Source: Clarkson W. Weesner, History of Wabash County Indiana (1914), Vol. II, 864-5.

GEORGE W. STRICKLER. The Strickler family, now represented in Chester county by George W. Strickler, was founded in Wabash county nearly eighty years ago, when Henry Strickler entered 160 acres in Chester township and settled down to build a home for his family. He was born March 21, 1804, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a son of Conrad and Elizabeth (Allen) Strickler, and was of distinguished ancestry, his mother being a granddaughter of William Penn. About the year 1825 Henry Strickler married Elizabeth Bricker, also of Pennsylvania, and they became the parents of the following children: John, was born August 20, 1826; Henry, who was born November 21, 1828; Jonas, born November 12, 1830; William, born August 12, 1833; Conrad, born August 28, 1835; Mary, born December 21, 1837; George W., born February 1, 1840; Abraham, born January 18, 1843; and Amos, born August 30, 1846. Of these, John, Henry, Jonas, Conrad, Abraham and Amos are now deceased. In the year 1831 Henry Strickler left his Pennsylvania home and journeyed overland to the then far west of Richland county, Ohio, and four years later came to Indiana, locating 160 acres of land from the Government in Chester township at a time when the Indians still made their homes here and the woods abounded with game. His family followed him during the next year, and all settled down to wrest a living from the wilderness and to found a home, ambitions which were realized after years of strenuous labor. Henry Strickler was a man of energy and ability, fully capable of coping with the difficulties which confronted him in the new country, and at the time of his death was one of the men of substance in his community, where he was honored and esteemed for his ability and integrity. He was a democrat in his political affiliations, and although never a seeker after public office was greatly interest in public affairs of importance. He passed away August 13, 1889, and Mrs. Strickler June 26, 1880, both in the faith of the Methodist church, of which Mr. Strickler had been an active supporter, having built the first church of that denomination in his community.

George W. Strickler, who lives on a tract of six acres and owns eighty more acres in the near vicinity in Chester township, has spent his entire life here and is one of the oldest living native born residents of the township. He was born February 1, 1840, in the house which his father had erected in the woods on first settling here, was given such educational advantages as were offered in the primitive district schools, and grew to manhood as a farmer, a vocation which he early adopted as his life's work. On November 5, 1871, Mr. Strickler founded a home of his own when he was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Wagner, daughter of John and Louisa (Aberdeen) Wagner, natives of Germany. Mrs. Strickler's parents were married in Pleasant township, and both passed away here. During the first three years of their married life, Mr. and Mrs. Strickler lived at the home of her parents, and then located on the farm where they now reside, but after eighteen months went to Mr. Strickler's father's homestead and there remained engaged in operations for twelve years. They then returned to the present home for ten years, then spent twelve years on Mr. Wagner's farm, and in march, 1913, once more came to the Chester township farm, where they expect to spend the remaining years of their lives. They have a comfortable brick home, erected in 1874, while the barn was built two years later, and the other buildings are substantial and conveniently located. The equipment and appliances on the property are of modern manufacture, and Mr. Strickler uses the most approved methods in cultivating his land. He has devoted the greater part of his attention to general farming, but has not neglected stock raising, and has met with well-merited success in raising Poland-China and Chester-White hogs. His reputation as a man of integrity and sound business principles has never been questioned, and as a citizen he has fully discharged his obligations to his community.

Mrs. Stickler is a member of the Lutheran church, in the faith of which her father died May 5, 1871, and her mother February 17, 1912. She has one brother and six sisters, namely: Elizabeth; Anna Maria, who married Gideon Kennedy; and Sarah Ann, Martha, Mary, John and Wilhelmina, all of whom are deceased.