Robert Lee Hyer 1862 – 1950

Family of Thomas and Martha Hyer of Covington, Georgia

The pioneer Hyer families found in Orlando directories, histories, and census records were direct descendants of Thomas and Martha Hyer of Covington, Georgia.

The 1860 U.S. Census of Covington, Newton County, Georgia (NARA Series M653, Roll 133, Page 427) shows family of Thomas [Farr] Hyer age 42, wife Martha [Caroline Stewart] age 40, sons: W.S. [William Stewart] age 17, E.F. [Emory Few] age 15, Alex M [Alexander Means] age 13, Th [Thomas] Goodrich age 11, Edward H P [Henry Pringle] age 9, Joseph S age 7, Martha C [Caroline “Aunt Carrie”] age 5, Joseph O A age 1.

The 1870 U.S. Census of Covington, Newton County, Georgia (NARA Series M593, Roll 168, Page 67) shows family of Martha C, Hyer, widow age 49, with children Thomas [Goodrich Hyer] age 20, Edward P [Henry Pringle] age 17, Joseph M [Michael] age 15, Carrie [Martha Caroline] age 12, and Robert L [Lee] age 8.

The 1880 U.S. Census of Covington, Newton County, Georgia (NARA Series T9, Roll 160, ED 100, Sheet 94B, Page 2B) shoes the family of Martha C. Hyer age 59, daughter Carrie age 21, occupation: school teacher and son Robert Lee age 18, occupation: carpenter.

Thomas Farr Hyer Family Bible
Progeny Record of John Henry Hyer Charleston, S.C., Hatabel Hyer, 1971.

Offspring:
1. William Stewart Hyer
2. James Henry Spencer Hyer
3. Emory Few Hyer
4. Alexander Means Hyer [“Doc”]
5. Thomas Goodrich Hyer
6. Edward Pringle Hyer [“Pring”]
7. Joseph Michael Hyer
8. May Susannah Hyer
9. Martha Carolina Hyer [“Auntie”, “Carrie”]
10. James O. Andrew Hyer
11. Robert Lee Hyer [“R.L.”]

Hyer Families in Orlando

The Hyer brothers were Orlando pioneers. Property records at the Orange County Comptroller’s office show that Alexander Means Hyer and his wife Mattie Hyer were here as early as 1876 when they sold 80 acres in Orange County on March 3rd for $450 dollars; his brother E.P. Hyer acting as a witness. By all accounts the Hyers were upstanding citizens and members of the First Methodist church on Jackson Street or the First Presbyterian Church. That being said, the Saint James Cathedral 1885-1985 centennial publication identifies A. M. [Alexander Means] Hyer and E. P. [Edward Pringle] Hyers [sic] as benefactors who contributed to the construction of church in 1887. A.M. Hyer served as Orlando’s fourth mayor (1879-1880) and R.L. Hyer was active in city government, as well.

Robert Lee ” R.L., Bob” Hyer (10 Jan 1862-17 Feb 1950) and Henrietta “Hennie” Coleman Brown of Newton County, Georgia. Hennie was born in Sep 1864 and died 6  Sept 1905 in childbirth (Robert Lee Hyer, Jr.) R.L. married his second wife Mary Rinaldi (23 Dec 1871-15 Dec 1962) in 1906. Children: Mary Ruth (1891-1892); Lillian Hyer (22 Sep 1893-8 Jan 1911), Robert Lee Jr. (b. 6 Sep 1905 – d.16 Mar 1976).

The 1900 U.S. Census of Orlando, Orange County, Florida (NARA Series T623, Roll 175, ED 116, Page 22A, Sheet 12A) shows the family of Robert L Hyer residing on Jackson Street just down from his brother Edward and his brother Alexander’s family. The family includes Robert L age 37 born January 1863 in Georgia, occupation: stock dealer, owns his home free of mortgage, married 10 years to Henrietta age 35 born September 1864 in Georgia, 2 births / one child living; daughter Lillian age 7, born January 1893 in Florida.

Miller’s Orlando City Directory, February 1907 p.44, shows R. L. Hyer’s Livery Stable at 1 South Orange, residence at 110 East Jackson. Aunt Hennie Hyer wrote at least one letter on Hyer & Palmer Livery letterhead.

The 1910 U.S. Census of Orlando, Orange County, Florida (NARA Series T624, Roll 166, ED 110, Page 45B, Sheet 17B) shows the Hyer family residing at 106 South Street. (This seems wrong, as all other sources show the family residing on Jackson Street.) The household includes Robert L age 48, proprietor of a livery stable married three years to his second wife Mary R [Rinaldi] age 38; daughter Lillian age 16, and son Robert L age 4.

