Nathan W. Stroup, M.D., was born near Millerstown, Juniata County, Pennsylvania, 13 January 1843, son of Samuel B. Stroup and Sarah [Weller] Stroup. His father, Samuel B. Stroup, was born in Juniata County, where he grew to manhood and became a farmer and blacksmith. In 1876 he removed with his wife and family to South Bend, Indiana, where he now resides. He worked at his trade until within a few years, He is at present visiting his son. His children are: Jane Stroup, wife of Henry Lydick, resides near South Bend; Samuel W. Stroup, farmer, Juniata County, Pennsylvania; Wilson W. Stroup, physician, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ellen Stroup, wife of Irvin Lydick, near South Bend; Louisa Stroup, wife of Daniel Frame, South Bend; John W. Stroup, wagon maker, South Bend; Annie Stroup, wife of Edward Demsey, residing near South Bend, Indiana. Mr. Samuel B. Stroup is a Democrat. When in Juniata County he was a member of the Evangelical church. He will be seventy-five years old and resides with her daughter at South Bend.
Nathan W. Stroup attended the common schools of his native place until he was about eighteen, when he entered the McAllister, Pennsylvania, Academy for one year. He then taught school for two terms in Washington Township, Dauphin County. In 1864 he began to read medicine with his uncle, Dr. John B. Stroup of Elizabethville [and] remained with him for four years and then entered the University of Pennsylvania, where he pursued the course of study and attended lectures in the medical department during the years 1867-68, still reading during vacations with his uncle. He was graduated from the University in March 1868 and at once began the practice of medicine at Elizabethville, where he has since continued and enjoys a large and lucrative practice.
Dr. Stroup is largely interested in real estate. He owns two of the finest farms in Washington Township, one of one hundred and eighty-three acres, the other of one hundred and sixty-seven; and a farm of fifty acres in Jackson Township. He also owns and occupies one of, if not the most imposing residences in Elizabethville. He has a larger practice than any other physician in this part of the county.
Dr. Nathan W. Stroup was first married in Elizabethville, 30 April 1868, to Sally Sausser, a native of Berrysburg, Mifflin Township, daughter of Michael Sausser and Lydia [Moyer] Sausser. They had one son, Michael E. Stroup, born 16 August 1873, [who] is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, and is now studying law under Mr. Stranahan, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Sally Stroup died 5 August 1888. She was a devoted member of the Reformed church and actively interested in all charitable enterprises. She is buried in the Elizabethville Cemetery. Dr. Stroup’s second marriage took place August 1889, in which he was united to Mrs. Susie [Alexandra] Aldrich, widow of Dr. Allerton Aldrich.
The doctor is an independent voter. He served as school director for two terms and is at present a member of the council. For twenty-eight years he has been a member of the Reformed church, and has held various church offices.
Mrs. Stroup, present wife of Dr. Stroup, was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania, 20 October 1852, and is a daughter of Thomas Alexandra and Rebecca [Lewis] Alexandra. She attended the common schools of her native place until she was fourteen years old; she was then further advanced than any of her schoolmates the same age, and was granted a certificate to teach. Her father had ample means, but held the idea then prevalent that while a liberal education is desirable for boys, it is not needed by girls. Hence, he refused to aid his daughter in securing a more thorough education. She resolved to secure this without his assistance, and after receiving her teacher’s certificate she taught school six months and spent the next six months at Meadville Academy, finishing the course of study at that institution in 1866. She then entered the State Normal School at Edinboro, Pennsylvnia, and graduated with first honors. In all she has taught school for twenty-two years with marked ability, having the same uniform success in the University of Ohio that characterized her efforts in the rural districts where she taught seven years. Mrs. Dr. Stroup taught her first school when but fourteen years of age, for $9 per month, and was offered the same school the following winter at $25 per month. Her father laughed at her so much for teaching for $9, that one day she remarked, “Well, father, you will live to see that sum quadrupled,” and it was a prophecy that came true, for she held a position for twelve years for which she received $650 per year.
