Dr. Charles E. Stroud, Dentist

According to his obituary in the 1929 OBITUARY NOTEBOOK, in the genealogical collection of the Sandusky Library, Dr. Charles Edwin Stroud was born on March 11, 1859 in Palmyra, New York, to Dr. Charles Taylor Stroud and Lucy Fidelia Allen Stroud. The elder Dr. Stroud was also a dentist. Dr. Stroud came with his parents to Sandusky when he was a boy of six. Dr. Charles Edwin Stroud had practiced dentistry in Sandusky for almost fifty years, before retiring in May of 1929, to accept a position at the Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Home.

Dr. Stroud was one of the area's best known citizens. He was in command of Company B during the Spanish American War, and was acting major of the Second Battalion for five months. He served on the School Board, Erie County Board of Visitors, was a past master of Perseverance Lodge No. 328, and he served on the Board of the Erie County Children's Home and was chairman of the Erie County Chapter of the American Red Cross in 1917. The first Boy Scout troop in Sandusky was organized by Dr. Stroud. Dr. Stroud was considered an authority on Indian relics, and sang with the Sandusky Male Quartet for many years.

On October 7, 1929, Dr. Charles E. Stroud died at as home on Dewitt Avenue, Perkins Township, after a lengthy illness. He was survived by his wife, the former Jennie Davis, and two sons, Ira Stroud and Edgar Stroud. Funeral services for Dr. Stroud were held at Grace Episcopal Church on October 9. Members of the Boy Scouts served as guards of honor. Dr. Charles E. Stroud was buried in the family lot at Oakland Cemetery. The symbol of the cross and crown on his tombstone symbolizes the sovereignty of the Lord. The writer of Dr. Stroud's obituary stated that he was "a familiar figure on the streets of Sandusky. He was of a happy, optimistic disposition and he made and retained hundreds of friendships during his long, active, and useful life."

A photograph of Dr. Charles E. Stroud and a Sandusky Boy Scout troop can be seen at the Sandusky History web site. In 1911, area Boy Scouts helped to place wreaths on the graves of Veterans for a Memorial Day celebration, under the leadership of Dr. Stroud.