Editing Winfield Scott Stratton (section)

==Personal life==
Stratton lived a simple life in a wooden house on Weber Street after he became wealthy.<ref name="PPLD bio" /> He did not seem to have long-lasting relationships with women until he had a short marriage with Zeurah Stewart. She became pregnant before their marriage in 1876. Stratton did not believe that the baby was his child and was often angry and jealous. She returned to her family and the marriage ended.<ref name="PPLD bio" /><ref name="Fisher">{{Cite book |last1=Fisher |first1=Vardis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m-sfdSUseN8C&pg=PA375 |title=Gold Rushes and Mining Camps of the Early American West |last2=Holmes |first2=Opal Laurel |last3=Fisher |first3=Opal Laurel |date=1968 |publisher=Caxton Press |isbn=978-0-87004-043-6 |pages=375 |language=en}}</ref> He had a housekeeper for many years named Eliza, with whom he could be brusque. She was called the "suffering but faithful housekeeper Eliza" in the ''Gold Rushes and Mining Camps of the Early American West '' book.<ref name="Fisher" /> He became reclusive and eccentric. He drank and read a great deal, but rarely had guests or went out socially.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Leavitt |first1=Craig |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JaLnCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA131 |title=Herndon Davis: Painting Colorado History, 1901–1962 |last2=Noel |first2=Thomas J. |date=2016-02-15 |publisher=University Press of Colorado |isbn=978-1-60732-420-1 |pages=131 |language=en}}</ref>

Stratton was fond of a quote by [[William Henry Channing]], 19th-century religious thinker and part of the Transcendental movement:<ref name="Marold" />

:To live content with small means, to seek elegance rather than
:luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not
:respectable, to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;
:to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart;
:to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry
:never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
:grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony.

Stratton lived at 115 N. Weber St. in Colorado Springs. He had failing health due to [[cirrhosis]] of the liver and [[diabetes]].<ref name="Marold" /> By the time he was 43, he was tall, thin and frail with silky white hair.<ref name="Fisher" /> His personal physician Dr. D.H. Rice traveled with him on long journeys because of his poor health. He died at his home on September 14, 1902, at 54 years of age. His body was visited by more than 8,600 people at the Mining Exchange Building the day before he was buried in southeastern Colorado Springs at [[Evergreen Cemetery (Colorado Springs, Colorado)|Evergreen Cemetery]].<ref name="Marold">{{Cite news |last=Marold |first=Richard |url=https://gazette.com/woodmenedition/springs-experience-the-death-of-winfield-scott-stratton/article_4bc7915c-c846-11e9-90c8-ff0668af8dd1.html |title=Springs Experience: The death of Winfield Scott Stratton |date=September 17, 2019  |access-date=February 9, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

When he died, most of his estate went towards the creation and maintenance of the [[Myron Stratton Home]]. He did, though leave $50,000 each to his son, Harry Stratton of [[Toulon, Illinois]] and other relatives.<ref name="Will">{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=3394746&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjU3NTMzODQ5LCJpYXQiOjE1ODEyOTUxNzIsImV4cCI6MTU4MTM4MTU3Mn0.scyYEvUVaSgd8QqwrEMAiW9Yzrm2pv9PBXXr4J1XpJo |title=Vast Wealth with Erect and Endow Home for the Poor and Helpless|date=September 25, 1902 |work=The Weekly Gazette at Newspapers.com |access-date=February 9, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>{{efn|There were conditions for the bequest to his son. If he contests the will, he gets nothing. If he dies, his heirs get nothing. He would not get the money until he signed a waiver that he would not contest the will.<ref name="Will" />}}