Dorothy Jean Tyler

Dorothy Tyler was born in Sulphur Springs Texas on April 22, 1952, to Freddie and Marie Richard. It was a difficult birth with the doctor indicating only one would survive. The Lord in His sovereign arrangement allowed both to live and so Dorothy began her journey on this earth as a chosen vessel under God’s merciful, watchful care.

Shortly after her birth, their family moved to Groves Texas where they remained for Dorothy’s education from elementary to high school. She was an outstanding student, an achiever making high marks academically, had a strong moral character and was well liked by all who knew her.

Soon after graduating from Port Neches Groves High School, the family moved to Carlyss Louisiana, a small community just outside of Sulphur Louisiana. Her senior year, before the move, they would travel to this location on the weekends so that her dad and his brothers could finish building their house off of Moss Lake in Carlyss. Dorothy, to keep from being bored spent time with her cousin Roxane in Sulphur. She liked to dance and went to a teen dance in April of her junior year. This is where she would meet her future husband David Tyler. This was a God ordained arrangement that would result in a marriage and honeymoon that would change the course of their lives in accordance with God’s predestination, choosing and calling.

Neither Dorothy or David in their three and one-half years of courtship were seekers of Christ, nor had any strong feeling concerning the religion they were raised in. However, it became evident that the Lord was seeking them. Years later, as a student at the University of Oklahoma, Dorothy composed a written testimony concerning her and David’s experience on their honeymoon in Houston Texas, the night they became lovers of Christ and the church, which is His body.

For the next five years they enjoyed the church life in Houston. Within those five years, they moved five times to take care of the Lord’s current burden and fellowship. As Dorothy and David grew in the Lord, they had opened up their home to feed and be blended with the saints, and eventually had numerous young brothers stay with them in corporate living. Dorothy pored herself out in care and prayer for these brothers. Laboring in joy, and sometimes in tears, for all the meals and practical and spiritual care and cherishing for all who were staying with or visited them in their home. She kept guest books, and today it is precious to go through and look at all the names of all the dear saints that passed through their door, some for fellowship, and some who came as unbelievers and received Christ.

In 1977, David through fellowship with the brothers and a burden from the Lord, felt to join in the migration to Oklahoma City for the spread of the church life and the gospel. By this time, they had two very young children (Daria Marie, and Amber Rebecca). They spent time to fellowship and pray together about this matter and Dorothy was open and willing to leave the familiar and sweet environment of the church life in Houston and once again offer herself to the Lord for His move.

In the seven years that followed the migration, Dorothy functioned faithfully and joyfully as a wife, mother, student and laboring sister, in Norman Oklahoma, and in Oklahoma City. She experienced all the hardships of being a couple with children while she and David were full time students, but maintained her love for the Lord, the saints, and the church life. She testified many times to David how she felt blessed to be built up with so many sisters and couples during those years. By the end of this time in Oklahoma, she and David had two more children (Paul David, and Daniel Joseph).

David graduated with a Petroleum Engineering degree in 1981, and began to work in Oklahoma City. Within four years there was an economic downturn in the petroleum industry and according to the Lord’s divine arrangement, he lost his job and was unsuccessful in finding work in that field for over a year. They eventually had to relocate to Texas in order for David to find work. There were no churches in that part of Texas at that time. David spent extensive time traveling for his work, and Dorothy kept her heart open to the Lord, looking for opportunities to move back to Houston, the church life and the fellowship. That opportunity came in 1989.

Although the years away were difficult and discouraging, the vision of the Lord’s recovery, His body, and the Lord’s many visitations were the sustaining factors. After returning and gradually entering back into the flow of life with the saints, the Lord was faithful to restore the years the locust had eaten (Joel 2:25a; Jeremiah 15:19).

Dorothy loved the Lord, and she loved her children and her husband more than her own life. She loved and cherished them regardless of all the issues encountered, weather pleasant or not. She did what ever was necessary, inconvenient, and demanding with a heart full of love, hope and prayer. This love was unconditional and unwavering and was gladly spent on them.

In 2004 Dorothy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Her father also had this disease and passed just a few years after diagnosis. It took four years For Dorothy to advance to the point of being placed in a nursing home. The Lord arranged a situation so David could be with her on a daily basis, and he considered it a privilege, an honor, and great blessing to be able to care for his wife and dear sister in the Lord. She remained there for nine years, until the Lord called this chosen vessel to Himself.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her father Freddie Richard, grandparents Elise and Evelyna Richard, and Lana and Aris Fontenot. She is survived by her husband David Tyler, children, Marie Schobel, Amber Tyler/Sanchez, Paul Tyler, Daniel Tyler, and seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and five extended family grandchildren; her mother Marie Richard, her sister JoAnn Priddy, and her brother Tony Richard; her aunts Aline Cloutier, Helen Fay Domingue, and Dorothy Richard, and her uncle Eddie Richard, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.