My Genealogy Hound

Christian S. Rohrbach, farmer, and a member of the Moniteau Cheese Factory, is a native of Switzerland, born near Canton Berne May 29, 1836, and a son of John and Annie (Rohrbach) Rohrbach, who were also natives of the same place. The father was a successful tiller of the soil in the old country, and there remained until March 13, 1854, when he and his family sailed for America, and landed at New York City after a voyage of thirty-two days. They came to New Philadelphia, Ohio, and located in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where they remained until 1864. They then moved to Moniteau County, Mo., locating where the widow now lives, and here the father died in February, 1887. He, his son Christian S., son-in-law Jacob Kalb, and Nicholas Beutler ran the first cheese factory in the county. He was a much esteemed and respected citizen. Of the seven children born to his marriage, five are now living: Christian S., Elizabeth, (wife of Jacob Kalb), Frederick, John and Jacob. The deceased were Rudolph and an infant. Christian S. Rohrbach came with his parents to America in the spring of 1854, and to Missouri in the spring of 1859, coming directly to Moniteau County, Mo., and was employed at various industries until the breaking out of the war, when, July 16, 1861, he enlisted in the Missouri Home Guards, Col. Richardson’s regiment, and in October of the same year enlisted in Fremont’s company, which was soon disbanded. Mr. Rohrbach was then taken to St. Louis, where he was put in Company B, Twenty-sixth Missouri Volunteers, and was discharged November 16, 1864, at St. Louis. He was in the battles of Middletown, Island No. 10, Iuka, Corinth, Champion’s Hill, Vicksburg, Farmington, Miss., New Madrid, and several other hard battles. He was in the hospital for about four months. In 1866 he located on the farm he now owns, and there he has resided ever since. He has eighty acres of land in cultivation, besides his timber, and has put in some first-class improvements on his farm. He was married in January, 1866, to Miss Annie Rohrbach, a native of Switzerland, by whom he has six children: John H. (professor of Clarksburg Institute, who is now twenty-two years of age), Mary M., Rosa A., Emma L., Edward C. and Caroline E. Mr. and Mrs. Rohrbach are worthy members of the German Evangelical Church, and Mr. Rohrbach is a member of the G. A. R. organization.