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Strouse Family

Strauss was the original spelling although it is said that it was once Van Strauss. The name was spelled Strauss and Strouse in History of Wabash County, 1884.

Johann Adam Strauss, Sr. (Adam) was born June 28, 1776 in Spesbach, Homburg, Bayern, Germany and died February 3, 1839 same place. He married August 14, 1798 in Spesbach, Homburg, Bayern, Germany to Anna Charlotta Brill. Anna was born September 15, 1777 in Konken, Pfalz, Bayern, Germany and died April 6, 1828 in Spesbach, Homburg, Bayern, Germany.

Their children:

  • Philippina Carolina Strauss “Phoebe” was born October 23, 1799 in Spesbach, Homburg, Bayern, Germany and died December 23, 1885 in Navarre, Stark, Ohio. She married May 22, 1817 in Steinwenden, Bayern, Germany to Jacob Zinsmeister/Zintzmeister. They had Nicholas Zinsmeister, Daniel Zinsmeister, Elizabetha Zinsmeister, Anna Katharina Zinsmeister, and Margaretha Zinsmeister.
  • Johann “Peter” Strauss was born April 4, 1802 in Germany. He married Phoebe Katharina Heines. See below for more on their family.
  • Maria Elisabetha Strauss was born January 5, 1806 in Spesbach, Bayer, Germany.
  • Jacob Strauss, Jr. was born July 15, 1814 in Spesbach, Homburg, Bayern, Germany and married May 14, 1837 in Spesbach, Homburg, Bayern, Germany to Maria Elisabetha Ohliger (she must have died just after giving birth to her son, Jacob.) She was the daughter of Jacob (Jacques) Ohliger and Philippina Schneider. Their children: Elisabetha Strauss and Jacob Strauss. Jacob, Sr. married June 15, 1843 to Philippina Elisabetha Jung.

Johann “Peter” Strauss (Strouse)[1] was born April 30, 1802 in Germany and died February 13, 1862 in Navarre, Stark, Ohio. He married on November 9, 1826 in Pfalz, Bayern, Germany to Phillipina “Phoebe” Katharina Heines. She was born March 14, 1805 in Germany and died May 27, 1893 in Wabash County, Indiana. She was the daughter of Johannes and Anna Maria (Sutter) Heines(z) They arrived in New York on July 20, 1840.

Picture courtesy of Randy Strauss. His comments:
I took some pictures of the home of Peter Strauss (1827-1914);
and Barbara Urshel Strauss. He was my Great Grandfather. I
talked to Tim Regula who lives there now. He is the nephew of
Congressman Ralph Straus Regula. He is a 2nd cousin. It was
built around 1860. He said he tore out a section of wall to run
some electrical wire. He said behind the plaster they used mud
and straw for insulation.

Peter and Phebe had the following children:

  • Peter Strauss was born October 8, 1827 Kottweiler-Schwanden, Pfalz, Bayern, Germany and died October 14, 1914 in Stark County, Ohio. He married on May 11, 1851 in Stark County, Ohio to Barbara Urschell (1833-1897).
  • Caroline Elizabeth Strauss was born January 23, 1830 Kottweiler-Schwanden, Pfalz, Bayern, Germany and died February 3, 1917 in Massillon, Ohio. She married John Stahl (1826-1904) on August 17, 1851 Stark County, Ohio.
  • Phillipine (Phoebe) Strauss was born October 28, 1832 Katholisch, Kottweiler-Schwanden, Pfalz, Bayern, Germany (or August 27, 1832) and died August 21, 1906 in Huntington County, Indiana. She married April 29, 1855 in Stark County, Ohio to Nicholas Poeshang/Paschong (1823-1909). Their children: Carl Daniel Paschong(1856-1938), Frank J. Paschong, Peter Paschong, William Paschong, Elizabeth Paschong, Jacob Paschong, and Edward Paschong.
  • Elizabeth Strauss was born March 21, 1836 Kottweiller-Schwanden, Pfalz, Bayern, Germany
  • Adam Strauss was born July 1, 1838 in Kottweiller-Schwanden, Pfalz, Bayern, Germany. Most likely died young, possibly aboard ship.
  • Daniel Strauss was born November 17, 1842 in Stark County, Ohio and died February 14, 1894 at North Manchester, Indiana. He married September 30, 1865 in Wabash County, Indiana to Melissa Eby. Melissa was born November 2, 1843 in Ohio and died June 12, 1911 in North Manchester, Wabasha, Indiana. She was the daughter of Michael Eby (1808-1883) and Susannah (1811-1889). Daniel and Melissa’s children: Evin Michael Strauss, John Wesley Strauss, Ida A. Strauss, Lucian Eugene Strauss, Meliny Strauss, Linus Sylvester Strauss, Jesse E. Strauss, Mittie Strauss, and Cecil Dudley Strauss. My records showed Daniel as being born October 24, 1834 in Navarre, Stark County. In 1861 he enlisted in Co. D., 47th Regt., Ind. Vols., was mustered into service October 21, 1861 and mustered out on December 12, 1864. (Musician)
  • Jacob Strauss was born July 15, 1844 in Bethlehem, Stark County, Ohio. See more about his family below.
  • Adam Abraham Strauss was born October 25, 1847 Stark County, Ohio and died June 9, 1940 and died June 9, 1940 in Huntington, Huntington, Indiana. He married Sevilla Eby who was born February 23, 1850 in Harrisburg, Stark, Ohio and died October 16, 1918 in Huntington, Huntington, Indiana. Their children: Charles W. Strauss, Melissa Strauss, and Ernest Strauss (Findagrave shows additional children: Frank E., Tena, Milton, Leroy, Winifred, and Myrtle). (For more information on this family, contact the person who provided the information)

