Mary Witt Tyler
1906-June 5, 1946
Michael Tyler
July 13, 1934-June 5, 1946
Niles Daily Star, Thursday, June 6, 1946, page 1, col. 8, cont. page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library
2 NILESITES DIE IN FIRE
Jerry Tyler, Industrialist, Critically Injured in Blaze
Prominent Niles Family
Victim of Flames Which
Swept Chicago Hostelry
Two Niles persons are dead and a third is in critical condition in a Chicago hospital as a result of the LaSalle hotel fire early Wednesday morning which took a toll of 58 lives with another 200 injured.
The dead are:
Mrs. Mary Tyler, 40, wife of Jerry Tyler, president of the Tyler Fixture Corporation of Niles.
Michael Tyler, 11, their son.
Still unconscious in St. Luke's hospital in Chicago is Jerry Tyler, whose condition was still grave today but whose chances for recovery . .[illegible] physicians as being "50-50."
Feared for His Life
He was unconscious when found in St. Luke's hospital late Wednesday afternoon and was not expected to live through the night but this morning he was reported breathing easier under an oxygen tent although he was still in a grave condition.
Word was received by company officials at 2 p.m. today that the condition of Tyler has improved somewhat during the day and that chances of his recovery are "improving momentarily."
Although still unconscious and under an oxygen tent, his pulse was reported to be stronger and temperatures have lowered somewhat, according to the report from St. Luke's hospital in Chicago, where he is hospitalized.
His father, Leon L. Tyler, of Niles, together with P.A. Hadsell, a close family friend, and Joseph W. Krall and George H. Mayhew, business associates, went to Chicago Wednesday to help with the search and possible identifications.
A brother, Robert Tyler, a company vice-president, was located Wednesday afternoon in Spokane, Wash., where he was on business and, together with his wife, arrived in Chicago by plane this morning.
In Chicago on Business
The Tylers had gone to Chicago late Monday afternoon on business and had intended to return to Niles on Tuesday night by apparently changed their plans stay there until Wednesday morning.
No details were available today as to what part of the hotel they had occupied nor the circumstances which led to the tragic death of Mrs. Tyler and their son.
Suffocation Said Cause
It was learned, however, that both Mrs. Tyler and Michael had died from suffocation and had not been burned.
Although Jerry Tyler also escaped with only minor burns, his condition was aggravated by inhalation of smoke developing rapidly into pneumonia.
Concern for their safety was aroused here shortly after noon Wednesday upon failure to receive any word from them and Joseph W. Krall, a vice-president of the company who was in the vicinity of Chicago, went into the city to help in a search of hospitals and morgues.
The body of their son, Michael, was identified in one of the morgues and several hours later, Jerry Tyler was found in St. Luke's hospital unconscious and in a critical condition.
Although Mrs. Tyler had been missing since the fire occurred, no definite word concerning her was available until Wednesday night when she was identified by Hadsell.
Had Wintered in Texas
The Tylers had returned to Niles only 10 days ago after spending the winter at Waxahachie, Texas, where the Tyler company has a plant, in addition to the two in Niles and another in Cobleskill, N.Y.
They had intended to stay this summer at their farm home west of Bertrand and the son, Michael, was to have gone shortly to Camp Tesebo, at Pentwater, Mich. for summer camping with several other Niles youths.
The family has been prominently identified with business, social and civic activities in the community since the company moved to Niles from Muskegon Heights in 1932.
Born in Niles July 13, 1934, Michael was their only child and attended school at the Dutch Corners rural school near the family home. During the past year he has been in school in Waxahachie.
Mrs. Tyler was the daughter of Vernon and Rosa Witt, who formerly lived at Bowling Green, Ky. She was married to Jerry Tyler on Feb. 11, 1926.
Active Socially
Since being in Niles she has been active in local Republican circles, have been a president of the Niles Women's Republican club and was also a past president of the Ladies' Reading Club.
Besides her husband, Mrs. Tyler is survived by her mother, in Fort Lauderdale; a sister, Mrs. George English, Jr. of the same city; and a brother, Norman Witt, of Hempstead, Long Island.
Mr. Tyler is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leon L. Tyler, of Niles, who recently returned home from Florida after spending the winter there.
Served as Alderman
He served for nearly three years on the Niles city council from the second ward, beginning in 1934, resigned from the post in Dec. 1936, after having been reelected for a two-year term in April of that year.
Organizing the Tyler Sales Fixture company in 1927 with three employes, the company started a vigorous growth shortly after moving to Niles in 1932 and which has continued up to the present time.
Engaging in commercial refrigeration the company furnished a large amount of their products to the navy and more recently has expanded the line to include home and commercial "deep freeze" units.
In addition to the plant on North Front street, the company has a new modern factory and office building on Lake street, a plant in Waxahachie, where commercial refrigerators are produced, and a subsidiary in Cobleskill, the Harger Refrigerator Corporation, which was acquired in Nov. 1944.
Politically Prominent
Active in Republican politics, Mr. Tyler is director of Fourth district activities for the party and was a candidate for Michigan national committeeman in 1944 after the overthrow of Frank D. McKay in which he participated at the state convention of that year.
A member of the Niles draft board since it was first organized he is also a trustee of Alma college, a member of the state committee of the YMCA; and a former member of the aviation advisory committee working in cooperation with the State Planning Commission and the Michigan Board of Aeronautics, having been appointed to that body by Gov. Harry Kelly.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Tyler were members of the First Presbyterian church of Niles.
Tentative funeral arrangements have been made for Monday. Mrs. Tyler's mother and sister are expected to arrive in Niles Friday night and her brother will probably arrive here Saturday night or Sunday morning.