Roy J. Sweet Biography


	This biography appears on pages 639-640 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	ROY J. SWEET, the popular and efficient cashier of the First 
State Bank of South Shore, is a native of Glencoe county, Minnesota, 
and dates his birth from the 3d of October, 1875. His father, William 
H. Sweet, was a native of Wisconsin and a farmer by occupation, the 
mother, whose maiden name was Emma L. Gard, having been born and reared 
in the state of Minnesota.  

	William H. Sweet went to Minnesota about the time of the great 
Indian outbreak of 1862, with his father, Rev. Josiah Sweet, an 
Episcopal clergyman and for a number of years a chaplain in the United 
States army. He escaped death in that terrible massacre, being then 
stationed at Fort Ridgely, married in Blue Earth county, and after 
spending some years there moved his family to Iowa, locating at 
Woodbine, in the schools of which place the subject of this sketch 
received his educational discipline. After finishing the common-school 
course, Roy J. entered the normal at Woodbine, but the year before time 
for graduation from that institution he laid aside his books to accept 
a clerical position in a lawyer's office; After serving there three 
years in the latter capacity, he resigned his place to become assistant 
cashier of the First State Bank at Mapleton, Iowa, the duties of which 
position he discharged during the ensuing three years, or until the 
organization of the First State Bank at South Shore, South Dakota, in 
August, 1900, and of which he was a director. He was made cashier of 
this institution. Mr. Sweet still retains his connection with the above 
bank, and it is no exaggeration to say that much of its continual 
success and no little of its great prosperity are directly attributable 
to his careful business methods, able management and wide personal 
influence. He is an accomplished accountant, familiar with banking in 
its every detail and has made a careful and critical study of finance 
in its relations to the industrial and general business interests of 
the country. Theoretically and practically, he is widely informed 
relative to monetary questions and, as stated above, his personal 
popularity has won for him a high place in the confidence and esteem of 
the people. Deeply interested in the welfare of his adopted town he 
encourages all laudable enterprises calculated to promote its growth 
and development, and he is also an earnest advocate and liberal patron 
of movements having for their object the social, intellectual and moral 
advancement of the community. Mr. Sweet is a public-spirited man in all 
the term implies, and his every relation with his fellow men, business 
or otherwise, has been characterized by that probity and high sense of 
honor which never fails to win and retain the confidence and good will 
of all classes and conditions of people. He is prominent in Masonic 
circles, and is also identified with the Ancient Order of United 
Workmen and Modern Woodmen of America fraternities, having risen to 
important official status in these different brotherhoods.  

	On November 29, 1899, Mr. Sweet contracted a matrimonial alliance 
with Miss Clara Anderson, of Iowa, daughter of Charles and Emma 
(Stoltenberg) Anderson, of Mapleton. Mr. Anderson is president of the 
First State Bank, but is personally a merchant at Mapleton, Iowa. Mr. 
and Mrs. Sweet occupy one of the most beautiful and attractive 
residences in the town, and their home is brightened by the presence of 
a little son, who answers to the name of Charles Leroy Sweet. 

	The above bank is capitalized at fifteen thousand dollars, and 
the business shows not only a successful one for itself, but bespeaks 
prosperity among its wide circle of patrons.