Written by Barry Beattie, great/great Nephew of Rush Stroup.
June 2009
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Rush Stroup (Adam Wesley6, Jacob Cephas5, Danial4, Jacob3,) was born 10 May 1883. Rush died 2 Jun 1930 at age 47. Rush married Ollie (Aunt) Mae Cline 1 May 1918.
Rush Stroup was County Treasurer of Cleveland County, North Carolina for 12 years. During this time, he graduated from Wake Forest Law School and was licensed to practice law in North Carolina. He was forced to close his law practice in 1927 because of poor health. He suffered from rheumatism and a chronic heart problem.
Ollie Mae Cline was born November 1891 and died June 1990 at age 98. Mae grew up on a farm in Lincoln Co., NC. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1911 and entered Davenport College in Lenoir, NC. In 1913, she entered the University of NC at Chapel Hill for post-graduate study in Latin. Then she became a schoolteacher, first in Cherryville, NC and then in a Chatham County [NC] boarding school. She was lady Principal for five years. She met Rush on a trip to Shelby, NC and they were married in 1918.
When Ollie was age 28 and Rush Stroup was age 36 they became the parents of
- Rush Stroup Jr [24 Nov 1919 in Cleveland Co., NC.]
When Ollie was age 31 and Rush Stroup was age 40 they became the parents of
- Margaret Mae Stroup [9 Nov 1923 in Cleveland Co., NC.]
Looking for some investment possibilities, Rush and Mae opened an Eagle's Store in King's Mountain, NC in 1923. This soon turned into a small chain of "five and dime" variety stores. When Rush became a semi-invalid, Mae made the daily business trips to stores in Newton, Lincolnton, Morganton and other towns. Rush died in 1930 in the middle of the nation's worst economic depression leaving Mae to manage the Eagle Store Company. After nearly doubling the number of stores, Mae sold the business in 1936; retaining a large block of stock until 1971.
Having wisely invested the company's profits, Mae was free to travel. She visited almost every state and many foreign countries. A hip injury in 1972 curtailed her traveling.
During her lifetime, Mae Cline Stroup gave unselfishly to help others, especially young people. She is the only woman in the state to serve as a trustee of three colleges; Gardner-Webb [now University] in 1933, Mars Hill College in 1936 and Wake Forest in 1954. Two Dorms, one at Gardner-Webb and one at Mars Hill, are named for her.
In 1942, after hearing of the lack of education in South America, Mae became the sole benefactor of what was to become the Carolina High School and Bible Institute on the Tokentein River in Brazil. Mae paid all building cost and missionary salaries until the school was finally taken over by the Home Mission Board of Brazil in 1949.
At age 95 (1986), Mae lived at 703 W. Warren Street, Shelby, NC
June 2009
*****************************
Rush Stroup (Adam Wesley6, Jacob Cephas5, Danial4, Jacob3,) was born 10 May 1883. Rush died 2 Jun 1930 at age 47. Rush married Ollie (Aunt) Mae Cline 1 May 1918.
Rush Stroup was County Treasurer of Cleveland County, North Carolina for 12 years. During this time, he graduated from Wake Forest Law School and was licensed to practice law in North Carolina. He was forced to close his law practice in 1927 because of poor health. He suffered from rheumatism and a chronic heart problem.
Ollie Mae Cline was born November 1891 and died June 1990 at age 98. Mae grew up on a farm in Lincoln Co., NC. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1911 and entered Davenport College in Lenoir, NC. In 1913, she entered the University of NC at Chapel Hill for post-graduate study in Latin. Then she became a schoolteacher, first in Cherryville, NC and then in a Chatham County [NC] boarding school. She was lady Principal for five years. She met Rush on a trip to Shelby, NC and they were married in 1918.
When Ollie was age 28 and Rush Stroup was age 36 they became the parents of
- Rush Stroup Jr [24 Nov 1919 in Cleveland Co., NC.]
When Ollie was age 31 and Rush Stroup was age 40 they became the parents of
- Margaret Mae Stroup [9 Nov 1923 in Cleveland Co., NC.]
Looking for some investment possibilities, Rush and Mae opened an Eagle's Store in King's Mountain, NC in 1923. This soon turned into a small chain of "five and dime" variety stores. When Rush became a semi-invalid, Mae made the daily business trips to stores in Newton, Lincolnton, Morganton and other towns. Rush died in 1930 in the middle of the nation's worst economic depression leaving Mae to manage the Eagle Store Company. After nearly doubling the number of stores, Mae sold the business in 1936; retaining a large block of stock until 1971.
Having wisely invested the company's profits, Mae was free to travel. She visited almost every state and many foreign countries. A hip injury in 1972 curtailed her traveling.
During her lifetime, Mae Cline Stroup gave unselfishly to help others, especially young people. She is the only woman in the state to serve as a trustee of three colleges; Gardner-Webb [now University] in 1933, Mars Hill College in 1936 and Wake Forest in 1954. Two Dorms, one at Gardner-Webb and one at Mars Hill, are named for her.
In 1942, after hearing of the lack of education in South America, Mae became the sole benefactor of what was to become the Carolina High School and Bible Institute on the Tokentein River in Brazil. Mae paid all building cost and missionary salaries until the school was finally taken over by the Home Mission Board of Brazil in 1949.
At age 95 (1986), Mae lived at 703 W. Warren Street, Shelby, NC
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