Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: GAIRE, WILLIAMS, WINKS,

An enterprising, progressive business man who is never satisfied with the success of today but has his eye far ahead on tomorrow, is Sylvain Le Deit, of the Garden City Glass Company, at San Jose, in which city he was born on June 13, 1887. His father, Matthurin Le Deit, came to San Francisco in 1852 by way of the Horn, and for a while was a cowboy. Later in San Jose, he engaged in the poultry and butcher trade; and here he lived until his death, in December, 1907. He married Georgetta Gaire, a native daughter, who was born at San Francisco.

Sylvain attended the public schools and then worked in a mill. After that he learned the art-glass trade, beginning in 1902, and seven years later he established a business for himself, and in 1920 took into partnership Richard French, and purchased the 49 Garden City Glass Company. Now they have the largest art-glass plant between Portland and Los Angeles. Their shop is located at 122 Lenzen Avenue, and there they employ ten men regularly, turning out everything from the plainest window glass up to the most artistic specimens, and sending their products all along the coast and the nearby western territory. Mr. Le Deit belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and never loses an opportunity to endorse and otherwise help any movement of benefit to his fellows in business as well as to himself.

At Santa Clara, in 1911, he married Miss Marcella Williams, of San Jose, and they have two sons, James and Sylvain, Jr. The family attend the Roman Catholic Church and Mr. Le Deit is a member of the Foresters of America, the Woodmen of the World and the Elks.

Richard French, Mr. Le Deit's partner, was born in England, on April 24, 1879, the son of Joseph and Frances French, who came to Pittsburgh, Pa., with their family from England in 1887 and later moved to St. Paul, Minn. Richard, who came to America in 1890, was educated for the most part in England, and for a term at a St. Paul Minn., schooL In 1895, he engaged in the glass business; and on March 10, 1920, he came to San Jose and with Mr. Le Deit succeeded to the proprietorship of this company. He married Miss Stella J. Winks, and they have three' children, all girls, Laura Thelma, Stella Faye, and Mary Velma. Mr. French did not take long to join hand and heart with his fellow-Americans, and he participated in the Spanish-American War as a member of Company G, Eighteenth U. S. Infantry, thereby doing his highest patriotic duty. 

From Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1133

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