Mrs. Strange died at a young age, leaving two children and her husband. He later remarried and the family left Lincoln, says Edna Gislar. These facts and accounts of Jacobs family members obituaries found on microfilmed newspapers at the local library, refute the legend that the salesman was without family. The late attorney did not dispute that part of the legend that credits Lincoln businessmen with passing the hat to finance the suitcase marker. Of course, knowing the facts does not necessarily preclude future generations of Lincoln-born from hearing the folklore surrounding the unusual gravestone.
Legends die hard.