African-American Tyree Families

From: INTERNET:HTree1@aol.com
To: Robert & Mary Tyree, 71151,2020
Cc: INTERNET:TEXASET@AOL.COM
Date: Tue, Apr 30, 1996, 0:29

RE: Our Family Tree

Dear Robert and Mary,

Thank you very much for the wonderful information. I would like to apologize for not getting back to you sooner. As soon as I can get the information regarding our family Tree loaded into this Mac of mine, I will send it to you.

I have looked over your Tree and found many names similiar to those in my family especially many of the senior members, past and present. My father's family originated from Rocky Mount Virginia and our people were former Captives (Slaves) of the Tyree clan in that part of the country. We held a reunion with the ALL the families in that county several years ago and I have a video of the event. I must admit it was different, however we learned a great deal from each other.

I don't know your background, however I thought you would like to know a little about me and my family. I come from a family of thirteen and my father a family of 12. His Father was a minister who started many churches here in Kanawha Valley, which is in West Virginia. My father died several years ago and my loving mother presides over us today.

I am a senior underwriter with a Housing Finance agency and have a loving wife and two sons who are in college. All of my sisters and brothers as well as many of their offsprings enjoy advance degrees in many of the social and physical sciences. Most of my immediate family reside in the valley, however, several of my bothers and sisters as well as my father's family reside all over the country including St. Petersburg, Florida and I believe Texas. I will share the information you have given me with the other members of the family. We have two historians and several writers. I hope we will hear from you again. Thanks.

With Much Appreciation

Howard Tyree

PS I sent you a photo of my Wife and me

--------------- Forwarded Message ---------------

From: Robert & Mary Tyree, 71151,2020
To: INTERNET:HTree1@aol.com
Date: Tue, Apr 30, 1996, 22:47

RE: Captives

Dear Howard,

Thank you for your recent E-mail message. I was unable to decode the photo you sent me, but I may have better luck if you send it, as an attached file, to my AOL address ...

rtyree

Since you are on AOL, this may work better.

In the Tyree section of the Westlake Cemetary in Ansted, West Virginia, there is a stone which marks the grave of a slave named "Lucy Tyree". So I was aware that there may be Black Americans to whom I am, in this way, related.

Have you found our page on the world wide web yet? I think you'll like it.

http://users.aol.com/rtyree/a/Home.html

There is a lot of additional genealogical material posted there. In particular, you may be interested in my mother's "Moravian Story".

Also, my grandfather's recollections, written in 1936, contain the following passage, which refers to a slave named Tom, who was owned by HIS grandfather (my great, great grandfather). I don't know if Tom took the Tyree surname or not. However, the events described below apparently took place in the late 1800's. Passage follows ...

"Among the slaves owned by Colonel Tyree was one named Tom. After the war and with assistance from his former owner, Tom acquired a farm in Nicholas County, which adjoined Fayette County. There with his faithful wife he lived and accumulated property and became a substantial and respected citizen. He became blind toward the end of his life and was blind at the time we moved [back] to West Virginia. When he learned that my father, who had grown up with him on the old homestead, had returned from his wanderings in the far west, he could not rest until he had managed to complete a pilgrimage to our home, on a visit to my father. The pathos and tenderness of that meeting will never be forgotten. Each with his arms around the other, and tears of joy streaming down their cheeks, they gave expression to their joy in meeting again. Tom ate at the table with the white folks and occupied the spare room, the only person of his race who was ever accorded that honor in my father's home. Tom continued to make periodical visits to see us until his health failed and he was no longer able to travel. You may say that my father's attitude toward and treatment of Tom was an exhibition of weakness, but from my point of view the opposite is true. If such be weakness, God give us more weak men."

I'll close for now. Hope to hear from you soon.

Robert F. Tyree
Dayton, Ohio

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