M.F. Strock, aged veteran of the Civil War, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Amos Propst, 801 East Illinois street at 10:30 p.m. Monday, March 7. He was 97 years of age. Mr. Strock had always been unusually active for one of his advanced years but for several months his health had been steadily failing.
Mr. Strock was born January 18, 1835 in Mahoning county, Ohio. He was married February 19, 1857 to Airy E. Kelley who died April 22, 1875. Five years later on November 30, 1880 he maried Cora Ridge who died January 9, 1904. On June 2, 1906 he was married to Mrs. D.E. Brubaker who preceded him in death April 27, 1929.
He is survived by five children: W.L. Strock, Brashear; Mrs. Mary Propst, Kirksville; Mrs. Emma J. Sees, Brashear; L.C. Strock, Newark, Mo., and Mrs. R.A. Crow, Colorado Springs, Colo. There are 24 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Mr. Strock was a member of the 16th Ohio Infantry Company B. Four of his brothers served with him in the Union Army. He was engaged in 22 battles and grazed by bullets seven times but never wounded. He was a prisoner of the rebels for 76 days. He was mustered out of the army at Camp Chase, Ohio after three and one-half years of service. Later he moved his family to Missouri settling on a farm near Brashear.
He was station agent at the Brashear depot for several years and servd as Collector of Adair county for one term. He helped build the U.B. Church at Brashear in 1873 and was an active worker in the church of which he was a member.
Brief services were held at the Propst home Wednesday afternon after which the body was taken to the U.B. Church at Brashear for services. Burial was made in the Brashear cemetery