Alexis, Gaston County, North Carolina
August 2013.
2013 marks the fiftieth (50th) year anniversary of raising the Jacob Stroup Marker. This beautiful, elaborately engraved granite monument, was erected at a cost of $440.84 in 1963 by the local descendants of Johann “Jacob” Straub, later Stroup. Jacob immigrated as a child with his parents, Johann Pieter & Barbara Straub, and his siblings in 1733 from the Kingdom of Württemberg (now Germany).
Standing over 8 feet high and weighing in excess of several tons, the monument is located just west of the crossroads, Alexis, Gaston County, North Carolina - very near the original Stroup settlement, circa 1770.
The monument's formal dedication occurred in 1963 at the Stroup Family Reunion. The stone was interred in memory of Jacob, his wife Nancy Hambright Stroup and twelve of their children, early settlers of Tryon, later Lincoln, and now Gaston County, North Carolina. It is inscribed:
IN MEMORY OF
JACOB STROUP
1732* - 1804
AND WIFE
NANCY
(NATIVES OF GERMANY)
CHILDREN
Adam Barbara [Dellinger]
Betsy [Unmarried] Elizabeth [Unmarried]
Fanny [Eckert] Hannah [Posten]
Mary [Reel] George
Philip John
Michael Daniel
Erected 1963
Arthur L. Stroup, Sec & Treas
* Johann Jacob Straub (Stroup) was actually born 7 January 1722, rather than 1732. Source: Birth Records, Evangelische Kirchengemeinde, Großgartach,
Baden-Württemberg, Germany. 2011
Arthur Little Stroup [1891-1971] of Stanley, North Carolina was Secretary/Treasurer of the Reunion group during the late 1950s when the idea of a memorial was first introduced to family members. Nearly 200 years had passed since the Stroup's had migrated from Pennsylvania and settled in the southern Piedmont area of North Carolina.
Arthur Stroup's love of family and rich family history was key to igniting a spark of interest, later a "Stroup Determination" that a large granite marker, one that will endure for all time, would be erected.
From our family history archives and transcribed from letter sent to Ethel Stroupe [Vochko] in 1985 by Mr. Nard Cloninger of Gaston County: "Arthur L. Stroup was my “favorite Stroup.” He was real smart but acted like a nut. He was one of the two strongest men I ever knew --- the other being Will Mathis from up around Rutherford [County, NC], who farmed with oxen in the 1930’s. Will and Arthur used to pick up a Model T Ford by the front bumper, the heavy end and push [it] around like a wheelbarrow. Arthur and another one of his best friends and were caught in the 1960’s making whiskey. Arthur was still living at the old John W. Stroup home place. I’ll never forget either one of them. Arthur was a good worker in the American Legion also.”
CONTRIBUTORS TO PURCHASE THE MONUMENT
1960-1963 (Penned by Arthur L. Stroup)
As evidenced by Mr. Stroup's accounting log [below], most of the contributions were $1.00, $2.00 ... several larger in amount. The total cash was raised over roughly 3 years. At least one of the contributors, Mrs. Craig [Margaret Alvah Stroupe] Stroupe of Morganton NC, survives today, is an impassioned family historian and attends our Reunion each year!