Miss Alexandra was married, at Meadeville, Pennsylvania, 2 August 1875, to Dr. Allerton Aldrich, son of Judge Thomas Aldrich, of Meadeville, and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. They settled at San Francisco, California, where Dr. Aldrich had previously practiced medicine for four years and where he died in 1887, eighteen months after their marriage. She was left a widow, with a babe six months old, and with no means of support for herself and child, the Doctor having used the profits of his large practice in discharging debts contracted in securing his education. Six weeks after the death of her husband, Mrs. Altrich started for Andover, Ohio, where her sister, Mrs. Hampton Johnson, now deceased, was then residing. The expense of this trip consumed all the money she had and as she did not wish to return to her father’s home, she naturally returned to her old occupation of teaching to procure a support. A new brick academy was then just completed at Andover, and she accepted a situation offered her as teacher in the new building. She retained the position for twelve years. During this time, she graduated from the University of Ada, Ohio, where she taught two years. While at Andover, she was married to Dr. Stroup, August 1889.
Mrs. Stroup’s daughter by her first marriage, Effie Zaletta Aldrich, was born in San Francisco, 1 December 1876. She graduated in the teacher’s course of the State Normal School, at Millersville, Pennsylvania, in 1895, with first honors, and in June, 1896, graduated in the scientific course of the same institution. She is studying German, French, Latin and Greek [and] is receiving thorough training in music and elocution, and will enter Harvard College in the fall of 1897.
Thomas Alexandra, father of Mrs. Dr. Stroup, was born at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1808, and was there educated and grew to manhood. He was married, in Pittsburgh, in 1832, after which he located at Meadville, Pennsylvania. He was a large speculator in farming lands, and was engaged in raising fine blooded stock. He died at Meadville, 10 November 1874. His wife died 18 May 1873. Their children are: Elizabeth Alexandra, Mrs. Hampton Johnson, of Andover, Ohio; Martha Alexandra, Mrs. Reason Bates, State Line, Crawford County, Pennsylvania; May Alexandra, deceased; Mrs. Benjamin Miller, Jamestown, Mercer County, Pennsylvania; Jennie Alexandra, Mrs. Nelson Gallagher, Mercer County, Pennsylvania; Sarah Alexandra, died when three years old; William J. Alexandra, died in infancy; John B. Alexandra, farmer, near Meadville; Samuel Alexandra, died aged three years; William James Alexandra, died when one year old; Susie Alexandra, Mrs. Dr. Stroup; Florence Adela Alexandra, died aged four years.
Mrs. John Alexandra, grandmother of Mrs. Dr. Stroup, was born in Berlin, Germany, and belonged to the aristocracy, being a daughter of one of the wealthy noblemen of that city. Martha Brewer, for that was her name, fell in love with John Alexander, a native of Dublin, Ireland. He was a young man of excellent principles, but was not one of the wealthy nobility. His devotion to the beautiful and wealthy daughter being bitterly opposed, the lovers waited for an opportunity to sail to America. One morning at 4 o’clock a beautiful white steed drew up in front of the mansion, and, after mounting, Barbara [?] bid farewell to mother and home, and, after being married, set sail with her lover for America. They settled at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where they lived for twenty years and amassed a great fortune. They sold their possessions then, and moved to Meadville, Pennsylvania. Their children were: Thomas Alexandra, father of Mrs. Stroup; Mary Alexandra, Mrs. James White, Jamestown, Pennsylvania; Richard Alexandra, died aged twenty-one; Deborah Alexandra, Mrs. Williams, deceased; Martha Alexandra, Mrs. William Betts, resides near Jamestown, Pennsylvania; John Alexandra, farmer at Espenville, Pennsylvania.
Thomas Alexandra, great-grandfather of Mrs. Stroup, located at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was a noted criminal lawyer of that day. He died at an advanced age, about the year 1854.
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The above information was modified/edited from Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, published in 1896 by J. M. Runk and Company of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. A free download is available from the Internet Archive.