• The African-American Strange family in Virginia and Warren County, Ohio
• Civil War Service records for Reuben Strange and William Strange

Mary Srange

Mary Strange, a daughter of Reuben Strange, of Rochester, died on last Sunday. She is the fourth member of the family that has died since February last, all of consumption.

Source: The Western Star 18 Apr 1878 [copy obtained from obituary collection at the Warren County Genealogical Society]

Reuben Strange

LEBANON GAZETTE.
COUNTY NEWS
Collected By the Gazette's Corres
pondents and Brought
Down to Date.

Roachester.
Roachester, July 27, 1889. - Reuben
Strange, an old and much esteemed col-
ored man, was buried here last Monday.
There was a large attendance at the fu-
neral. The services were conducted by
G. A. R. Post of Morrow. Rev. Mr.
Dudley preached the funeral sermon.
There were also present Rev. Mr.
Stewart, of the M. E. church, and Rev.
Mr. Beasley of the Baptist church, of
Wilmington. Mr. Strange was an old
soldier, had served his country in the
hour of its peril with honor and patriot-
ism. He leaves behind him many
friends.

Source: August 1, 1887 Lebanon Gazette [copy obtained from obituary collection at the Warren County Genealogical Society]

William Strange

The people of this vicinity were very suddenly shocked, on last Wednesday, by the news of the death of Mr. William Strange, of Piqua, son of one of our most prominent colored citizens, Mr. Reuben Strange. He died at his home Tuesday morning, March the 30th, at 3 o’clock, lacking one month and fourteen days of being forty-one years of age. His remains were brought to this place on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday, April the 1st, at 2 o’clock p. m., his funeral services were conducted by Mr. Nathan Stuart, of Wilmington, after which they were interred in the Quaker graveyard at this place. He leaves a wife and one child, together with a host of friends to mourn his loss.

Tone to a land beyond the river –
Gathered with those at the Mercy Seat;
Singing the songs of the bountiful Giver,
Sweetly resting at Jesus’ feet.

Daisy.

Source: The Lebanon Gazette, April 14, 1886 [copy obtained from obituary collection at the Warren County Genealogical Society]

Thank you again for finding and posting additional obituaries for members of the Strange family in Ohio. It had occurred to me that some infectious disease was responsible for the deaths of several of Reuben's children who died within a few weeks or months. Now I know that it was "consumption" or tuberculosis.

Thanks to Mr. Mr. Darren Waters, I recently received digital images of the graves of Reuben Strange and his son William Strange in the Old Quaker Cemetery at Roachester. Both have GAR markers with their gravestones.

Although I'm not yet able to connect all the dots, I believe that the family in Ohio is related to my ancestors who moved from northern Virginia to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania around 1878. In the census 1860-1930 I have found other probably related families in Pennsylvania (Carlisle, Dickinson, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh). Their common ancestor or relative is probably a former slave named Reuben Strange who was freed in 1817 in Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia. These families probably are related also to Jacklin Strange, a Methodist (AME) minister and community leader who was born in Frederick County, Virginia. I have found the names Reuben, Richard, William, and Jacklin repeated for several generations in Virginia and Pennsylvania African-American families with Strange surname.