The William Strother Society, Inc.
The William Strother Society, Inc.

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....

 
 
 
Membership Application and Renewal
Now available:  Membershp online application, renewal and payment.  Click on the following link:
 
 
New Members During 2024:
Cheryl Abbott - Benbrook, TX
Lisa Allen - Loveland, OH
Gloria Faye Brown Bates - Louisburg, NC
Carlo & Rosamonde Capomazza - New Orleans, LA
Rachel Center - Carrollton, TX
Heather Chase - Fairfax, VA
Elizabeth Fay Courtney - San Dimas, CA
Jane Daniels - Lenexa, KS
Laurel & Nick Fiorelli - Cincinnati, OH
Donald & Ann Frodge - Indian Hill, OH
Jonathan & Samantha Frodge - Madeira, OH
Daniel Harraghy - Clarksville, TN
James & Debra Strother Hoffman - Chapel Hill, NC
William Kreuttner - Winchester, VA
Betsy Lamb - Atlanta, GA
Griffin Lamb - Flagstaff, AZ
Thomas Lutz-Allen - Haymarket, VA
Cindy & Don Moore - College Grove, TN
Vivian Kay Moore - Decatur, AL
Donna Jane Parker - Memphis, TN
Benjamin Patton - New York, NY
LaTisha Pitzer - Evans, CO
Debbie Purves - Opelika, AL
David Strother - Montrose, CA
Kimberly Strother - Richmond, VA
Margaret Strother - Beaverton, OR
Wesley Strother
Andre & Diane Strothers - Lynwood, IL
Trudy Thomas - Hamilton, VA
Katlyn Weaver - Liberty, TX
Jennifer Wuest - Freeland, WA
Virginia A. Young - Searsmont, ME
 
Recent Obituaries:
(Note:  full text can be found in the Members' Section)
Alice E. Baker - Aug 15, 2022
Lawrence Ely (Larry) Hite - May 24, 2022
Ray Moot - Dec 19, 2022
Carole Strother Rawlins - Jan 2, 2024
Donna Strother - Sep 21, 2023
Ronald Lee Vincent - Oct 6, 2024
 

Biennial Conference

We hold a business meeting and "family reunion" every two years that features social activities and elections of officers.  Our 2024 Strother Family Conference was held in Louisville, Kentucky, on July 17-21.  The 2026 Strother Family Conference will be in Fredericksburg, Virgina.
 
The 2024 conference in Louisville was very enjoyable and touched on many Strother family connections. Kentucky was originally part of Virginia and many Revolutionary War veterans and their families migrated during the peak period 1775 – 1795.  While the region is home to many Strother descendants, there are a few of utmost distinction through service to our country, organization, or economy. We toured the Zachary Taylor Presidential Memorial and cemetery, the General George S. Patton Leadership Museum, the Kentucky Derby Museum, the Jim Beam Distillery, and two thoroughbred farms. We also enjoyed the Belle of Louisville riverboat cruise on the Ohio River, a pseudo re-enactment of our ancestors migration experience. There were a plethora of attractions to explore on one's own, including historic Cave Hill Cemetery and Arboretum, Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, Old Louisville Walking Tour and the Mohammed Ali Center. A bit of a drive is Mammoth Cave National Park.

 

Prominent Strother descendants who have strong ties to Louisville:

 

          Zachary Taylor (1744-1850) Army general who served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. 12th President of the United States. William line.                                              

          Zachary Taylor                    Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr.         George S. Patton, Jr.                George A. Fenwick, Sr.

            (1784-1850)                               (1846-1899)                              1885-1945)                                (1919-1997)

  • Zachary Taylor was an Army general who serverd in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War.  12th President of the US.  William line.
  • Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., was the grandson of William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.  Founder of the Kentucky Derby and builder of Churchill downs.  William line.
  • George S. Patton, Jr. served in WWI and was one of the foremost American combat generals in WWII.  Jeremiah line.
  • George A. Fenwick, Sr., was born in Louisville, co-founder of WSS, Director 1988-1992, President 1994-1996.  William and Jeremiah lines.
Check out all the details in the Events section.

Membership

Our membership period is conference to conference.  The next conference is in July 2026, so the current membership period will go from July 2024 to July 2026. 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 84,000 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 entire library of newsletters is found in the Members' Section.  Following are the most recent issues (click on the link to read):
 
               September2023.pdf.         December2023.pdf.         March2024.pdf          May2024.pdf
 
 
 

SOME STROTHER DESCENDANTS
Zachary Taylor
(1784-1850) Army general - served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. 12th President of the United States.
Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr.
(1846 – 1899) Grandson of William Clark of Lewis & Clark Expedition. Founder of the Kentucky Derby and builder of Churchill Downs.
Randolph Scott
George Randolph Scott (1898-1987) -- stage and screen actor. Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is in the Western Performers Hall of Fame.
David Hunter Strother
(1816-1888) Talented artist and draftsman from Civil War era. Worked for Harper's Monthly magazine using pen name "Porte Crayon".