Biography of Simon Rohm, Jr., pages 907/908/909/910.  
History of DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, 
Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



In the death of the honored subject of this memoir, on May 
30, 1880, at his home in Smithfield township, there passed 
away another member of that group of distinctively 
representative agriculturists who were the leaders in 
farming circles in DeKalb county. He was born on December 
3, 1825, in Rhineburg, Rontz Witer, Germany, and was the 
son of Simon Rohm, Sr., who was born on September 27, 1785, 
and died on April 3, 1857. Simon Rohm, Sr., was a soldier 
for nine yeas in the Napoleonic wars, and was married in 
the old country to Mary Ann Miller, who was born on January 
15, 1800, and who died on September 25, 1855, aged fifty-
five years and eight months. Simon Rohm, Sr., was 
considered well-to-do in his native land, owning fifteen 
acres of land and two cows, but he sold all he had and 
brought his wife and children, Fred, Elizabeth, Simon, 
Valentine and Caroline, to America, their other children 
having died in Germany. Although considered well-to-do, he 
spent all he had in making the trip to America and was five 
dollars in debt on his arrival here. They were fifty-seven 
days on the ocean, the trip being made in the old slow-
going sailing vessels. In 1833 the family located in Holmes 
county, Ohio, where were born other children, William B., 
Henry C., Joseph E. and Christian.  In 1845 the family 
moved to western Indiana, where the father had leased land 
for nine years. Simon, the subject of this sketch, being 
the largest and most robust son at home, and his father 
being too old to farm alone,  the son refused to stay and 
farm the place because of the worthless character of the 
soil, consequently they packed up their effects and came to 
DeKalb county, locating on a farm two and one half miles 
southwest of Waterloo, known as the Joseph Stahl place. 
They there established a permanent home and there the 
parents spent their remaining days. Of their children, Fred 
married Susannah Easterly in Holmes county, Ohio, moved to 
Knox county, that state, in 1843, and in 1847 to DeKalb 
county, living about two miles west of Waterloo until his 
death; Elizabeth became the wife of  Baltzer Stahl, moved 
to DeKalb county in 1857, and lived three miles southwest 
of Waterloo until her death; Valentine lived in DeKalb 
county from 1845 until his death, on August 19, 1905, at 
the age of seventy-seven years; Caroline became the wife of 
Dr. J. W. Lyttle, and lived quite a while at Sedan, later 
at Auburn, where the Doctor had a large practice.  In 1862 
they moved to Knoxville, Iowa, where she now resides; 
William B. was a wagon-maker, but now operates a farm west 
of Waterloo. He first married Lucinda Morr, and for his 
second wife, Phoebe Townley; Henry C. married Mary A. Lutz, 
and farmed two miles west of Waterloo until advanced in 
years, when he moved to Waterloo and resided there until 
his death, which occurred on February 27, 1908; Joseph E.,  
who came to Indiana with his parents, married Mary Ann Dunn 
in 1864, and farmed in Smithfield township until his death, 
which occurred on May 11, 1902; Christian Rohm married 
Susan Miser for this first wife, and afterward married Mrs. 
Anna Mary Campbell. He lives in Auburn.  Simon Rohm, Jr., 
was married on July 16, 1849, to Mary Harsh, a native of 
Carroll county, Ohio, where she was born on September 30, 
1830, the daughter of Solomon and Rachel (Seibert) Harsh.  
Her parents were born in Pennsylvania, subsequently moving 
to Stark county, Ohio, thence to Carroll county, where they 
lived during the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Rohm lived 
there until eighteen yeas of age, then came with her sister 
Rebecca, the wife of Jacob Hildt, to DeKalb county, living 
with them until her marriage to Mr. Rohm. At the time of 
their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Rohm possessed nothing except 
good health and a good axe which Mr. Rohm knew well how to 
use.  He first rented a place in Smithfield township and 
also worked for others until he got a start, and then three 
years after marriage he bought eighty acres of land, 
largely on credit, but continued work for others by the 
day, clearing his land at night by moonlight and did not 
move on it until he had it paid for. By rigid economy he 
and his wife saved their money and made it a practice not 
to count their savings until a payment on their land was 
due, when to their gratification they found they had about 
a dollar more than was need. Mr. Rohm lived on that farm 
until 1879, Mrs. Rohm giving him material assistance in the 
clearing the land and in the work in the fields, and at 
night she spun and wove and made clothes for the family, 
cooking by the pioneer fireplace, and in other ways 
materially assisting him. In 1879 Mr. Rohm traded for the 
old John Husselman place in the southwestern part of Grant 
township, where he spent the rest of his life and where two 
of his children still reside.  He was a good manager and 
traded farms, in which way he made money, at the time of 
his death owning over two hundred acres of land,  all of 
which was well improved, his death occurred on May 30, 
1880, and he was considered at that time one of the best 
citizens of his community. His widow still lives on the 
home farm and enjoys the respect of all who know her.  To 
them were born thirteen children, five of whom died in 
childhood, while the rest are still living, as follows: 
John is a resident of Franklin township; Lydia is the wife 
of John Hamman, who is represented elsewhere in this work; 
Henry is in Oregon; Mary is the wife of Henry Hamman,  and 
lives in Branch county, Michigan; Amos lives at home with 
his mother; Lucinda is the wife of Francis Duesler, and 
lives east of Waterloo; Simon R. loves on a farm across the 
road from his mother in Grant township and Ezra lives 
northeast of his mother on the adjoining farm. Mr. and Mrs. 
Rohm are entitled not only to credit for the material 
success which they attained, but for rearing to honorable 
manhood and womanhood these children, who have occupied 
respected places in their various communities and who are 
each achieving definite success in life. Mr. Rohm was a man 
of stern character, but was always ready to lend his 
assistance to any movement for the upbuilding of his 
community, giving his support to every moral question, He 
early had the sagacity and prescience to discern the 
eminence which the future had in store for this great and 
growing section of the commonwealth and, acting in 
accordance with the dictates of faith and judgement, he 
reaped in the fullness of time the generous benefits which 
are the just recompense of indomitable industry, spotless 
integrity and sound enterprise.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com