Alfred Strange

STRANGE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/18/2010 at 21:20:16

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Alfred Strange
By Rex Hatfield

The Stranges were an enterprising family. Walter was the first to immigrate to the United States from England. He came over in 1872, arriving in New York City and then moving on to Chicago and lastly to Des Moines. He wrote home to his parents to bring the rest of the family because of success he was sure they could all enjoy. In 1875 Alfred Strange arrived in Des Moines with his family, where they remained for only one year before moving on to Sioux City in 1876. Here the three brothers, Joseph, born November 13, 1849; Walter, born in 1852; and Fred W, born June 13, 1857, all in Luton, England; established the Strange Brothers Hide Company. Each brother served as president for several years. Walter was the first, then Joseph and Fred. Joseph had previously managed the firm’s Chicago office, and Fred had worked out on the road, buying and selling hides as well as wool. The two sisters, Lucy Sarah, born 1855; and Mary, born 1861; had also worked in the office in Sioux City.

The mother of them all, Sarah Strange nee Cook, was the first to pass away. She died November 26, 1888, in Sioux City, where they all died. Her husband, Alfred, was the next to go. He died January 31, 1907. Mary, who had married a man named Shipley, died in 1910. Lucy married a man by the name of Broch, and she died in 1916. Walter died February 9, 1911, unmarried.

Joseph married Anna Dawe on September 4, 1904. They had Charles Cook Strange, and he married, and had one daughter, Harriet, by his wife Eunice. Joseph died February 13, 1932, and Anna died March 29, 1949. Charles died January 13, 1935 and Eunice Strange nee Perrin died September 3, 1950. Their son, Charles C, Jr died in infancy.

Fred married Evelyn Marie Perrin, daughter of George W and Harriet Jane (Hunter) on April 14, 1898, in Mapleton. They had four children, Frederick W, born 1899; Keith Eugene, born September 7, 1900; Beatty, and Faith. Fred, Jr married Mildred McVicker, and they have one daughter, Beatrice Joy. Beatty married Harry Houghton. They lived in Des Moines for a time, then they moved to California, where they now reside. Faith married Paul Welding, and they have two children, Richard and Marilyn. Dick is married and has five children, Wendy, Wade, Chad, Matt and Mark by his wife, Leafa. Marilyn is now Marilyn Brown and is raising her infant son.

Keith married Victorine Jesse Williams died May 29, 1962, in Topeka, Kansas. She is the daughter of Dr Charles Lafayette and Nellie (Clegg) Williams. They have two daughters, Kathryn Langley, born July 6, 1927; and Susan Williams, born June 12, 1902. Kathryn married Norman Hobson Pike, son of Robert R and Ida (Hobson) Pike. They have one son, Laurence Keith, born February 24, 1962, in Newton, Iowa. Susan married Robert E Hatfield, son of Rex Henderson and Ruth (Willoughby) Hatfield on August 16, 1958. They have two children, Heidi Kathryn, born March 13, 1959; and Rex Perrin, born July 23, 1962, both in Sioux City. Heidi married Stephan Albert Fagerquist, son of Harry Walter and Carole Alice (Clifford) Fagerquist on May 15, 1982 in Jacksonville, Florida. They currently live in Gaeta, Italy. Sue got her doctorate in psychology in 1976. Her father, Keith, was a well respected man, who taught his grandchildren about nature and the job of living. Sadly he passed away on May 3, 1972.

The Strange family is now just a name to be honored, respected, and unfortunately forgotten since it has no more male bearers.