Greenbrier County, West Virginia Biography of THE SYDENSTRICKER FAMILY. This biography was submitted by Sandy Spradling, E-mail address: This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm History of Greenbrier County J. R. Cole Lewisburg, WV 1917 p. 240-242 THE SYDENSTRICKER FAMILY. (By Rev. C. Sydenstricker.) So far as my information goes, the ancestors of our family came from Bavaria (Germany) about the middle of the eighteenth century. They first settled in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. It was from that State that Philip Sydenstricker, my great-grandfather enlisted as a soldier for the cause of independence in the American Revolution. He was captured by the British at Fort Washington and held many months as a prisoner. I do not know how many members of the family came to America, but one brother, Boston Sydenstricker, a cripple, settled in Greenbrier county, Virginia. After the independence of the United States was secured, Philip Sydenstricker emigrated to Virginia and settled in Greenbrier county, three miles south of Lewisburg. The old home is now the property of George Davis. Philip Sydenstricker reared a large family at the old homestead. The five sons were Henry, David, John, Philip and Jacob, and there were some daughters. One daughter married Michael Fleshman. Henry, the eldest son, married a Miss Fleshman and settled in the Anthony's Creek section of G?eenbrier. His sons were Michael, Lewis, Samuel, Henry and James. He had one daughter, Katy, who did not marry. He lived to an extreme old age and died at his home on Anthony's creek. David Sydenstricker, my grandfather, married Elizabeth Ar-gabright, the eldest daughter of Jacob and Mary Shatel Argabright. Andrew Sydenstricker, my father, was the only child from this union. David Sydenstricker was called for service in the War of 1812 but the declaration of peace relieved him. Philip Sydenstricker, Jr., founded his home near the road that leads from Lewisburg to Ronceverte, hut later migrated to Saline county, Missouri, when the Western migration spirit seized him. In those days that was "The Far West." John Sydenstricker, known as Major, was married to Isabella Scott. His second wife was Mary Coffman. He was childless. He was by far the most versatile of the family. He was wefl in-formed in ancient and modern history and was a close student of the problems of his day. He was a training master for soldiers of the Mexican war. Jacob Sydenstricker, known as Squire Sydenstricker, married Mary Curry and became proprietor of the home of his parents. He was unfortunate in losing six of his ten children. Those who survived were: Jehu, late of Memphis, Tenn.: John; Oliver P., late of Lewisburg; and Philander, of Ohio. My father, Andrew Sydenstricker, married Frances Coffman in 1834. To this union were born nine children: David S., John M., Mary C., Isaac C., Rebecca, Christopher, Hiram M., Absalom and F. Pierce. Andrew Sydenstricker was a man of strong con-victions and was unusually well informed, but lived a quiet life near Ronceverte. He died in 1892 and his wife in 1899. David S. Sydenstricker entered the ministry of the Presbyterian church in his young manhood and spent the whole of his ministry, with the exception of one year in Arkansas. at Hillsboro, Pocahontas county, West Virginia. He was a linguist of note. John M. Sydenstricker lived in Greenbrier county all of his life and engaged in farming. He represented his county several times in the Legislature. He was a candidate for the nomination for Governor on the Democratic ticket in 1892 but was defeated by Hon. A. W. McCorkle, upon whose staff he served. He died in 1901. Mary C. became the wife of William Brackman and lived her entire life in sight of the old homestead. Isaac, after courageous service in the Confederate army, settled in Saline countv Missouri, where he engaged in farming. He died in 1909. Rebecca became the wife of Gabhard Brackman, whom she now survives, living in Osage county, Kansas. Christopher is a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church South and has served charges in Virginia and West Virginia. He now resides at Stephens City, Va. Hiram M. entered the ministry of the Presbyterian church and served in Missouri, Texas, Tennessee and Mississippi. He died at West Point, Miss., in 1913. Absalom has been a missionary to China from the Presbyterian church for more than thirty-five years. He has had a faithful ministry and is now translating the Scriptures into the Chinese in a forrn that simplifies the text for them. His home is at Chinkiang. China. F. Pierce is a minister of the Presbyterian church and has spent his entire ministry in West Virginia. He resides near Ronceverte, W. Va. The general tendency of the Sydenstricker family has been to industry and frugality. Their religious proclivities have been largely toward the Presbyterian faith.