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John H Rohrbach
JOHN H. ROHRBACH, farmer, residing on his tract of fifty-five acres in
Brady’s Bend township, Armstrong county, located a half mile southwest of
Kaylor, on the Sugar Creek and Brady’s Bend road, was born in Brady’s Bend
township, Nov. 1, 1869, son of Peter and Barbara (Kerchner) Rohrbach.Peter Rohrbach, father of John H. Rohrbach, was born in Germany June 15,
1829, and attended school and learned the shoemaking trade there. In 1854 he
accompanied his sister, Mrs. Margaret Boltz, to America, and after they
located in Brady’s Bend township, he secured work in the rolling mills at
Brady’s Bend, where he continued until he had earned enough money to enable
him to buy twenty-five acres of land, which lies to the east of the farm of
John H. Rohrbach. To this he added until he owned fifty-one acres, which he
improved, building the present farm residence. He was a member of the Lutheran
Church and gave assistance when a new edifice was erected. His death occurred
Oct. 13, 1902, and he was buried in the cemetery of the Lutheran Church in
Sugar Creek township. His first marriage was to Phoebe Kamerer, daughter of
David Kamerer, an early settler in this township. At her death she left two
children: Henry, who lives at Stoneboro, Mercer Co., Pa.; and Mrs. Kate
Richardson, of Wampum, Lawrence Co., Pa. The mother of these children was
buried in the cemetery attached to the old church. The second marriage of
Peter Rohrbach was to Barbara Kerchner, a native of Butler county, and they
had the following children: Adam J., was born March 21, 1886, lives in
Lancaster, Ohio; John H. was born Nov. 1, 1869; Margaret, born Feb. 24, 1873,
is the wife of H. G. Frederick, of Donegal township, Butler Co., Pa.; Anna,
born Jan. 10, 1879, is the wife of R. Edward Zahniser, residing in Brady’s
Bend township. The widow of Peter Rohrbach lives on the old homestead.John H. Rohrbach received his education in his native township and remained
assisting his father until he was twenty-eight years old, continuing at home
one year after he married. With the exception of a few months, a period
included between November and May, he has always lived in Brady’s Bend
township, this period being spent in East Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co. Ever since
his return he has lived on this farm, on which L. W. Miller (oil producer) has
three producing oil wells. Six acres are in woodland and pasture. On July 5,
1902, Mr. Rohrbach bought the farm from his brother, Adam J. Rohrbach, and he
has built an addition to the original residence.Mr. Rohrbach married Ella Simpson, who was born in Jefferson county, Pa.,
daughter of D. C. and Nancy (Herron) Simpson, and they have four children:
Ethel, born in Brady’s Bend township, March 3, 1899; Florence, born at East
Pittsburgh Jan. 30, 1902; Helen, born March 18, 1906; and Kermit, born May 3,
1908. Mr. Rohrbach is a member of the Lutheran Church. In politics he has
always voted with the Republican party, and he is one of the prominent
township officials. For three years he has been assessor of Brady’s Bend
township, and by appointment of the county commissioners is the present
assessor. He has also served continuously on the school board of Brady’s Bend
township for the last twenty-three years with the exception of eighteen
months, part of which time he spent at East Pittsburgh, Allegheny county. He
is also a faithful worker in the temperance cause, to stamp out the liquor
traffic, which he believes is ruining so many homes and blighting the
characters and souls of many victims. Mr. Rohrbach is one of the original
members of Kaylor Grange, No. 1396, organized by E. O. Snow and himself, and
has been officially connected with the body ever since.Source: Pages 683-684, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed September 1998 by James R Hindman for the Armstrong County Beers
Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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