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Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: February 18, 1838
Name: Willie Dyer
Post Office: Eagletown, Oklahoma
Date of Birth: November 8, 1891
Place of Birth: Near Eagletown
Father: James Dyer
Place of Birth: Near Eagletown
Information on father: Missionary preacher
Mother: Melinda Dyer
Place of birth: Smithville, Oklahoma
Information on mother: Housekeeper
Field Worker: Levina R. Beavers
Interview # 13188

Reverend James Dyer was born near Eagletown, McCurtain County, in 1838 and died August 7th, 1921, within a few miles of the place where he was born. He was one of the most prominent Indians of the Choctaw Nation from his early days of manhood until within a few years of his death. When he was eighteen years old Reverend Cyrus KINGSBURY, a Presbyterian minister, took him to Nashville, Tennessee, and gave him four years of schooling and on his return home he was elected representative to the Choctaw Council at Narriwaya, near Tuskahoma from what was at that time Eagle County, Indian Territory, and from then on he represented his people in their councils from time to time until at the time of statehood he also represented the Choctaw Nation as a delegate at Washington and on one or two occasions served as a member of the Dawes Commission and assisted in winding up the affairs of the Five Civilized Tribes preparatory to statehood. He joined the Presbyterian Church and at the age of thirty was ordained a minister and until his death was engaged in ministerial work among his people. He led an active life and accomplished a great deal in a moral and religious way for his race.

(In an earlier Questionnaire "Willie M. Dyer, Eagletown, Oklahoma. Born, May 1, 1894, Eagletown, Oklahoma. Parents, James, Sr., and Melinda (LABOR) Dyer. Father. French and Indian (Choctaw) and mother, Spanish.")

Submitted to OKGenWeb by Sharon Olive DeLoache <deloache@intellex.com> 04-2000.