The full biographical sketch as printed, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.
WILLIAM H. STRAW.
Preble county has been fortunate in the number and character of its farmers, and very much of the prosperity of the county can be attributed to the fact that its farmers have kept abreast of the times. It can hardly be questioned that the farmer is an index to the civilization of the community. If the farmers are progressive and up to date, it follows naturally that the standard of living in that community will be high. Thousands of banks have been organized within the last few years in order to supply the needs of the farmer. The farmer and his stock furnishes most of the money for most of the smaller banks throughout the United States. The wholesome living, which is the good fortune of the farmers, is a big factor in main- taining the general tone of a county. Preble county has long been known as one of the best farming counties of Ohio, and among the excellent farmers
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of this county William H. Straw, now living retired at 114 South Maple . street, Eaton, Ohio, deserved a place in the foremost ranks.
William H. Straw was born April 6, 1840, in Preble county, Ohio, the son of Peter and Mariah (Huffman) Straw, both natives of Germany, who were married in Preble county and were extremely successful as farmers. Peter Straw was quite well-to-do, having, with the aid of his good wife, made the entire competence which he possessed at the time of his death in 1874. His wife died in 1880. Peter Straw and wife were the parents of seven children, four of whom are living: William H. ; Joseph; George W., and Sarah, who is the wife of Robert Appleby.
William H. Straw was reared on a farm in Preble county, Ohio. His education was somewhat neglected. Early in life he worked in a slaughter house, but quit this work for farming after his marriage at the age of twen- ty-one. When he married he had absolutely nothing but a strong body and a willing mind, dominated by a determination to do well those things which his hand found to do. He began life as a renter of a small farm, and, with the constant and encouraging aid of his good wife, prospered from the very beginning of his farming venture. He presently was able to buy an excel- lent farm of one hundred and one acres, to which he later added one hun- dred and six acres and later a strip of forty-seven acres, having had, at the time he sold his place and retired from the active life of the farm, an ad- mirable farm of two hundred and fifty-four* acres, -all of which he had brought to an excellent state of cultivation and which he had improved ac- cording to the most approved methods of modem agriculture. Mr. and Mrs. Straw attribute their success in life to their habits of thrift and frugality, in which they became so well grounded during the days of their early strug- gles for a foothold, and it is highly fitting that the lesson of their lives should be set out here in the history of the county in which this success was achieved.
Mr. Straw was married October 10, 1861, to Melvina Stetler, the daugh- ter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Marona) Stetler, the former a native of Penn- sylvania and the latter a native of Delaware, who came to Preble county, Ohio, from their native states, their daughter, Melvina, being bom in Wash- ington township, January 23, 1840. She was reared on the farm and edu- cated in the common schools. To William H. and Melvina (Stetler) Straw were born two children, Alice and Florence, the latter of whom married John W. Horine and had one daughter, Pauline, and died at the age of thirty-seven. Alice, the wife of Leonard Spacht, lives in Washington town- ship.
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Mrs. Straw is a member of the Lutheran church. Mr. Straw is a mem- ber of Eaton Lodge No. 30, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Politi- cally, he is a Republican. Few men living in Eaton are more highly re- spected than William H. Straw, and very few have contributed more to the substantial wellbeing of the community in which he lives.
Source: Biographical Record of Preble County, Ohio. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.
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