John Shields Strike was born October 3, 1856 in Corinth Township to Matthew S. Strike and Sarah H. Milligan. Matthew was an early pioneer of the county, served as Williamson County Circuit Clerk for four years and was a Civil War veteran.
22 year old John married 19 year old Jane C. Stewart on July 2, 1878. She was the daughter of James H. Stewart and Margaret Consley Louden. Both of them were listed as being from Northern Precinct which today is Corinth Township.
By the 1900 federal census, John and Jane were living in Marion and John was working as a carpenter. They owned their own home, free of mortgage and had two children, James 18 and Flora aged 8. A question on the census records that the couple had birthed two children and both were living.
In 1902, John served as Marion city alderman under Mayor William H. Bundy, in 1903 and 1906 under Mayor Charles H. Denison and again in 1907 under Mayor J.C. Mitchell. While serving as alderman under Charles Denison in 1906, the city passed Ordinance 60, which allowed for the planning and building of a city library, later to become Marion Carnegie Library.
The 1907 Marion Street Directory indicated that John, a carpenter/contractor, and his wife were then living at 1202 N. State Street.
By the time the 1910 census was taken, the Strike family had moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota where 54 year old John worked as a journeyman carpenter. The couple had with them at the time, 18 year old daughter Flora and their 28 year old son James who was working as a painter. With them were James’ wife Adda, 29, and their children Clifford, aged 7 and Jennie, aged 3.
The move to South Dakota appears to have been brief because by 1916, John served as Marion city alderman again for the fifth time under Mayor D.D. Hartwell.
When the 1920 census rolled around, John had reached the age of 63 and he and Jane were living at 208 E. Jackson Street. Their daughter Flora, aged 27, was still living with them and working as a stenographer in a local law office.
Street directories indicate that the Strikes lived at 303 N. Buchanan St. in 1922 and were at 604 N. Otis St. in 1923. John worked for the city during this period of time as a commissioner of Public Property and served on the Board of Local Improvements for the City of Marion through at least 1925 and 1926. The early commissioner jobs were not elected city council jobs as we know them today but city positions that were hired.
Around 1928 or 1929, the Strikes retired to Orlando, Florida which is where they were found in the 1930 federal census living at 411 Sunby Ave. At this time, John was 72 years old and Jane was 68. They still had their 38 year old daughter Flora living with them and she was working as a stenographer at an insecticide company. John had no occupation listed and reported no income for the year.
When the 1940 census was taken, John was 83 and Jane 80, both still retired in Orlando, Fl. at 1713 Garvin St. Both John and Jane indicated on the census that both of their levels of education were to the 8th grade, fairly typical for their generation attending rural schools only. Their daughter Flora is still living with them at age 48 and working at the same job and company as a stenographer.
On March 19, 1941, John S. Strike passed away at their home in Orlando followed only a year later on April 17, 1942 by his wife Jane. Both were interred in Greenwood Cemetery, Orlando, Florida.
Notes on Children:
James Matthew Strike, born Sept. 16, 1881, died Sept. 8, 1955 in Clearwater, Florida, buried in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford, Connecticut
Flora Jane Strike, born 1891, died July 3, 1964 in Chattahoochee, Florida, interred in Greenwood Cemetery, Orlando, Florida
(Sources: Federal Census records, Williamson County Marriage Records, FindaGrave.com, Marion Street Directories, Lions Club 1926 book, The Leader newspaper. Compiled by Sam Lattuca on 9/21/2023)