From Dennis Krebs, Penn Valley, CA [Grand-nephew of John E. Strouss] Obituary for John E. Strouss: The Walnut Leader Walnut, Illinois Friday, March 16, 1951 Page 1 John E. Strouss Of Tampico, Dies At Amboy Hospital John Edward Strouss, 76, barber in Tampico for nearly fifty years, died at about 10:00 Sunday night, March 11, 1951, in the Amboy Public hospital. In failing health for the past five months, he had been a patient in the Amboy hospital since February 1st, following hospitalization the previous two weeks in Sterling and Rochester, Minn. Born December 23, 1874, near Fisher, Champaign county, Ill., a son of John and Mary Campbell Strouss, he grew to young manhood on a farm there. When he was twenty, the family moved to a farm in Hamilton Township, Lee County and he continued in the vocation of farming for several years, then learned the barber trade. He established a shop in Tampico in April, 1900, and operated it continuously until early in January, 1951, with the exception of two years during which he operated a shop in Crystal Lake, Ill. Mr. Strouss was married to Miss Amy L. Ewer on February 12, 1901, at the home of her parents on a farm in Lee County, north of Walnut. Surviving are his widow; on son, Gene, and a granddaughter, Beverly, both of Amboy; two brothers, A. G. Strouss of Mishawaka, Ind., and L. E. Strouss, Earlville; one sister, Mrs. V. J. (Cassie) McDougall, of Arlington Heights. He was preceded in death by one son, Kenneth, one daughter, Gwendolyn; his parents; two sisters and four brothers. With passing of Mr. Strouss, Tampico lost one of its most highly respected and best loved citizens. In point of years in business he was Tampico's oldest business man. His outstanding characteristic was his friendliness to those of all ages and in return everyone became his friend, as shown by their solicitude during his illness. It can truly be said of Mr. Strouss that "he lived in a house by the side of the road and was a friend to man." Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Frank Peterson at the Parent chapel Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock. Burial was in the Tampico Memorial cemetery with Richard Kelly, Dyson Kepner, J. E. Cain, Vernon Newman, W. Furry and Glenn Glassburn serving as pallbearers.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM MR. KREBS:

John, his wife and two of his children are buried in the Tampico Memorial Cemetery. His son, Gene, who I believe was the only child to live to adulthood was either the editor or publisher of the Amboy News. Gene passed away in January 1980.

The photo I have of John in his shop also shows two other barbers standing there. You may be able to find out who they are from some of the older residents of Tampico. Somewhere, I have an article from The Tampico Tornado that mentions that a Mr. Wolf had joined John as a barber at his shop. My aunt (Alene Strouss), a neice to John, once told me she thought his shop may have been located on the lower level of one of the brick structures across the street from Dutch's Diner. I'm not sure of that though.

John is in the center