C.D. Stroup, 374 East Water Street, Lincolnton NC, $50.00
Arthur L. Stroup, Stanley NC, $50.00
_ W. Cloninger, $5.00
Arthur B[oyd] Stroup, Waco NC, $25.00
Sallie C. Stroup, Cherryville NC, R.2, $2.00
Guy A Hovis, Stanley NC, $1.00
Mrs. Forrest Allen (Eunice Jane Stroup), Bessemer City, $1.00
Ernest L. Stroup, Bessemer City NC #1, $2.00
Thamer Stroupe, Bessemer City NC #2, $1.00
James C. Stroupe, $1.00
J. W. Stroupe, $1.00
Clara Adelle Stroupe, Rt 2, Bessemer City NC, $1.00
Mrs. Lorene Stroupe Bass, Rt 2, Bessemer City NC, $1.00
Mr. and Mrs. Fred F. Stroupe, Cherryville, $1.00
Mrs. Grace Stroupe Kiser, $5.00
Ben R. Stroupe, 426 Pickens Street, Rock Hill, SC, $10.00
Ben F. Stroup, 2301 Lowell Road, Gastonia NC, $5.00
Dave S. Rhyne, 1804 Country Club Road, Gastonia NC, $5.00
Mary Stroup Williams, Blacksburg SC, $1.00
6/11/1961
John & Maude Stroup Breidenthal, Stanley NC, $5.00
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Moore and Family, Stanley NC, $3.00
M.A. Stroup Jr., MD, Gastonia NC, $5.00
Paul Hunter Stroup, North Main Street, Newton NC, $5.00
Stanley Earl Roper (D.C. Stroup), $4.00
__ Garrison, $5.00
Frank & Elizabeth Stroup Putnam, Cherryville, $1.00
E.M. Allen, Mount Holly NC, $1.00
W.R. Rhyne, Gastonia NC, $1.00
Wilson Rhyne, Stanley, Box 94, $1.00
Frederick Henry Rhyne, Maiden NC, $1.00
E. C. Rhyne, Dallas NC, $1.00
Marshall Dellinger, $1.00
L. L. Stroupe, $2.00
Charles Rhyne, $1.00
W.E. Stroupe Jr., Alexis NC, $10.00
T.W. Garrison, Alexis NC, $1.00
Ethel Richardson, $10.00
8/4/1962
Treasury Funds, $472.00
Mrs. Craig Stroupe, 123 Stevens Drive, Morganton NC, $1.00
Murle (?) Stroup Breidenthal, $2.00
Mrs. Alva Stroup, $10.00
Mrs. Henry Smith, 2876-A Rockland Pl, Lynchburg VA, $2.00
Mrs. Hilbreth Sherrer, Kings Mtn NC, $1.00
Mrs. Grace Rutledge, Dallas NC, $1.00
Mrs. George Quesada, 4616 Dallas Dr, Fort Worth Texas, $1.00
Mrs. Jane Stroupe Recinos, 2530 Indpndnce Ave, NY, $5.00
Lee Stroup, Alexis NC, $10.00
Mrs. Loy Cloninger (Lanie Stroup), Clover SC, $5.00
Mrs. Mason (Lillie Stroup) Smith, R-1- Pineville
NC, $1.00
A. U. Stroupe, Mount Holly, NC, $100.00
_ R. Brittain, Stanley NC, $1.00
Louis Presswood, Alexis NC, $1.00
Floyd T Stroupe, Monroe NC, $1.00
Mrs. S. F. Stroupe, Bessemer City NC, $1.00
Attorney John C. Stroupe, Hickory NC, $10.00
Mrs. Carl Stroupe, Route 3, Lincolnton NC, $2.00
Jim & L. F. Plonk, $5.00
Cash, $1.00
Henry Wesley Stroupe, Dallas [NC] Barber Shop, $2.00
Fred L. Payne, Box 654, Alexis NC, $5.00
Lee Hansee, Rt 1, Mount Holly NC, $1.00
Jim Murphy, Rt 1, Stanley, $1.00
Jack C. Moore, $5.00
L. A. McClure, Alexis NC, $5.00
R. L. Payne, Rt 1, Dallas NC, $1.00
B. J. Matthews, Rt 1, Stanley NC, $1.00
Gannon Smith, Rt 1, Dallas NC, $1.00
J. E. Wiley, Jr., $5.00
Mrs. Paul Shook, $5.00
David Stroupe, $1.00
Horace McGinnis, $1.00
Paul H. Stroup, Newton NC, $1.00
Mrs. John W. Stroupe, Gastonia NC, $5.00
Mrs. Mary Stroupe Abernathy, Alexis NC, $10.00
Mrs. John O Smith, Route Rt 1, Iron Station NC, $1.00
Steve Stroup, 406 Pine Avenue, Cherryville NC, $1.00
Eugene R. Stroup, 3500 8th Street South,
Arlington VA, $2.00
_____ Stroup __________, $1.00
Vance _________________ , $1.00
John W. Stroupe, Webb Street, Gastonia NC, $5.00
Again, the monument can be found on the High Shoals / Alexis Highway (south side of the roadway), and just west of the intersection with NC Highway 27. About 10 miles south of Lincolnton and within 20 miles of US 321 in North Carolina.
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