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Isaiah R. Strome (1852 - 1942) (Brandon Businessman)  
He was born on October 7th 1852 in Blenheim Township, Oxford Ontario. He was the Son of John Strome, (Who died in 1876 at 67 years of age), and Mary Rosenberg, (Who died in 1903 at 92 years of age).  
Both his parents were born in Pennsylvania, and were of German descent. His family immigrated to Canada in the early 1880’s soon after their marriage. Arriving on horseback his parents Homesteaded in Oxford County, Ontario.  
Mr. Strome was educated in Oxford County, and left home at 18 years of age. He Clerked in a Fruit Store in Galt Ontario for two years, and then was a General Merchandiser 1876 – 81 in Harrison, Ontario. In 1881 he moved to Winnipeg, and was employed for one year by the Wholesale Dry Goods firm of Stobart, and Sons Company of Winnipeg, then partnering with A. Kenney to purchase a Book Store of H. S. Donaldson and Brothers. He sold out to Kenney in 1883.  
His next endeavour was to purchase the Dry Goods business of Logan, and Henderson of Portage la Prairie that he operated under the name of Strome, and Henderson, but after two years of operation he purchased his partners interests.  
In the summer of 1886 he moved to Brandon Manitoba, and established a Dry goods, Farming Supplies, and General Merchants Company after he purchased Paisley, Miller, and Carscaden (Dry Goods). In 1897 they had declared Bankruptcy, and he called the new company the Isaiah Strome Company, and later called it Strome, and White Brothers Limited, which he dissolved in 1899.  
In 1890 he became one of the incorporators, and promoters of the Brandon Electric Light Company located 9.5 miles from Brandon at the mouth of the Little Saskatchewan River, he was made President in 1897.  
In 1906 he had a Dry goods business with Branches in Rapid City and Wapella, he owned 2,500 acres of land, (1,200 acres were devoted to crop production). He was the owner of Lake Clement, located 10 miles south of Brandon, an outing place, and Summer Resort.  
He was an Alderman for the City of Brandon for nine years beginning in 1902, a member of the Brandon Board of Trade, a member of the Liberal Party, and a member of the board of managers of the Presbyterian Church.  
In 1903 Mr. I. R. Strome sold his Dry goods company after almost two decades in business to the R. Roome and Company of London Ontario.  
The following year Gordon Rae, (Tailors) purchased the I. R. Strome clothing business. Ready-made garments became their stock –in –trade shortly before existing competition increased through Lowes Brothers appearance on the gentlemen’s furnishings scene.  
In 1906 Torontonians George F. Doig, and John M. Robertson acquired Mr. Strome’s long time mercantile business.  
In 1882 he married Mary I. Peffers, the daughter of Neal P. Peffers of Glenallen Ontario. They had five children, Jessie Dunar, Bertha Maud, Ivan Roy, Charles Merle, and Vivian Ruth.  
G. F. Barker records his Death in Brandon a city as 1942.  
Source: The History of Manitoba by George Bryce (1906)