Hiram STRONG (Abt 1809-1850)

Rebecca SCRIVNER (Abt 1809-After 1870)

Joseph Stewart BARRY (-Bef 1842)

Sarah Jane KING (Abt 1806-After 1880)

Eli STRONG (1833-1876)

Elizabeth K. BARRY (1839-1873)

Virginia Lee STRONG (1866-1891)

 

Family Links Spouses/Children: George Albert FINLEY Ethel Dixie FINLEY Virginia Lee STRONG 2 3 Born: 19 Oct 1866, Moniteau County, Missouri 4 5 6 Marriage: George Albert FINLEY on 7 Mar 1889 in Vernon County, Missouri 1 Died: 18 Jan 1891, Vernon County, Missouri 5 6 Buried: Richland/Wall Cemetery, Richards, Vernon County, Missouri 5   Birth Notes: This is another instance where other records do not match the entry in the Strong Family Bible. In this case, Virginia's tombstone has the year of birth as 1865 rather than 1866. While the last digit of bible entry is smudged, almost if someone tried to erase it, it sure looks like a 6 rather than a 5 in the original document. But, if the year of birth for her younger sister, Sarah Leilly Strong, was the altered 1867 rather than original 1868, then 1865 is a better fit. Query whether someone thought about altering the bible date in subsequent years to match the tombstone. The only census record we have for Virginia is the 1880 census, in which she was listed as 13. This enumeration occurred on 12 Jun 1880. The census age and enumeration date conforms to the bible year of birth. I have opted to use the unaltered dates for both Virginia and her younger sister, Lillie, both because I believe these entries were made by their mother, who should be the best source, and because they seem to fit the other facts better than the alternative dates.   Death Notes: Per cited source: Wives of George A Finley Jenny L., Oct 19, 1865 - Jan 18, 1891 Loui D., Aug 21, 1871 - Jan 22, 1900 Family records have Jenny dying in 1890, shortly after the birth of her daughter on 26 Dec 1889. I have opted to go with the earlier tombstone record as the best evidence, even though I opted not to use the tombstone year of birth (in that case, I opted to use the earlier bible record).   Noted events in her life were: 1. Census: 1880, Vernon County, Missouri. 7 Dwelling 147, Family 149. Metz Twp Household of Samuel Parker: Strong, Jenie, white, female, age 13, orphan, born in MO [A letter dated 15 Dec 1947 from T. B.Todd, M. D. of Nevada, Missouri, to Virginia's daughter indicates his parents helped rear Virginia and that she became part of his family. The Todds (Joseph D. and Mary A.) lived in Richland Twp, which was where the rest of Virginia's family lived. But, she is not part of their 1880 household. It appears that Jenie was first placed with the Parker family after the death of her parents, and then subsequently became part of the Todd family. It is not known what the connection to the Parker family may have been.] Virginia married George Albert FINLEY on 7 Mar 1889 in Vernon County, Missouri.1 (George Albert FINLEY was born 9 Apr1857 in Whitehall, Greene County, Illinois 6 and died on 2 Nov 1918 in Richards, Vernon County, Missouri 6.)

1 Index to Marriages, 1881-1925, Vernon County, Missouri, FHL Film 960,809, Bk E:172. Virginia is presumed to be the Jennie L. Strong who married George A. Finley in Vernon County, Missouri on 7 Mar 1889 (Bk E:172). The Jennie Strong who married William V. Herrick on 21 Oct 1885 (Bk D:93) was a daughter of Thomas L. Strong, an unrelated line.

2 Strong Family Bible. It would appear the Strong Family Bible may have originally belonged to Eli and Elizabeth Strong, for the births of their children appear to have been entered before the births of the children of J. R. and Polly Strong. This bible may have been the bible that was purchased in 1876 from the Estate of Eli Strong, Dec'd by Sarah Legg, mother of Elizabeth (Barry) Strong and Polly (Legg) Strong, which upon her death probably passed to Polly. Beginning with the birth of Eli and Elizabeth's daughter, Betty, in 1873 (Elizabeth died a week later), the entries appear to have been made by Polly until she died in 1916, at which time the handwriting noticeably changes and thereafter is presumed to be that of Bertha (Strong) Young, Polly's youngest daughter and the possessor of the bible, or at least the Family Record pages, at the time of her death in 1963. It thus appears that before Polly started maintaining the Family Records, the bible only contained entries for the family of Eli and Elizabeth Strong. Once Polly took over, she appears to have added the entries for the J. R. and Polly Strong family. [While Elizabeth's and Polly's handwriting is similar, there are some subtle differences. For example, the "B" in "Born" begins with a loop in the case of the entries for the family of Eli and Elizabeth, while it begins with a straight stroke for the family of J. R. and Polly. Also, the names of J. R. and Polly's children are listed separately in a column on the first page that was originally intended for deaths.] One possible exception to this scenario concerns the marriage information for Eli and Elizabeth - that may have been added by Polly at the same time she added her own marriage information. The handwriting for both marriage entries seems to be identical and it also matches the death entries for Eli and Elizabeth, which were probably made by Polly. Moreover, both marriage entries spell "married" as "maried." The Family Record pages have been removed from the bible, which appears to no longer exist. Originally, these pages immediately followed the end of the Old Testament. It is not known when or by whom the Family Record pages were removed. They may or may not have still been part of the bible when Bertha Dell Young nee Strong died in 1963. After Bertha's death, only the Family Record pages were passed on to her grand-nephew, Robert E. Strong, Jr.

3 Family Records of Sharron Roundtree. Sharron is great great granddaughter of Eli Strong as follows: Eli Strong > Virginia Lee (Strong) Finley > Ethel Dixie (Finley) Sanford > Virginia Emily (Sanford) Collins > Sharron (Collins) Roundtree. Those interested in the family of Eli and Elizabeth (Barry) Strong are encouraged to contact Sharry. She provided invaluable information to this author as he tried to sort out what happened to Eli's descendants. She has many original letters written by her grandmother and many original family photos collected by her grandmother. Many of these involve her cousins, including the author's grandfather and grandaunts. Sharry's e-mail address is otrees@zirkel.us. Her postal address is P O Box 776114, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477. Her telephone number is 970-870-1004.

4 Strong Family Bible.

5 Charles L. Bernard, Cemetery Directory of Vernon County, Missouri (Vernon County Historical Society, 1979).

6 Family Records of Sharron Roundtree.

7 1880 Census, Vernon County, Missouri, Roll T9_739, Page 435, E. D. 311 (Ancestry.com Census Image 15 of 28).