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Welcome to The William Strother Society Web Site
The William Strother Society is a family association dedicated to perpetuating the memories of our ancestors and furthering fellowship among the descendants of William Strother, the immigrant. Founded in 1986 as the Society of Descendants of William Strother, it was incorporated in Virginia in 1992 as The William Strother Society, Inc. The first 'Strother Family Reunion' was spearheaded by Lloyd Oliver, an avid genealogist and Strother descendant from San Antonio, Texas. He identified 700 Strother descendants across the country and invited them to meet and share kinship in September 1986 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He was assisted by Marjorie Strother, from King George, Virginia, and George A. Fenwick, Sr, from Chester, New Jersey. About 200 people showed up and from this reunion the William Strother Society was born. These three forward-thinking 'cousins' are now considered the founders of the organization.
Lloyd Oliver & Marjorie Strother Marjorie Strother George Fenwick, Sr
The Society's members include descendants of William Strother and their families, related families, and others interested in the Strother family, throughout the United States and Europe. In addition, we partner with the Library of Congress, State and local libraries, historical societies and genealogical societies, including the DAR and SAR. Some of the more notable members of this amazing family are shown below.
We appreciate your interest and invite you to enjoy the features of this web site.
To log in, go to Members' Section.
What's New....
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New Members During 2022:
Ethan Bauer - Vancouver, WA
Karen Bowser - Fresno, CA
Steven & Barbara Dittman - York, PA
Dana & Gus Elg - Portland, OR
Diane Frieman - West Orange, NJ
Harriet Frodge - Cincinnati, OH
Robin Frodge - Cincinnati, OH
Virginia Gore - Silsbee, TX
Thomas Lutz-Allen - Haymarket, VA
Michael Mehling - Broadway, VA
Michelle & Roland Mitchell - Knoxville, MD
Robert Moody - Denver, CO
Elizabeth Ross - Greenbrier, TN
Belinda Stevens - Pine, AZ
Christan & Jane Stewart - La Grange, KY
Barbara Strother - Dickerson, MD
Walter & Sheila Strother - Marietta, GA
Barbara Whitaker - Pinehurst, NC
Ashley Wilson - Louisville, KY
Recent Obituaries:
(Note: full text can be found in the Members' Section)
Lawrence Ely (Larry) Hite - May 24, 2022
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Biennial Conference
We hold a business meeting and "family reunion" every two years. Our 2022 Strother Family Conference, organized by President George Fenwick, Jr., in Winchester, VA, was a lot of fun! Since our last conference in 2018 (we missed 2020 due to the national COVID pandemic), everyone was anxious to renew old acquaintances and meet new ‘family’ members. We sorely missed many long-time members who were not able to attend, but this smaller gathering of 42 allowed for more intimate meetings and extended discussions. Attendees came from north, south, east and west – from 16 states – and created a true ‘family get-together’, even to the point of ‘debating’ how to pronounce Strother!
The theme of this well-planned conference focused on Civil War artist David Hunter Strother. Tours on Day 1 included Weyers Cave (where David Hunter Strother illustrated formations), Ferry Farm in Fredericksburg (to see all the new furnishings), and a trolley tour around historic Winchester (including young George Washington’s surveying office, Stonewall Jackson’s headquarters, and Patsy Cline’s house and museum). Our visit to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley ended with a catered dinner and a talk by Hunter Lesser, a historian and David Hunter Strother expert.
Day 2 featured a bus ride to Berkeley Springs, WV, lunch at the Old Country Inn (which stands on the foundation of the old Strother Hotel), and a visit to the Old Roman Baths (also visited by George Washington). We ended with a tour of the Berkeley Springs Museum with its David Hunter Strother exhibit (which was funded by the WSS) and a champagne toast in honor of DHS and WSS.
Day 3 started with the General Business Meeting, including a recognition of past presidents and new members/first-timers, elections of officers, a Ferry Farm update, and a new proposal for archeological work at Millbank. The details of the Board of Directors meetings and the General Business Meeting will be published in the next newsletter. The Banquet at the Hilton Garden Inn featured photographs of WSS officers and board members, descendant lines, new members, and individual families. Following dinner, there was a presentation in honor of the contributions of Ernst Strother Bauer and a talk by Don Teeter, a historian and David Hunter Strother impersonator.
We departed on Sunday with memories of a successful and enjoyable family reunion and looking forward to 2024 and the next Conference in Louisville, KY.
Elections - Officers elected at the 2022 Conference for the next 2 years are:
President: George Fenwick, Jr.
1st Vice President: Raymond Moot
2nd Vice President: Vacant
Secretary: William Hank Bair
Board Members for the next 4 years (2022-2026) are:
Ernst Strother Bauer
Ethan Bauer
Margaret Candler King
Barbara Jo Strother
Donna Strother
No change in the 2018-2024 Board Members
Membership
Our membership period is conference to conference; however, we extended 2018 memberships until 2022 because the 2020 conference was cancelled due to the nationwide COVID pandemic. If your membership expires in 2022 and you haven't renewed, please do it soon. Membership dues are unchanged at $20 for 2 years per household. To access the membership information and application form, click on the menu item Join/Renew.
Our Family Database
The Strother Family Database
contains our family lineage comprising over 82,000 individuals, including families, photographs, cemetery records, and more. It is accessible only via this Web site and available to Society members as a tool for those searching for their ancestry. To access this database, click on the menu item Strother Database.
Newsletter
Our "Houses of Strother Newsletter" is published quarterly. It includes articles on the history of the Strother family, current activities, tips on genealogical research, queries from those seeking family information, and information and stories from our members. Access to the newsletters is found in the Members' Section.
SOME STROTHER DESCENDANTS
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David Hunter Strother
(1816-1888) Talented artist and draftsman from Civil War era. Worked for Harper's Monthly magazine using pen name "Porte Crayon".
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Zachary Taylor
(1784-1850) Army general - served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. 12th President of the United States.
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Absalom Hall Strother
(1844-1926) Served in 161st Ohio Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. Was a postmaster and in the creamery business.
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Joseph Sale Strother
(1836-1903) Born in Alabama and moved to Texas. Member of Hood's Texas Brigade during Civil War and the Texas State Legislature.
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