My Genealogy Hound

JOSHUA ROHR, farmer and fine stock-raiser, Sec. 6; P. O. Webster, Ohio. Fredrick, his father, was a native of Batavia, Germany, born in 1801; he emigrated to America in 1820, locating in Maryland; he married Miss Catharine Arnold, in 1826 in Maryland; in 1828, they came to Darke Co., locating where his son Joshua now resides, which at that time was a dense forest; they remained there till February, 1864, when they removed to Miami Co., where Mr. Rohr came to his death by a saw-log rolling off the wagon, which caught his leg, crushing it horribly, so that amputation of his limb was necessary, from which he never recovered, only surviving 36 hours after the amputation—this occurred on the 25th day of June, 1864. Catharine, his widow, survived the storms of life till on the 15th day of April, 1878, when she sank peacefully to rest in the knowledge of the immortality of the soul, living with her daughter Catharine in this county at the time of her death. They were the parents of nine children, of whom eight are living, viz., Joseph, born in 1830; Lucy Ann, born in 1832; Joshua, born in 1833; John, born in 1836; William, born in 1838; James Madison, born in 1840; George F., born in 1842; Catharine, born in 1846; all of whom live in Darke Co., except Lucy Ann and George F. Joshua, the subject of this sketch, was born in Darke Co., on his present place of residence, on the 13th day of October, 1833; he lived at home till he was four days past21 years, assisting his father in the clearing and the cultivation of the soil during the summer, and in the winter he would attend the district school perhaps about a week, going in all to school about six months of his life; the first school he attended was taught by Levi Huddle, on the farm of Levis, which was about two miles distant; when in his 20th year, he, attended about one month, being the longest time he ever attended at one time, also being his last school. When he was four days past 21, his father gave him $2 and told him to go and earn his own fortune, which he did; he went to Miami County and worked on a farm for two years, and, on the 27th of November, 1856, he celebrated his marriage with Louisa Koster, daughter of Gerhard A. and Anna J. Koster; she was born in Germany on the 17th of July, 1837; her parents were born in Germany, in the kingdom of Hanover; they were married in September, 1825, and in 1845 emigrated to America in the sail vessel Albert, being fifty-nine days on the ocean, landing in Baltimore; thence to Cincinnati, Ohio, remaining but a short time, when they moved to Minster, where they remained till the death of Gerhard, which occurred August 25, 1846, when his widow, with her four children moved to Piqua, Ohio, where she resided till the marriage of her daughter Louisa, with whom she resides at present. After his marriage he rented a farm two miles north of Piqua, where he remained three years, and January 1, he purchased the old homestead, which consists of 107 acres, for which he paid $3,500, removing to the same on the 27th of March, 1860, where he has continued to reside ever since, and in 1871, he purchased of Benjamin Overholser 53 acres, joining on the west, making in all 160 acres, nearly all of which is in a good state of cultivation; he erected a handsome bank-barn, 40x80 feet, in 1874, and in 1875 he erected a magnificent two-story brick house. Mr. Rohr is an admirer of fine stock, taking great pride in the raising of the same. Mr. Rohr is strictly temperate in all his habits, and has accumulated a large amount of property by his hard labor, in which he has been nobly assisted by his good and amiable wife; six children have been born to them, of whom five are living, viz.: Charles A., born May 18, 1859; Anna Jane, born March 5, 1864; Franklin E., born Jan. 11, 1866; Ella Bell born Aug. 4, 1869; Ida May, born May 23, 1871.