Harrison Ruffin Tyler — the grandson of President John Tyler, who served in the White House from 1841 to 1845 — died earlier this week, his family said on Wednesday. He was 96.
Tyler, born in 1928, was so close in his family tree to President Tyler, who was born in 1790, due to two generations of second marriages to much younger wives, CBS News reported. Tyler’s father, Lyon Gardiner Tyler, had two sons with his second wife, Sue Ruffin Tyler, when he was in his 70s. Similarly, Lyon Gardiner Tyler’s father, President John Tyler, had multiple children with his much younger second wife when he was in his 50s and 60s. President Tyler fathered 15 children, with Lyon being the 13th child born to him.
Tyler grew up in poverty during the Great Depression and World War II. His father died when Tyler was just 7 years old, according to The Washington Post. Tyler was also related to…