Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-30
LAST TRIBUTE PAID
Funeral Services Over Re-
mains of Mrs. SempIe.
RElGNED AT White HOUSE
Was a Daughter of President Tyler
and Wife of Navy Officer.
INTERMENT IN WILLIAMSBURG
Noted Woman Whose Later Life
Was Spent at Louise Home
in This City.
NTERMENT IN WILLIAMSBURG

in This City.
In the parlor of the Louise Home, in
! which she passed so large a part of the
| later years of her life. funeral services
over the remains of Mrs. Letitia Tyler
| Semple. daughter of President John Ty-
! Ter and for a time mistress of the White
House, were held at q o clock this morn
ing. 1t was distinctly a gathering OF
| friends who came to pay their last tribute
of respect to this distinguished gentle
| woman of the old south. In different
parts of the room were seated many of
the ladies of the home and men distin-
guished in public life were also present.
as last testimonial of their esteem for
the deceased Bishop Satterlee read the
Episcopal ritual for the dead and made a
brief prayer, which closed the service.
Banked about the casket were a large
number of floral tributes.
The honorary .pallbearers We're Gen.
Daingerfeld Parker, Fl. A. Herbert, for
mer Secretary of the Navy; Mr.. Beverly
r. Mason, Mr.. William A. DeCaindry.
DR.. Samuel Waggaman. DIR. G. Wythe
Cooke and Justice Hagner. Mrs. Will
liams daughter of the deceased and
Rev. John Poyntz Tyler. formerly arch
deacon of the eastern Episcopal diocese
of Virginia, but now rector of st. Johns
Protestant Episcopal Church of Hagers-
| town, Md. cousin of Mrs. Semple. were
in attendance.
Body Forwarded to Williamsburg.
Immediately after the close of the serv-
ices the remains were taken to the Union
station. where they were sent to Rich
mond. Va. over the Richmond. Fred
ericksburg and Potomac railroad. the
| train leaving at Ills o'clock. Mrs. Will
liams. Rev. DR.. Tyler and a number of
relatives and friends OF Mrs. Semple ac-
companed the remains. According to the
schedule. the funeral party will arrive
in Richmond late this afternoon. The
remains will then be taken to Williams
burg, Va. where tomorrow morning a
drive will be made of about five miles to
Cedar Grove, the ancestral home Of the
Tylers. Upon the arrival of the funeral
party there the interment will take place
in the family burial ground upon the
plantation.
It was Mrs. Semple's wish, it is stated
that the: last rites over her remains be
said in the Pro-Cathedral Church of the
Ascension. but on account of the schedule
of the Richmond train 1t was decided
to hold early service at the home. Mrs.
Semple had also expressed wish at in
tervals during her later life that she
be laid to rest in the old cemetery at
Williamsburg, beside the remains of her
idtier. WHERE size some years ago ere cted
a handsome monument: but 1t was learned
that this could not be done for the reason
that the cemetery gates have been closed
and no more burials will be permitted
there. 1t was therefore decided to have
the interment take place at the old planta-
ton home
Rev. DR.. Tyler will read the committal
service at the grave.
Of the Old School.
In the death Of Mrs. Semple. the Capt.
tai city of the nation loses one of the
southern women of the old school, Wash
ington was the scene of her social ascend
ancy in the antebellum days. Strongly
resembling her distinguished father, her
mind. even until her last moments. was
alert and active. She was tall and slender
and though bowed by the weight of years
and appearance of the southern grande
dame. Mrs. Semple was the picture of
dignity. For "a number of years before
her death she was compelled to occupy an
easy chair while receiving her friends
having suffered a stroke of paralysis
which impaired her strength. Only once
did Mrs. Semple attend a function at the
White House in the last thirty or more
years, and that was on the occasion of the
wedding of Miss Frances Folsom and
President Cleveland.
|. Memories of the Old times in Washing
ton were often repeated to callers by Mrs.
sions her acquaintance with men in public
life. When she became the mistress of
the White House, after the death OF her
mother, Prince de Jolnville was one of the
guests. Daniel Webster, Secretary of
State during her fathers administration.
was also great friend of the family. In
her "reminiscences she said she regarded
him as not only one of the brilliant men.
whom she ever met. "He spoke so wise
ly," Mrs. Semple would say. land with
so much knowledge on the simplest sub
ject that no one would think of making
frivolous remark in his presence.
Wife of Navy Paymaster.
Mrs. Semple was eighty-four years of
age. She was married to Paymaster Sem
pie of the navy several years before her
fathers election to the presidency. When
her mother became ill and shortly before
her death Mrs. Semple spent much time
at the White House. After her mother
death she returned to the Tyler home at
WILLIAMSBURG, and after the period OF
mourning had passed she dispensed the
hospitality of the White House until 1874,
when her father married Miss Julia Gar
diner.
Mrs. Semple's room at the Louise Home
a home founded by the late William w.
Corcoran for aged gentlewomen, was re-
garded as "a room of memories" Over
the mantel were the family portraits.
among than a charming picture OF her
sister Elizabeth. whose wedding at the
White House was one OF the distinct So
cial events of the Tyler administration
There were also many portraits of dis
tinguished people of the days of "Tippe-
canoe and Tyler, too" Often Mrs. Sem
pie would speak of the White House. Il
don't care for the interior of the White
House of today" she said on one occa-
sion. 1T is too ornate, too elaborate for
the old house and too pretentious for
republic which should be characterized by
simplicity. Life there was much simpler
as ] remember it than now. We break
tasted at s. dined at 3 and had supper at
I. There were public receptions every
two weeks. but at the dinners given for
gentlemen the women of the family never
appeared"
Mrs. Semple always kept up with the
politics of the day, though she said she
was saddened and depressed thereby.
There is SO much corruption so much