San
Joaquin County
Biographies
GEORGE F. ROESCH
An efficient public official, who is
also a popular and influential leader in California fraternity circles, is
George F. Roesch, the Deputy County Assessor of San Joaquin County. A native son, he was born at Stockton on
September 4, 1860, the son of J. Conrad and Christiana (Strohmeier)
Roesch, both natives of Germany and both now
deceased. They came to California by way
of the rough Panama route, the father in the Argonaut days of ’51 and the
mother later, and they were married in California where, for the remainder of
their lives, they did pioneer and worthy service in helping to develop the
Golden state. Mr. