Carrie Ann Tyler
July 26, 1978-Sept. 10, 1998

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, September 10, 1998, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Miss Carrie Ann Tyler, 20, Topinabee Road, Niles, will be Saturday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Niles, by the Rev. Dr. Ronald H. Wakeman, pastor.

Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Miss Tyler died Wednesday at 1:55 a.m. at Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, Ind., following a brief illness.

She was born July 26, 1978, in Decatur, Ga. She had lived in Niles since 1982, coming here from Dallas.

Miss Tyler was a member of First Presbyterian Church and a former church deacon.

She graduated from Niles High School in 1996.

Miss Tyler was an active member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Clemson University, S.C. She was to have begun her junior year at Clemson this year.

Survivors include her parents, Ginny and Todd Tyler of Niles; two brothers, Patrick Tyler of Columbus, Ohio, and Dan Tyler of Niles; and her grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Peabody of Niles.

There will be no visitation. Arrangements were made by Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles.

Memorials may be made to The Foundation of First Presbyterian Church, Niles, or the Niles Community Library.

Dorotha M. Tyler
Jan. 27, 1907-Feb. 26, 1966

Niles Daily Star, Monday, February 28, 1966, page 1, col 8, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Tyler Dies After Long Illness

Mrs. Dorotha M. Tyler, wife of Robert L. Tyler Sr., vice-president of Clark Equipment Company and general manager of the Tyler Refrigeration Division, died at 11:45 a.m. Saturday in Pawating Hospital where she had been a patient since Jan. 12, following an extended illness. She was 59.

Mrs. Tyler was born Jan. 27, 1907, in Grand Rapids. She was married to Mr. Tyler on May 26, 1928 in Angola, Ind., and came to Niles from Glenn Ellyn, Ill., 21 years ago. She and her husband resided at 802 Topinabee Road.

Surviving, in addition to her husband, are three sons, Robert L. Jr., Thomas L. and Taylor, all of Niles; a brother Laverne Taylor, Kalamazoo, and eight grandchildren.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and a past president of the Ladies' Historical Society.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday in her church. The Rev. John MacLachlan, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends will be received at the Pifer Funeral Home after 7 p.m. today.

Jean M. Tyler
March 18, 1932-June 12, 1988

Niles Daily Star, Monday, June 13, 1988, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Jean M. Tyler, 56, 1109 Plym Road, Niles, died Sunday, June 12, at 3:15 a.m. at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Ind.

She was born March 18, 1932 in Chicago and moved to this area in 1953 from Glen Ellyn, Ill.  She was a homemaker and married Robert Tyler Jr. April 7, 1951 in Glen Ellyn. He died March 18, 1975.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and Pawating Hospital Auxiliary.

Survivors include her mother, Marion Fork of Geneva, Ill.; three sons, Todd of Niles, Michael of Encinitas, Calif., and Timothy of Birmingham; a daughter, Tracey Wood of Mesquite, Texas; a brother, Martin Fork of Raleigh, N.C.; and six grandchildren.

Services are Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, where the Rev. Clayton Fairo will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Visitation will not be offered. Memorials may be made to the YMCA Endowment Fund.

Arrangements were made by Pifer-Smtih Funeral Home.

Jerry Lee Tyler
Sept. 21, 1900-June 9, 1946

Niles Daily Star, Monday, June 10, 1946, page 1, col. 8, cont. page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Third Member of Family Dies at 9:35 P.M. Sunday

Combined Services Are

Conducted for Niles

Industrialist, Family

Combined funeral services were held today in the First Presbyterian church of Niles for the three members of the Jerry Tyler family of Niles--all victims of the LaSalle hotel fire in Chicago last Wednesday.

Succumbs Sunday Night

The third member of the family, Mr. Tyler, 45-year-old leading industrialist and prominent Niles civic leader died at 9:35 p.m. last night in St. Luke's hospital Chicago. Death was attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning. He had not . .[illegible] ..immediate victims of the holocaust had been his wife Mary, 40, and son Michael, 11.

Business Suspended Here

Business was suspended while hundreds of person attended the triple rites.

Niles stores were closed form 3 to 4 p.m. and the city hall closed its doors at 3 p.m. in tribute to the late industrialist and leader in both state and local civic affairs.

The church was expected to be thronged with friends and business associates of the Tyler family.

Conducted by Rev. Greenhoe

Originally scheduled for the first two victims, the funeral arrangements were changed this morning to include the husband and father as well.

Services were conducted by the Rev. T.M. Greenhoe and interment was made in the mausoleum at Silverbrook cemetery.

Native of Saginaw

The son of Leon L. and Minnie Sturdevant Tyler, he was born in Saginaw, Mich., Sept 21, 1900, and has been a resident of Niles since 1932 when he moved the offices of the Tyler Sales Fixture company here from Michigan.

Tyler graduated from Traverse city high school in 1918, and spent two years at the United States Naval Academy and one year at the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Col. After leaving school, he became a salesman with the Shaw Walker company, Muskegon, and in 1924 and 1925 he conducted a retail business in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

In September 1927, he organized the Tyler Sales Fixture company, a business which he conducted under that name until 1937, when he company was reorganized as the Tyler Fixture Corporation. The company manufactures and sells steel display and steel storage equipment for handling perishable foodstuffs.

