Born: Fayette County, Kentucky, 1808.Died: Macon County, Illinois, 1888.
Born: Fayette County, Kentucky, 1808.
Died: Macon County, Illinois, 1888.
Mr. Tyler's genealogy is traced to the same line from which came the tenth President of the United States. He united with the Cane Run Baptist Church, near Lexington, in 1834, and soon entered actively the ministry.
In the fall of 1834 he moved to Montgomery County, Indiana, and shortly organized there a congregation of believers under the name of the "United Baptist Church of Christ." This name suggests the convictions of Christian truth and the tendencies of Christian feeling that were beginning to manifest themselves in many places about that time.
The following year he came to Morgan County, Illinois, where he met the great revivalist and reformer, Barton W. Stone. In 1836, Mr. Tyler came to Macon County, where he bought and settled on a farm five miles east of the village of Decatur. By the force of his character, he soon became an influential and leading citizen. He was an intelligent and successful farmer, and accumulated property, but at the same time devoted himself with zeal and energy to the public proclamation of the gospel.
His labors were extended into the counties of Shelby, Christian, Sangamon, Logan, DeWitt and Piatt. He was influential in establishing numerous churches and chiefly at his own charges. His ministry continued through a period of fifty-two years. He conducted the funeral of the magnificent pioneer, Joseph Hostetler, at Lovington, in 1870, and in his address said: "I am indebted to Bro. Hostetler for my better understanding of the gospel."
Through a long residence in Macon County, he commanded the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens and the love and fellowship of his brethren. He was a farmer, schoolmaster, justice of the peace and minister. He was a genial and cheerful man of optimistic temperament.
After his removal to Decatur, he had the misfortune to fall and break one of his limbs at the hip joint. A friend called during his long and painful confinement to inquire about his condition. He replied that he was doing pretty well, but that Dr. McMillen had him nailed up in a lumber-yard just then, but he would be all right when he got out of that! In midsummer of his eightieth year he received a kick upon his head from a horse that brought his beautiful life to a tragic close. He was the father of the brothers, B. B. and J. Z. Tyler.