Jacob Strauss was born July 15, 1844 in Bethlehem, Stark County, Ohio and died October 31, 1926 in Laketon, Wabash, Indiana.

Jacob was married to Elizabeth Abbie Wertenberger on December 25, 1872 probably in either Pleasant or Laketon Township in Wabash County, Indiana. Abi was born May 12, 1850 at Stark County Ohio, and died July 6, 1903 in Wabash County, Indiana. (See more information about the Wertenbergers below) Both are buried at Laketon Cemetery. Jacob was very active in his community as he not only owned the mill in Pleasant Township but he was also school trustee, township trustee (1878-1880) and petitioned the county commissioners to run a saloon in 1883. In his will he left everything to one daughter who was crippled (Elizabeth).

He enlisted in 1861 and was a private in Company A of the 107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated in a skirmish at Fredericksburg, Virginia and served eleven months until he was discharged due to failing health. He is listed in the U.S. Civil War Jewish-American Veteran’s records. He settled in Pleasant Township in 1869. He is shown in the 1870 census as 24 years old, a miller with property worth $2000 and single.

Children of Jacob and Abi Strouse:

Lester Clayton Strauss/Strouse

Lester, also shown as Leslie, was born October 11, 1872 in Laketon, Wabash, Indiana and died November 13, 1943 in Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota.

At some point Lester changed his name from Strauss to Strouse. Lester was a producer, director and actor in Chicago for twenty years. Family legend has it that he even booked Charlie Chaplin. He was married on August 22, 1894 in Wabash, Wabash, Indiana to Stella B. Durbin. They were not able to have their own children so they adopted two daughters, one named Lulu who married a Hedstrom and lived in Duluth, St. Louis, Minnesota. They later divorced and his ex-wife took the other daughter and Lester raised Lulu. While in Browns Valley, Traverse, Minnesota he met Rosia Lavina Maricle who did cooking and laundry for the troupe while they were in town. They married December 24, 1913 in Graceville, Big Stone, Minnesota. Rosia was born March 21, 1896 in Browns Valley, Traverse, Minnesota and died July 23, 1984 in Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota.

Lester worked for the City of Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota, the last 15 years of his life but he also owned and operated a lumber and coal business for some years.

Lester and Rosia’s family

They had three children:

Clayton James Strouse was born October 25, 1914 in Graceville, Big Stone, Minnesota and died December 4, 1988 in Anoka, Anoka County, Minnesota. He married on October 30, 1939 in Anoka to Marie Woznick. Marie was born November 10, 1913 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota and died March 11, 2005 in Coon Rapids, Anoka, Minnesota. She was the daughter of Michael Dimitri Wasnick (1886-1958) and Lena O. (1891-1959). Clayton and Marie had three children.

Marion Elizabeth Strouse was born April 7, 1919 in Browns Valley, Minnesota and died April 23, 2011 in Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota. She married November 22, 1937 in Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota to Clarence Raymond Scott (1910-1970) and had one son. She married to Vince May and had one son.

Jacob Justus Strouse BG Bvt (Ret.) was born December 27, 1924 in Little Falls, Morrison, Minnesota, died June 27, 2006 in St. Cloud, Stearns, Minnesota. He was married first on August 3, 1949 in Anoka, Minnesota to Norma Jean Duclos (see Duclos family) and they had three children. He then married Marjorie May Hanft- Soderquist in 1986.

