Obituary: Rae Marie Elizabeth Sylvester

Rae Marie Elizabeth Sylvester, 82, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2024, at Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton, with her children at her side. Rae was born Sept. 19, 1941, in Perham to Mike and Mayme Rebuck. She graduated from Perham High School in 1959, and went on to attend Minnesota State University Moorhead, graduating with a teaching degree in 1962. In 1964, she accepted a teaching position in White Bear Lake. Shortly after, she met Dave Sylvester, and the two were married in 1966. In 1968, Dave took a teaching position in Cloquet, and Rae got her own position as a kindergarten teacher in Esko, leaving two years later to raise her children. In 1976, Rae went back to work as a substitute teacher with the Cloquet school district, and with the district’s Time for Tots and early childhood family education programs as well. She founded the Little Pine Nursery School in Cloquet in 1987, and acted as its director until retiring in 2007.

Rae was preceded in death by both her parents and her husband. She is survived by her son, Michael (Amy); daughter, Dayna (Dale) Bottila; grandchildren, Darien, Dalton, Tanner and Hunter; as well as many nieces and nephews.

The family thanks the staff at Inter-Faith Care Center and St. Croix Hospice for the compassion and care they provided Rae during her last few months.

Visitation: 5 p.m. until the 7 p.m. prayer service on Friday, March 22 at Nelson Funeral Care in Cloquet. Visitation continues at 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. memorial Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, March 23 at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Cloquet. Inurnment will be at New Calvary Cemetery in Cloquet. To sign an online registry, please visit http://www.nelsonfuneralcare.net.

In lieu of flowers or any memorials, the family asks that you consider making a donation to the Cloquet Educational Foundation, 302 14th St., Cloquet MN 55720.