Prosper “Sy” H. Sylla
Prosper “Sy” H. Sylla, passed away peacefully, August 13, 2024, with family members at his side, at Heritage Senior Living Center in Muskego.
Prosper was born on a nice spring day, May 5, 1929, at home in Russell, Town of Chimney Rock, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, to Theresa (Pietrek) and Peter Sylla, proprietors of the Russell Store. His grandma Pietrek was in attendance at his birth, and although his older brothers were named John and Paul, his grandma said to his mother, “I think you should name this one Prosper, because I think he will do well.” And so, he came to be Prosper.
Prosper grew up at the Russell Store and worked on the family farms. He graduated from Independence High School in 1947, and married his soulmate, the former Muriel Engum, October 6, 1952. Together they farmed in the Town of Dover and then in the Town of Chimney Rock until they moved to Milwaukee in 1957. He worked in construction as a proud member of Operating Engineers Union Local 139, mostly on buried natural gas pipelines, until his retirement in the early 1990s. Prosper and his construction friends built his family home in 1959 in New Berlin, and he lived there until May of this year. In addition, he founded the “Sy’s Sod” nursery sod business in New Berlin in 1963 and operated it until the mid 1990s.
Prosper enjoyed and appreciated hard work, gardening, restoring old cars and tractors, and the company of family and friends. He was an avid Brewers and Packers fan.
He is survived by his three children: Dean (Mary) Sylla of Green Bay, Dawn Hall of Milwaukee, and Lynn (Mark) Henneberry of Muskego; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and sisters-in-law: Verna Campbell of Milwaukee and Pat Sylla of River Falls. He was preceded in death by his wife, Muriel, in 2004; his parents; siblings: Irene (Warren) Crane, John Sylla, Paul Sylla, Peter (Florence) Sylla, Grace (Don) Clark; brother-in-law, E. Robert Campbell; and niece, Mary Rabenort.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, September 4, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., at Holy Apostles Catholic Church, 16000 W. National Avenue, New Berlin, WI. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:30 p.m. Final internment will be at the Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Independence.
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