My Genealogy Hound

Gottfried Roesch, a native of Switzerland, was born in 1849, and is a son of John and Mary Anna (Marti) Roesch, also natives of Switzerland. John Roesch received a good education, and learned the trade of carpenter and builder, at which he worked in his native country. In the spring of 1851, with his wife and seven children, he set sail for America, but, after battling with a storm, they were washed ashore on the coast of Ireland, and were obliged to secure passage on another vessel, which landed them safely in America. They first located in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where, five months later, the father and one son died with cholera. He was a member of the Protestant Church, as were also the entire family. The mother soon after married Jacob Gatchett, and, about a year later, removed to Missouri, settling near Jamestown, where they purchased a large tract of land. Mr. Gatchett returned to Ohio to settle up the estate, and on his return was taken with the cholera, in St. Louis, and died. The mother received her portion of the estate after the war, when she married Christoph Jahn, with whom she lived until his death, and then spent the remainder of her life with our subject; she died in November, 1878, aged fifty-nine years. Of her children the following are living: John, Mary Ann (wife of Jacob Haldeman), Jacob (in Kansas) and Gottfried. The latter was but four years old when his mother and family came to Missouri, where he was reared. In 1867 he learned the blacksmith’s trade, which he followed until 1873, when he married and settled on a farm. He purchased the first steam thresher ever brought to Linn Township, and did the threshing for the neighborhood for a number of years. He rented a farm until 1877, when he purchased the same, and is now one of the leading and most enterprising farmers in the township. September 11, 1873, he married Caroline Nickles, who was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, in 1852, and is a daughter of Judge P. Nickles. Six children have blessed this union, viz.: Ella, Millie, John P., Maggie, Frank N. and Karl. Mr. and Mrs. Roesch are members of the German Methodist Episcopal Church of Jamestown. Mr. Roesch has held the office of school director for a number of years, and is president of the school board. He is a Republican in politics, and is a member of the A. O. U. W. of California, Mo.