T.D. and Sarah Ann Wall Tyler settled near Ottuma, Iowa. Later they moved to Elliott, Iowa where they remained for many years. Thomas Tyler purchased a farm in 1887 which was later bought by William and Minnie DeWitt, his daughter and son-in-law. Their daughters attended school in nearby Red Oak and at least two went to Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. While Minnie Tyler DeWitt remained close to the family home, the other daughters moved to neighboring states and territories. Pauline and Nell both moved to Oklahoma Territory. Later Nell moved to Colorado with her husband.

Pauline Tyler Townsend, (1870-1957), to whom the bulk of the correspondence is addressed, taught art in public schools in Iowa after graduating from Simpson College. Following her marriage to Frank Townsend in 1900, Pauline moved to Oklahoma Territory. In 1905 the Townsend’s moved to Tulsa where Mrs. Townsend was associated with the development of the Tulsa Art Association. She continued to study painting throughout her life and attended summer art institutes sponsored by the Chicago Institute of Art in Saugatuck, Michigan and studied with Grant Wood at Stone City, Iowa. Mrs. Townsend was also a long time member of the First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa. She took great interest in foreign missions as a result of a friend’s experience in the mission field.

In 1955, Pauline Townsend established the Frank and Pauline Townsend United States History Memorial Fund at Oklahoma State University. She hoped that the fund would “inspire a love for our Nation’s history and a dedication to its ideals in and by countless citizens, both now and in the future, whose lives will be touched by those directly receiving benefits from the trust.” The Department of History uses the fund for scholarships, fellowships, lectureships and research grants. Five trustees administer the fund. Dorothy DeWitt Wilkinson, Mrs. Townsend’s niece, served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for many years.

Dorothy DeWitt (1905-1991), Minnie’s daughter and Pauline’s niece, married Jim Wilkinson on July 4, 1931. They lived in Oklahoma City. Mrs. Wilkinson was active in a number of organizations. Her interests included family history and genealogy and she spoke to many historical association meetings. She collected her family’s correspondence. She was close to her aunt, Pauline Tyler Townsend, throughout her life.