Jake enlisted in 1943 in the Army Air Force. During WWII he served in Europe as a Radio-Operator Gunner on a B-17 and participated in 32 combat missions over Germany. He was shot down, crashed once and had to parachute from his burning aircraft on another mission. In 1947 he joined the Minnesota National Guard and was called to active duty during the Korean Conflict in 1951 where he completed over 200 combat missions as an artillery observer flying behind enemy lines in an unarmed aircraft. He received numerous medals for his service to this country.

He retired after suffering a severe heart attack at the Pentagon in 1978 while on special assignment with the National Guard Bureau. At the age of 22 Jake joined the Anoka Fire Department. He served as the Anoka-Champlin Fire Chief from 1980 to 1987. Jake retired from the Department in 1987.

Jake served in a number of key assignments during his career with the National Guard culminating his career as the Division Chief of Staff. He was memorialized in the “Court of Honor” at Camp Ripley, Minnesota.

Jacob Strouse

When Jake was young, he was a school patrol and he was mentioned in the local American Legion history.

Clarence Strauss

Clarence was born in 1874 and died in Laketon, Wabash, Indiana on September 17, 1874 same place.

Orra Devona Strauss

Orra was born September 23, 1875 in Wabash County, Indiana and died December 9, 1959 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana. She was married on June 30, 1896 to George Franklin Ogden (1864-1957). Their children:

  • Kenneth G. Ogden was born April 1, 1897 and died May 1, 1897.
  • Hale S. Ogden was born November 24, 1898 and died September 23, 1899
  • Mark Ogden was born and died September 28, 1993 in Washtenaw County, Michigan.
  • Luke Edgar Ogden was born November 24, 1907 in Wabash, Wabash, Indiana and died January 26, 1931 in Peru, Miami, Indiana.
  • Sumner Wayne Ogden was born December 25, 1909 and died February 17, 1995 in Oak Park, Cook, Illinois. He married January 31, 1930 in Lake, Wabash, Indiana to Dorothy Carter. They divorced in 1932
  • Elizabeth “Betty” Ogden was born February 19, 1912 in Wabash County, Indiana and died December 28, 1997 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana. She married September 25, 1937 in Marion County, Indiana to William C. Kraft (1901-1946) and second to Thomas Judge (1916-1998)
Hermann Ellis Strauss

Hermann was born July 3, 1879 in Wabash, Indiana and died May 3, 1959 in Los Angeles, California. Hermann was a corporal in the Army in the 16th Balloon Company during World War I and served time in France.

On June 1, 1905 in Burleigh County, North Dakota he married Ella Alida Evans (1885-1946). and they lived in California. They had 5 children:

  • Howard Lester (or LeRoy) Strauss was born October 11, 1906 in Washburn, Illinois and died December 13, 1976 in Moses Lake, Grant, Washington. He married October 1, 1929 in Great Falls, Cascade, Montana to Mable Hopkins (1908-1987).
  • Lawrence Earl Strauss was born March 25, 1907 in Mitchell, Davison, South Dakota and died January 31, 1969 in Spokane, Washington. He married June 26, 1928 in Davison County, South Dakota to Florence Frances Drewer (1910-1999). She also married Leland R. Benton.
  • Herman Elmer Strauss born September 26, 1910 in Grand Junction, Colorado and died December 31, 1940 in Polson, Lake, Montana. He married April 30, 1938 in District of Columbia to Kathryn Amanda Pagenkopf (1915-)
  • Infant Strauss
  • Vernon P. Strauss was born September 9,1920 in Wyoming and died May 23, 1930.

Ella and Hermann must have divorced as she remarried to Thomas G. Torgeson.

Elizabeth Strauss

Lizzie or Betty was born May 7, 1880 and died February 14, 1961 in Laketon, Wabash, Indiana. She married twice. First to someone named Bill and then to Edward R. Holman (1869-1945).