Letters written to Hatabel and Edna Hyer (daughters of Edward Pringle Hyer) from 1903-1905 show that Lillian Hyer suffered from a multitude of illnesses including scarlet fever and chronic ear infections that resulted in deafness. Lillian died from typhoid fever at the age of 17 in 1911 while visiting her uncle over the Christmas holidays in Ft. Valley, Georgia. Lillian’s obituary was published in the Orlando Report Star, 18 January 1911.

MISS HYER DIES OF FEVER.
A message was received here Monday morning from Mr. R. L. Hyer, who with Mrs. Hyer, was called to the bedside of their daughter, Miss Lillian, at Fort Valley, Ga., who had been seriously ill for several weeks, announcing her death last evening at 10 o’clock. Miss Hyer has been in attendance on a college at LaGrange [Georgia] for the past term, going to Fort Valley at the beginning of the Christmas holidays to be with her uncle and family during her vacation from school. Very soon after arriving at Fort Valley she was stricken with typhoid fever, her father being telegraphed for and has remained at her bedside since. Mrs. Hyer arrived only a few hours before her death.
The sorrowing parents will arrive from Georgia with the remains tomorrow afternoon at 3:20, over the A. C. L.* Undertaker Hand having been notified to meet that train, and arrangements for the funeral will be made later. Miss Lillian Hyer was a charming young lady, a fine Christian character and one of the most popular young ladies this city has possessed and will be greatly missed by her many friends and acquaintances. The sympathy of the entire community is extended to the sorrowing parents who are bowed down with grief over the loss of this splendid daughter.

* Miller’s Orlando City Directory, February 1907, p.16, identifies A.C.L. as Atlantic Coast Line Railway. The passenger station was located at the corner of Church street and south Gertrude Avenue and the freight depot was at south Gertrude Avenue at the foot of Jackson Street. You can imagine Lillian’s father and step-mother accompanying her coffin back to Florida and standing on the platform as it was unloaded from the train.

The Orlando City Directory 1912, p.54, shows Mrs. R. L. Hyer residing at 105 E. Jackson Street; Robert L (Mary R), livery, 110 East Jackson Street, Phone 245.

The 1920 U.S. Census of Orlando, Orange County, Florida, shows the family of Robert Lee Hyer residing at 110 Jackson Street. Robert Lee age 58, occupation: vice president of bank, retired; wife Mary G [Graves Rinaldi] age 48, and son Robert L. Jr. age 14.

Robert Lee Hyer died 18 September 1950. There was no obituary but his passing was featured on the front page of the Orlando Sentinel.

Rites Arranged For Mr. Hyer
Funeral services for Mr. Robert Lee Hyer, 88, of 152 E., Jackson St., one of Orlando’s best known pioneer residents, will be held Saturday at 4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of which he was an elder.
Dr. Marshall C. Dendy, pastor will officiate and interment will follow in Greenwood Cemetery. The body will lie in state from 2 to 4 p.m. in the church.  Mr. Hyer, ill for several months died in a local hospital early Friday.
He was born in Covington, Ga., Jan. 10, 1862, the son of Thomas Farr Hyer and Martha Caroline Stewart. In the early 1870s Hyer and three brothers settled in Orlando. He engaged in the cattle business and owned the Southport Cattle Co. in Kissimmee until its sale after World War I.
He erected a stable where the Magruder Arcade is now located and in 1892 he bought the stable of Foster and Reel at the corner of Orange and Central, where the Yowell-Drew-Ivey Store now stands. He sold out about 1912 and went into the banking and real estate business.
He was vice president of the Orlando Bank and Trust Co. and president of the Church St. Bank. He also was a member of City Council, serving five terms from 1898 to 1910.
Mr. Hyer and W. M. Davis Sr. had extensive real estate holdings here, including the Hyer and Davis Bldg. which they bought early in the 1900’s. he owned a great amount of business property at the time of his death.
He was married twice, in 1889 to Hennie Brown of Covington, and, after her death, in 1906 to Mary Graves Rinaldi, who survives him, along with a son by his first wife, Robert Lee Hyer, Jr. of Frankfort, Ky.
Active pallbearers will be Joseph Guernsey, Sr., Chas G. Magrader, Ted Kissam, Donald Lee, W. M. Davis, Jr., Harold Carter of Ocala and Donald Walker.
Honorary pallbearers include W. M. Davis, Sr., Dan Raybon, S. Y. Way, B. E. Purcell, Herbert Smith, Eugene Schenker, and deacons and elders of the First Presbyterian Church.  Eliselstein Black Home for Funerals is in charge of arrangements.

See Images and Documents under Attachments below.