Nathan Edwin Van Tuyl, lawyer, was born in Butler county, Ohio, on Nov. 13, 1865, and is the son of Daniel D. Van Tuyl and Louisa (Russell) Van Tuyl, who now reside in Leavenworth county, Kansas. The early American ancestor of the Van Tuyl family immigrated to the United States from Holland and settled in New Jersey. Later some of the descendants became the pioneer settlers of the Miami Valley, near Carlisle and Franklin, Ohio. William Russell, his maternal grandfather, was a prominent member of the social and political life in Butler county, Ohio, and held many important public offices in that county by election.

The subject of this sketch was raised on a farm; attended the public schools of Middletown, Ohio; removed to Kansas in 1880 with his parents; taught schools; studied law; was graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan, in 1889; entered the law office of Lucien Baker (afterwards United States senator from Kansas) practiced his profession in Leavenworth, Kan., for fifteen years, and then removed to Southern Kansas, and is now located at Independence, Kansas, and engaged in the practice of his profession. At present he is engaged in the legal department of the Prairie Oil & Gas Company. Fraternally, he is a Mason, being a member of the lodge, chapter, commandery and shrine at Leavenworth. In 1891 Mr. Van Tuyl was united in marriage with Lulu, the youngest daughter of Edgar J. Humphreys, one of the pioneer settlers and druggists of Leavenworth. One child has been born to this union, a daughter, Louise. All the family are members of the Episcopal church.