Allied Families

Brill

Johann Nickel (Nicolaus) Brill was born May 4, 1731 in Rehweiler, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. He married Maria Catharina (Catharina) Ohliger born January 6, 1740 in Rehweiler, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and died April 20, 1812 same place. Their children:

  • Jacob Brill was born December 30, 1771 in Rehweiler, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and died June 4, 1843 same place. He married Wilhelmina Deklar (1775-1840), daughter of Jacob Decklar and Margaretha Klein. Their children: Johann Jacob Brill, Maria Elisabetha Brill, Elisabeth Catherine Brill, and Phillipine Brill.
  • Anna Charlotta Brill was born September 15, 1777 in Konken, Pfalz, Germany and died April 6, 1828 in Spesbach, Bayern, Germany. Anna married Johann Adam Strauss. See more about “Charlotta’s” family above.
Wertenberger

John Adam Wüertemberger immigrated from what is now southern West Germany. He was a Palatine and migrated in the 1750’s. In 1758 he and wife, Anna Maria (she died between 1764 and 1782), were living in or near Reading, Cumru Township, Pennsylvania. They were Lutherans and attended the Trinity Lutheran Church in Reading. Their children (probably others existed):

John Jacob Wüertemberger born March 1757

John Adam Wüertemberger, Jr. born February 22, 1760

John George Wüertemberger born May 4, 1762

  • Philip Wertenberger born June 1, 1810 Stark County, Ohio, died April 6, 1873 in Laketon, Wabash County, Indiana. He was married twice. His first wife, Susann Harter was born April 1, 1812 or March 31, 1811 in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. They married April 19, 1832 in Stark County. She died February 17, 1848 in Laketon. Her parents were Christian Harter, born about 1775 in Pennsylvania and died prior to 1828 in Pennsylvania. His first wife, Elizabethth Musser who was the daughter of Adam Musser of Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Philip and Susanna were first cousins, his mother and her father having been brother and sister. They moved to Wabash County, Indiana in 1837. He and Susanna had the following children:
    • Isaac Wertenberger born May 6, 1833 Stark County, Ohio
    • Mary Ann Wertenberger born August 28, 1835, died August 28, 1857 in Laketon, Indiana
    • Lydia Wertenberger born July 7, 1838 in Stark County.
    • William Wertenberger born June 19, 1840 in Stark County.
    • Levi Wertenberger born March 30, 1843 in Stark County.
    • Eliza J. Wertenberger born September 1, 1847 in Wabash County, Indiana
  • Abi Wertenberger born May 12, 1850. See her family above.
  • Benjamin Wertenberger born September 15, 1851
  • John Wertenberger born March 3, 1853
  • Sarah Wertenberger born February 23, 1855, died April 26, 1857
  • Philip Wertenberger, Jr. born October 20, 1859
  • Anna Maria Wertenberger born November 20, 1764
  • Maria Rosina Wertenberger
From History of Wabash County, by Thomas Helem, published 1884. Page 464

David S. Wertenberger

George Wertenberger and Christina Snyder Wertenberger were natives of Pennsylvania and had six children-Elizabeth, Rachel, David S., Solomon, Matilda and David (Daniel). David S. Wertenberger was born in Stark County, Ohio, February 20, 1825. He came to Wabash County Indiana in 1852 and in 1853 purchased eighty acres of wild land, and commenced to make his future home. He was married in 1854 to Catharine Rule; her father; Philip, and her mother, Mary Rule, were born in Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Wertenberger have had three children, two of whom survive-Isabell, the wife of Thomas Berry and Enos. Mr. Wertenberger is an energetic and successful farmer, and has accomplished much that would tend to advance the interests of Wabash County.

The 1870 U.S. Census shows Daniel Wertenberger, age 35, a farmer living in Pleasant Twp, and born in Ohio. His wife, Delilah was 30 and born in Ohio, three children: Albert 7, Milton 4, and Sarah 1 all born in Indiana. Daniel’s worth was $8.600 in real estate and $270 personal. For the same year, George Wertenberger was age 72, born in Pennsylvania and worth $2000 real estate and $8000 personal. This census shows Elizabeth was 60 and she too was born in Pennsylvania (this would be a second wife to George as his first wife, Christina, died in 1863).

At the Pleasant Township cemeteries there are 37 listings for Wertenbergers. At the Laketon cemetery the following are found:

Daniel Wertenberger 7-31-1834 to 5-12-1903
M.H. son (Milton) 5-16-1865 to 4-19-1919
Delilah Rhodes, wife 2-5-1841 to 5-121931
George died 8-8-1877 age 78y 2 m 26?d
Christina, w. of George 1-16-1863 aged 69y 9m 15d

Wertenberger History (PDF) Some Wertenberger, Whittenberger and Wattenbarger descendants of John Adam Wuertemberger This gives a terrific historical introduction. North Manchester, Ind.: L.H. Binnie, 1983. Summary: John Adam Wu¨ertemberger immigrated from Germany to Reading, Pennsylvania in the 1750s, and he died after 1782. Descendants lived in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan and elsewhere.

Last Updated on January 18, 2022 by rootie

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