Individual Details

The following was.........
Written by S.W. Smith, editor of Centre Reporter and
Proprietor.Thursday, October 29th, 1903
Death of WILLIAM COLYER
Prominent citizen of Centre Hall passes away, Died Oct. 26, 1903, Monday.
The readers of the Reporter who had formed an acquaintance with William Colyer will greatly regret to know that he passed peacefully away Monday afternoon. Mr. Colyer had been ill since the beginning of September, owing to a general collapse of his former great physical powers. During his illness he frequently spoke of the fact that life with him would be short; dictated where his body should be buried and made many other preliminary arrangements for his funeral and suggested how matters should be conducted after death had claimed him.
The funeral services took place this (Thursday) A.M., the meeting at the house being at nine o'clock and services at ten o'clock in the Lutheran Church at Tusseyville, where interment was made. The services were conducted by Rev. J.M. Meyer and J.F. Schultz. The pall bearers were J.D. Meyer, B.D. Brisbin, John J. Dauberman, Alfred Durst, W.W. Spangler, and George M. Boal.
William Colyer was the son of Daniel and Mary (Hume) Colyer, and was born in Potter Township, on the Allen farm, now occupied by Henry Lingle. His grandfather was a native of New England and his grandmother of German extraction.
The subject of this sketch left the parental home at the age of nineteen years, at which time he rented a house at Colyer. He afterward purchased a house at that place for $650 which was the first real estate he owned.The property was shortly afterward destroyed by fire. Later he purchased a sawmill at Colyer, and the first year he cleared $1,000. He continued to prosper, and as he accumulated capital he purchased timberland and extensively engaged in the lumber business. He built up and improved the little town of Colyer, which was named in his honor, and its growth and prosperity were due to the industries which he there established.
In 1894, Mr. Colyer removed his operations to Centre Hall, where he erected several dwellings, the Foreman and Smith grain house and coalshed, and the sawmill, heading and planing mill which is now operated by Messrs. Brisbin and Bradford. Two years later he became a resident of Centre Hall and has since lived here, all the while accumulating wealth which was re-invested in real estate or placed at interest.
Mr. Colyer was a kind-hearted, genial, progressive man, was liberal in many ways. He made no exhibition of his wealth, except, perhaps, in his larder, which was stocked with everything his appetite chanced to suggest.
The deceased is survived by one sister Susan, wife of William Bissel of Pocahontas, Iowa, who for years was a resident of Centre Hall, being the wife of George Harpster, deceased. The other sisters were Rachel, wife of Jacob Neville; Sarah, wife of John Miller; Mary, wife of Franklin Wright, all of Potter Township.
Mr. Colyer married Frances Luse, of Gregg Township, daughter of George and Sally (Long) Luse. Their children are: Emma, wife of John Hoffman, of Mifflintown; Almira, wife of George Isher, of Tusseyville; Anna, wife of James Spicher, of Patton; Ida, wife of Ambrose Howard J.Lambert, of Williamsburg; Reuben W., a farmer of Potter Township;Minnie, wife of W.E. Probert, of Patten.
Mr. Colyer's present wife was the widow of Daniel Gunder. She is a native of Dauphin County, and her maiden name was Stiffler. They have one son, William, at home.

Birth	13 DEC 1834	Potter Twp., Centre Co., PA
Marriage		Frances LUSE/LOOS/LOOSE
Marriage	Bet 1884 and 1886	Mary Adeline STIFFLER
Death	26 OCT 1903	Centre Hall, Potter Twp., Centre Co., PA
Burial		Tusseyville Cem., Tusseyville, Potter Twp., Centre Co., PA

Spouse	Frances LUSE/LOOS/LOOSE (1833 - 1912)
Child	COLYER (1854 - 1854)
Child	Emma/Emily COLYER (1855 - 1922)
Child	Elmira Catherine COLYER (1860 - 1937)
Child	Ruben William COLYER (1862 - 1948)
Child	COLYER (1865 - 1865)
Child	Anna Florence "Annie" COLYER (1869 - 1949)
Child	Ida May COLYER (1871 - 1933)
Child	Minnie Frances COLYER (1875 - 1931)

Spouse	Mary Adeline STIFFLER (1854 - 1913)
Child	William F. COLYER (1887 - 1950)

Father	Daniel COLYER (1812 - 1868)
Mother	Mary HUMEL (1811 - 1857)
Sibling	Sarah COLYER (1833 - 1903)
Sibling	John COLYER (1837 - 1853)
Sibling	Mary COLYER (1838 - 1903)
Sibling	Rachel COLYER (1842 - 1882)
Sibling	Susannah/Susan COLYER (1846 - )