He was married Feb. 11, 1926 to the late Mary Witt Tyler, in Bowling Green, KY. She was the daughter of Vernon and Rosa Witt.

Active in Affairs

Tyler was active in community and political affairs in Niles and throughout the state. He was a member of the Berrien county draft board No. 3 from the date of its inception and was appointed by Governor Kelly in the aviation advisory committee to work in cooperation with the State Planning Commission and the Michigan Board of Aeronautics. He was a trustee of Alma college and also was a member of the Republican state central committee from the Fourth district.

Deeply interested in youth work, Tyler was one of the founders of the Local YMCA and a member of the state YMCA committee.  During the first year of YMCA operations here, the entire first year's budget was provided by the Tyler company.

Tyler was a member of the First Presbyterian church, Masons, Elks, Niles Rotary club, Kappa Sigma fraternity, the Indiana club, the South Bend country club the American Legion, and the Orchard Hills country club.

Dr. Leon L. Tyler
April 26, 1869-Jan. 18, 1965

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, January 19, 1965, page 1, col. 5-6, cont. page 9, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

AUTHOR, INDUSTRIALIST

Dr. Leon L. Tyler, Niles Educator, Dies

DR. LEON L. Tyler, 95, of 701 Topinabee Road, educator, author, philanthropist and industrialist, died at 10:30 p.m. Monday at the Dor-A-Lin nursing home here. He had been in failing health for several months.

He was born April 26, 1869, in Austin, Minn., and married Minnie Sturdevant on Thanksgiving Day 1896.

Mrs. Tyler is a patient at Pawating Hospital where she underwent major surgery last Saturday.

Dr. Tyler is survived by his widow; and a son, Robert L. Tyler Sr.; three grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. His other son, Jerry, founder of the the Tyler Sales-Fixture Company, now Tyler Refrigeration Division, Clark Equipment Company, died along with his wife, Mary,and their 11-year-old son, Michael, in the Lasalle Hotel fire in Chicago in 1946.

In 1900, Dr. Tyler earned his law degree from the University of Michigan and six years later he won a bachelor of arts degree from Earlham (Ind.) College. In 1907 he accepted the position of superintendent of the Three Rivers High School. He held the same position at Traverse city and Muskegon Heights.

* * *

FROM 1928 to 1936 he served as professor of education at Alma College. During these years he did graduate study at Harvard University, the University of Chicago, Columbia University, received his master of arts degree from the University of Michigan and was admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of Michigan.

During his years as an educator in Michigan he played a vital part in developing the state's public school system and the building of new physical plants.

An outstanding civic leader and a devoted Christian layman, he served 14 months overseas during World War I as educational secretary of the YMCA and after the armistice was in charge of the education of 28,000 men.

He served as one of the original Board of Directors of the Tyler Refrigeration Corporation. In 1960 he became director emeritus until the merger between Tyler and Clark.

In 1953 Dr. Tyler and his wife gave to Alma College, the Jerry Tyler Student Center as a memorial to their son and his family. Dr. Tyler succeeded Jerry to the Alma Board of Trustees.

* * *

From 1901 to 1906 Dr. Tyler served as principal of Fairmount (Ind.) Academy, where he served as business manager of "The Academician," and authored many articles for the publication.

In 1956 Earlham College gave Dr. Tyler an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

He was an elder in the First Presbyterian Church; a lifelong Mason holding the 32nd degree, Scottish Rite and a member of the Shrine.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday in the First Presbyterian Church. The Rev. John P. MacLachlan, pastor of the church, will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends will be received after 7 p.m. Thursday at the Pifer Funeral Home.

Marjorie "Midge" Tyler
Sept. 5, 1940-Oct. 11, 2002

Niles Daily Star, Friday, October 11, 2002,page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Marjorie "Midge" Tyler, 62, of 886 Plym Road, Niles, are Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Niles, by the Rev. Dr. Ronald H. Wakeman of First Presbyterian.

Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Mrs. Tyler died at 4:30 a.m. today, Oct. 11, at her home, following a brief illness.

She was born Sept. 5, 1940, in Cincinnati, Ohio. On Nov. 12, 1960, in Fort Thomas, Ky., she was married to Taylor "Tim" Tyler, who survives.

She graduated from Fort Thomas High School and attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Mrs. Tyler lived in Niles since 1962.

She was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Niles, the Niles Service League, the Ladies' Historical Society, Signal Point Club, and the Captiva Florida Yacht Club.

Mrs. Tyler was a former member of the board of directors of the former Pawating Hospital and a member and past president of the Pawating Hospital Auxiliary.

Survivors, in addition to her husband, include a daughter, Jan Tyler (and Patrick) Brandstatter of Niles, three sons, Scott Littleford (and Nancy) Tyler of Niles, Christopher Taylor(and Shanna) Tyler of Stevensville, and Matthew Stephen (and Amy) Tyler of Granger, Ind.; 12 grandchildren; and a brother, Robert Hilton Stegeman of Williamstown, Mass.

Friends may call at the church's Doratha[sic]Tyler Memorial Chapel beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Memorial contributions may be made to Pawating Auxiliary of Lakeland Hospital, Niles, or the Niles-Buchanan YMCA.

Funeral arrangements were handled by Halbritter Funeral Home.