John Stroup, his grandfather, was born in Germany, came to America before the Revolution, and was at that time a single man.  He served eight years in the patriot army; and at Charleston, S.C., during the siege, while dipping loose powder to load a cannon, the magazine expoded and blew him a distance of one hundred yards.  He was badly mangled, but finally recovered.  He was an early settler of Ross county, Ohio, and a farmer.

Jacob Stroup, father of our subject, was born in Ross county, Ohio, was married there and thence moved to Madison county, Ohio, remained there a number of years, and then came to Indiana and settled in Clinton county, in 1848, on the farm where his son John now resides, and which comprised 240 acres.  He and wife were members of the first Methodist church organized in the neighborbood, of which he was a charter member and class leader.  In politics he was a democrat, and held the office of township trustee.  He married Naomi Debington, daughter of Patrick and Catherine Debington, who were of Scotch-Irish descent, and to this union were born the following children:  Sarah A., Reuben, Levina, Mary, Lemuel H., Naomi, Jacob, Catherine, John, Nancy, and Elizabeth, all of whom lived to marry and have families.

Jacob Stroup, the subject proper of this sketch, received as good an education as the schools of his neighborhood afforded, and this he has supplemented with self-culture and a wide range of historical reading.  He has a model farm of 320 acres, with modern residence and substantial outbuilding, and here makes a specialty of thoroughbred sheep.

Mr. Stroup enlisted, February 14, 1864, in company C, Fifty- eighth Indiana volunteer infantry, and was assigned to the army of the Cumberland.  He was in the campaigns of Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia; was in the battle of Kingston, N.C., in the famous march to the sea, and on detached service in repairing railways in North and South Carolina, skirmishing every day; he was also in the battles of Bentonville, Smithville and Raleigh.  At one time, when sent out with 125 men to forage, the little party was surrounded by a superior force and nearly captured, and here a bullet passed through a small tree behind which he was standing and filled his eyes with bits of bark.  He received  an honorable discharge July 25, 1865, and now draws a pension of eight dollars monthly.  He is senior vice-command of Joe Hooker post, NO. 97, G.A.R., and is universally esteemed.

Mr. Stroup married Miss Elizabeth Burget, daughter of William and Lydia (Keefer) Burget, and the union was made happy by the birth of one child, Margaret.  Mrs. Stroup died July, 1863, a member of the Methodist church; seven years later Mr. Stroup married Margaret Deford, of French descent, and daughter of Edgar and Julia (Ransipher) Deford, and to this union have been born the following children:  Oliver, Alta, Ora, Bertha, Orpha B., James C., John, Zonie, and Chloe.  Mr. Stroup is a republican, and he and family are highly respected in the neighborhood and throughout the township.

Family Group Sheet of Jacob STROUP & Naomi DEBINGTON

Family Group Sheet of John STROUP & Mary STEELY