6/27/1900 Humboldt, Coles Co, IL, was his residence at census timebein g listed at 27 years of age, married 3 years to Vina S with 2children, b oth living: Sylvester, 3 and Aaron W, 1. Also livingthere was his 51 y ear old widowed mother-in-law, although she wasalso counted with anoth er daughter that year so perhaps she rotatedbetween the two. William w as a farm laborer, all the neighbors wereeither farmers or farm labore rs as well.
4/16/1910 Lafayette Twp, Coles Co, IL. Having moved south before then ext census, William was 37, Vina A, was 29. Their farmily had grownto i nclude: Sylvester, 13, Aaron W, 11, Lily J, 9, John R, 6,Charles R, 4 , Glen Edward, 2, and Oscar Joseph, 4 mo. The couple hadbeen married 1 5 years, all seven of their children were still living.William was emp loyed as farmer of a general farm. William's parentswere born in Ger many and OH respectively. On the next page was mostlikely William's b rother Oliver Strong, 51, with parents born inGermany & OH.
Descendants said William was killed in the famous tornado thatdevastat ed the northwest end of Mattoon. William put the family intothe cella r, but was then killed by a flying branch which pierced hisheart.
