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Struble, William

WILLIAM STRUBLE was born in Brookfield Township, Trumbull County, Ohio June 16th 1814. At 14 years of age he learned the shoemakers trade which occupation he followed for several years. On August 20th 1835 he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Dickson: from which union there were ten children; eight of whom grew to man and womanhood. He came to the Maumee Valley in the full of 1846 at which time the struggle of his pioneer life began, he settled in the woods of what was then Henry County, soon South York Fulton County where he cleared and put under cultivation the farm on which he lived many years. With other pioneers he endured privations and hardships which would appall the hearts of the young men of today. With a large family and with no other income but from his daily labor, it required a heroic struggle to provide the necessaries of life. He often referred to the darkest days of his pioneer life when for two years himself and family prostrated the greater part of the time with that very coin man desires of early days – fever and ague but by patience, determination and hard work the obstacles were one by one overcome.
He built and operated an ashery and made pearl ash which lightened the burden of debt in a very marked degree. While he could not be counted among the wealthy he acquired a competency which enabled him to live at ease when the infirmities of old age began to settle upon him.
He was for many years previous to his death a member of the United Brethren Church; he served the township two or three terms as trustee. In 1881 he rented his farm to his son and moved to Wauseon where he lived until the death of his wife which occurred December 26th 1889. He spent one year with his son at the farm; returning at the end of that time to Wauseon where the last three years of his life was spent with another son.
Sometime previous to his death he realized that his life work was over and often expressed a desire to join the companion who had shared his joys and sorrows for more than fifty years.
He bore his sufferings with Christian patience and seemed only waiting for the summons which came December 24th 1893.
“He was waiting for the morning of that blessed day to dawn
when the sadness and the sorrow of this fearful life were gone.
He was waiting, worn and weary, with the battle and the strife,
hoping when the war was ended to receive a crown of life.
Watching, hoping, and trusting, ever for a home of boundless love,
Spike a pilgrim looking forward to the land of life above.”
By R.C. Skeels


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