BYLER, EDGAR, Pvt, Draft Headquarter, Nashville, TN Serial number 4445357, was born at Sage, Izard County, Arkansas on 21 September 1888. He was the son of Dr. S. E. BYLER and Lauraetta DOWNING BYLER, natives of Izard Co., Arkansas and Wayne County, Tennessee respectively.
In 1889, he came by train, steamboat and ox cart to Wayne County, Tennessee eventually settling with his parents in Iron City, Lawrence County, Tennessee. He graduated from the Iron City Institute in 1906 and entered the University of Tennessee that fall. In 1907, he began teaching school in Lawrence County, Tennessee, the Wayland Springs District. Later he taught at Thompson’s Station in Franklin County, Tennessee and other areas before entering the surveying business in 1912. He was a member of the surveying team which surveyed the Tennessee Western Railroad from Iron City to present day Collinwood and laid out the town of Collinwood under the supervision of Edward L. LULL.
He was inducted into the US Army in June 1918 and served in the Medical Corps as a Medical Examination Corpsman at the Induction Center in Nashville and later in Savannah, Tennessee. He was honorably discharged on 23 December 1918. and became a surveyor with the L & N Railroad, working in the building of the line from Sheffield, Alabama to Birmingham, Alabama through Russellville.
He married on 12 Nov 1919, in Russellville, Alabama to Mrs. Sarah Jane DUNN WALSH, a widow with two small children: Joseph E. WALSH and Robert E. WALSH. Sarah was the daughter of Joseph D DUNN and Frances Jane TILLEY DUNN, natives of England. Joseph D. DUNN was president of the American Products Company of Boyne City, Michigan and was in Collinwood during the war to supervise the building of the iron furnace which was part of the US Government Chemical Plant being erected by the Tennessee Valley Iron and Railroad Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania under a contract from the US Bureau of Aeroplane Manufacture.
Shortly after Mr. DUNN returned to Boyne City, Michigan in December 1919, Edgar BYLER joined them and worked with Mr. DUNN in the iron business. Edgar and Sarah’s first child, Laura Jane BYLER, was born at Manistique, Michigan on 7 July 1920. On 22 Dec 1920, Dr. S. E. BYLER died suddenly. Edgar and family moved back to Collinwood where they lived for a short time in the upstairs rooms of the drugstore. In 1921 Edgar was appointed Postmaster at Collinwood to fill out his father’s term. At the same time, Edgar and his brother-in-law, Allen BROWN formed a partnership to take over operation of the drug store. Thus Brown and Byler Drugs was born and would continue to serve the people of Collinwood until Edgar retired in 1962.
While living over the store Edgar and Sarah’s son, Edgar Donald BYLER was born on 19 September 1921. Shortly thereafter they moved into what was called the “Green” house on Second Avenue. Here their third child, Naomi Ruth BYLER was born 28 Jan 1923. With a growing family and a decline in profits from the store business, Edgar decided to seek work with the Tennessee Highway Department. He worked with the Highway department from 1923 until 1936, working to build Tenn. Highway 15 (later US 64). In 1936, he returned to the farm the family had bought in the McCall Community because of the Depression. Then in 1937 he returned to the Drugstore as Pharmacist.
Sarah Jane DUNN WALSH BYLER died 12 November 1965 at Wayne County General Hospital, Waynesboro, Tennessee and was buried at McGlamery Cemetery. Edgar BYLER died 17 May 1968 in Florence, Alabama. He is also buried at McGlamery.
During World War II, Edgar BYLER served on the Wayne County, Tennessee Draft Board and as a 1LT in the Tennessee State Guard. Three members of the family served in various services during World War II: Robert E. WALSH, U.S. Navy; LT. Laura Jane BYLER, US Army Nurses Corps; and SSG Edgar D.BYLER, Army Air Corps.