Clearfield County PA Archives Obituaries.....Tyler, Phebe Reed March 27, 1931 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Diana Tyler LiebeLeah@aol.com November 14, 2009, 9:11 pm Daily Express March 27, 1931 Phebe Reed Tyler Passes Away Today Daughter of One of Early Pioneers of Bennett's Valley Section Dies Today. Donor of Maple Avenue Nurses Home. Phebe Reed Tyler, of Tyler, Pennsylvania, the last of the family of David and Isabella Mahaffey Tyler, pioneers of the Bennetts Branch Valley, died at her home in the township of Huston, Clearfield county… (text missing)… morning the 27th day of March. Miss Tyler was a daughter of David Tyler, who was born in Vincennes, Ontario county, New York, on the 19th of March, 1809. Mr. Tyler as a young man followed the occupation of lumbering, being the most lucrative occupation of the time, outside of farming. Naturally he followed the lead of the great forests of Pennsylvania, and came to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the center of the lumber business at that time. Here Mr. Tyler met Isabella Mahaffey whom he married in June, 1830. Mr. Tyler met the late John DuBois, also a native of the State of New York, at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and in 1848 at the instance of Mr. DuBois he migrated to Clearfield county and located on the land on which he lived and where he died in 1882. His wife, Isabella, lived many years after the husband's death. To this marriage were born 10 children, viz: Mary Tyler Packer, Roxie J. Tyler, John C. Tyler, Margaret Tyler Scriver, Emma Tyler Coryel, Martin V. Tyler, Martha Tyler, James A. Tyler, David Tyler and Phebe Reed Tyler. James Tyler, the last surviving brother, died in August, 1919. Phebe Reed Tyler was born April 10, 1843. David Tyler was a progressive man. Although he brought his family into the wilderness, far from a railroad, he saw to it that they had the best advantages of the time, that could be procured for them. In 1869 he built the large brick house which he occupied until the time of his death, and which was the family home until the death of Miss Tyler. ----------------- The bricks for this house were made from clay on the farm, and burned within a few yards of the building. The lumber was cut from his 650 acre tract of land and the barn, an old-fashioned substantial frame building was built of the best lumber of the country. Mr. Tyler brought the first Grand Piano in the county, to his home, conveying it by way of land from Tyrone, Pennsylvania. He likewise owned the first sewing machine in the county. Realizing that his family should have as good an education as could be procured, he employed a governess learned in music, French, German and the sciences, to teach his daughters, and Miss Phebe learned to speak French and German with fluency. After the death of the father, in 1882, the burden of looking after the financial interests of the family fell on his daughter, Phebe. The land Mr. Tyler had bought became very valuable on account of the timber, and one of the legacies he left his estate was a lot of litigation with one J. E. Putnam. The lawsuits in this connection lasted for nearly 10 years. Miss Tyler entered into this litigation with avidity and mastered the situation and preserved this estate for the family which she finally acquired for herself by buying the interest of the other members of the family. She not only succeeded in defeating Putnam in his litigation, but she was called upon to defend some of her brothers and sisters who were unfortunate enough to get into litigation in adjoining counties as well as in Clearfield County, and she was uniformly successful. All the parties to these lawsuits have long since passed into the great valley, including the judges, jurors and witnesses, and now the last actor has passed away. Miss Tyler was a woman of broad education and thought. In her community she was the leader of all welfare work. Being the descendent of a Colonial and Revolutionary family, she was an active member of the Presbyterian Church at Penfield, and was a very active church worker in her own community. She organized the first Sunday school in Tyler. This school was held in her brother James’ sawmill, during the summer and early fall of the year in which it was organized, and when it became too cold to stay in the sawmill she secured an empty building, filled it with chairs, had a stove placed in it and conducted her Sunday school throughout the cold weather. Miss Tyler continued teaching in this Sunday school until she became an invalid, some years ago. But her interest did not stop in the Sunday school work. In order that Tyler might have a place for Sunday school services and church work, she donated the ground for a church, taking care that it could not be taken over by any one religious denomination. The provisions were broad enough to take in all denominations except “The Latter Day Saints” which organization she very much disliked, and she provided that they should not worship in this chapel. After donating the land she raised substantial funds among her friends and put up a building