OBIT: William R. PLUMMER, 1879, Tyrone, Blair County, PA

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AN OLD RAILROAD MAN KILLED.
William R. Plummer Struck by an Engine at Tyrone Yesterday.

  William R. Plummer, police officer and night watchman at the depot in 
Tyrone, was struck by the engine of mail express west yesterday morning 
shortly after 5 o'clock and was instantly killed.  The Tribune's Tyrone 
correspondent ("Occasional") states that his duties of late were extended to 
watch over the loaded cars standing on the warehouse siding.  It appears to 
have been his habit to make a general survey of those cars three or four 
times during the night, and when he met his death he was on his last round 
in more senses than one.  A freight train on the south track going east at 
the time, it is supposed, deadened the sound of the approaching fast mail 
west.  Being on a very deep curve and hemmed in with cars on both sides of 
him, if he heard or saw the train he had not time to get out of the way.  
Mr. Plummer was born in Summerhill township, Cambria county, in the month of 
October, 1814.  At the age of 15 years he left his home and went to John 
DeArmit, in Gaysport, to learn the blacksmith's trade.  This did not appear 
to suit him and shortly afterward he went with William Burley to Cove forge 
as a helper in the forge.  He worked there a short time and then went to the 
old forge above Spruce Creek.  At the age of 18 he came to Tyrone as full 
forgeman, and worked in the upper and lower Tyrone forges until the 
completion of the Pennsylvania railroad, when he was appointed station 
keeper at the old water station below town, and continued in the employ of 
the railroad company to the day of his death, covering a period of twenty-
eight years, and a more faithful employe was never in the service of the 
company.  While employed by the forge company he purchased from them a small 
tract of uncleared land on the top of Brush mountain, erected a shanty, and 
during his leisure hours cleared off small patches of ground, and the tract 
is now a fine farm with many excellent farm buildings.  Mr. Plummer was the 
father of ten sons and one daughter, all living with the exception of Lee, 
who died in infancy; Amos, wounded on picket duty in front of Petersburg, 
who died in the hospital, and Millard, the youngest, a great favorite of his 
father, who was killed a few years since in the yard in Tyrone in attempting 
to couple cars.  Beside Amos three other sons served in the Union army.  The 
wife of Mr. Plummer preceded him to the grave a few short months, having 
died in the early part of last summer.  His family has lost a kind and 
indulgent father and the community a good citizen.  With an intimate 
acquaintance, covering many years, we have never heard a harsh word spoken 
of "Billy" Plummer; nor have we ever heard him speak unkindly of any one, 
with one or two exceptions, and then only in a grieved sort of spirit.  In 
politics an old-line Whig, he naturally drifted into the Republican party.  
A man of firm convictions, but unobtrusive, he gave his advice and opinions 
without thrusting them forward.  When his son James was a candidate for 
Recorder a year or so ago, he felt much hurt at the action toward his son of 
some of our leading politicians who he had helped into office, and this is 
the only instance we know of him getting out of sorts.  He was extremely 
fond of children, and when his own grew up and left the paternal roof he 
took under it his grandchildren.  It has been our privilege to spend many 
pleasant hours at the old homestead on the mountain with him, surrounded 
with a half a score or more of his grandchildren.  He will be missed at his 
home; he will be missed at his place of duty; he will be missed by the 
community, and he will be more than missed by those little ones who at all 
times teased their mothers to allow them to go up to "grandpap's."  Although 
the manner of his taking off has not been what we would have wished, "rest 
in peace."

Morning Tribune, Altoona, Wednesday, November 26, 1879

  The funeral of William R. Plummer will take place from the residence of 
his son, James S. Plummer, in Tyrone to-day.  At this writing the hour had 
not been fixed on account of not hearing from George Plummer, now a resident 
of Chicago.

Morning Tribune, Altoona, Thursday, November 27, 1879