
"Gifted by nature with a bright mind" she aptituded herself to her own
education using every opportunity afforded. She was an intelligent and
discriminating reader and a keen judge of character. Until her latest
days she kept in touch with affairs throughout the world, and was well
informed upon all public questions. She was strong in her likes and
dislikes and held with tenacity to her opinions. She had a naturally
religious temperament and although a church attendant throughout her
life and holding pronounced views upon religion and submitting to the
rite of baptism had never united with any church organization. Of late
years she had been a strong adherent of the Christian and Missionary
Alliance movement, and found great joy in attending these meetings. She
gave generously of her limited means while they lasted to the appeals of
charity and religion, and expressed unbounded faith that the Lord would
provide for her when her means were exhausted. Indeed until her mind
gave way through the effect of the sad experiences of her last illness
she lived a life of faith and prayer and gave the utmost proof of her
belief in the doctrine of divine healing.
"So lived and died one of God's true servants and more believing
children. In common with most strong characters she had her faults as
well as her virtues, but the memory of her unselfish deeds and her
generous and loyal devotion to these she loved will long remain as a
blessed heritage and an inspiration to those who knew her true worth."
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