which now stands as one of her memorials at (text missing)… which church services… (text missing)… Methodists. Miss Tyler was not narrow in her religious beliefs, and when the Catholics wished to erect a church building, she promptly donated the ground and encouraged them in every way she could. In her Sunday school class she had many children of the Catholic faith but at no time did she try to proselyte or lead them from their own belief. Miss Tyler was prominent in Sunday school work, being a member of the County Association, the State, National and International associations. She always attended the Annual State meeting and in that work met such men as John Wanamaker, H. J. Heinz and others prominent in the work during her life. She likewise attended national meetings, going as far as San Francisco. In 1900 she attended the International Association meeting in Switzerland. That year being the year she visited the Passion Play held at Oberammergau, and her descriptions of what she saw and heard and learned and that place were wonderful. Miss Tyler was liberal in her contributions to welfare work, not only organized work, but she contributed to the education of ambitious young men and women to assist them in their higher educational work. Many years ago, the Baptists were struggling to erect a church at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Miss Tyler had a favorite cousin there, and she subscribed liberally. A few years ago that congregation undertook to rehabilitate their church, and Miss Tyler presented a memorial window in memory of her cousin, Mrs. Mussina, and also contributed to the other work necessary for the rehabilitation of the church. In 1872, the Pennsylvania Railroad commenced the construction of a railroad up the Bennetts Branch Valley known as the Low Grade. The engineers of this road made their home with David Tyler, and Miss Tyler became a favorite with the men, one of whom became president of the road and so long as the railroads were permitted to grant passes, if Miss Tyler wanted a trip pass, a letter to the General Office of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Philadelphia brought her a pass. She likewise contributed to the history of the building of this road through the valley as a part of the historical matter of that railroad. David Tyler was the first postmaster at Tyler, and Miss Phebe was his chief clerk. This post office she continued for many years. Her greatest achievement was, however, the Nurses’ Memorial Home, which she erected for the Maple Avenue Hospital, at DuBois, in 1923. When the drive was put on to raise money for the hospital, Miss Tyler was asked to contribute. She promptly replied that she thought her contribution for that institution would be a Nurses’ Home, and she subscribed the sum of $15,000.00. After thinking the matter over for a year she concluded that she wanted this home erected at once. She notified the board of directors that she was ready to proceed to redeem her subscription and directed them to secure plans for the kind of home they thought they needed. When the plans were received they discovered that the subscription she made was not sufficient, but Miss Tyler promptly took on herself the burden of building the home, and although an invalid and confined to her bed most of the time, and unable to be on the ground, she directed this work to its completion, making all the contracts in her own name, directing how they should be carried out and fortunately at the time of the dedication she was able to attend this service and make a presentation speech delivering the Nurses’ Home to the Hospital Association. Her contributions to welfare and charity were widespread. No one ever went by her home who was in need that was not helped. These contributions were known only to herself and her banker upon whom she drew checks. Miss Tyler always did her own thinking and followed her own thoughts. She always knew what she wanted and insisted upon having it that way. She kept entire control of her business affairs up to the last. When Morningside Cemetery was opened Miss Tyler promptly secured a lot and removed her whole family to the new cemetery. Her mind was remarkably clear until she had a paralytic stroke on the 24th of March. She kept her bank account, drew her own checks and looked after her affairs as assiduously as when she was able to be around. Miss Tyler was very fortunate in securing the services of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Boyer who have been with her for several years. Mrs. Boyer kept house for her and looked after her, and Mr. Boyer attended to what outside field work she wished done. Her end was peaceful and came “like one who wraps the draperies of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams." Bennetts Branch Valley has lost its most useful citizen, and one who loved the Valley and all its interests as she loved her life. The funeral services will be held at her residence on Monday, March 30th, at 2 o'clock, and interment will be made at Morningside Cemetery. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 10.5 Kb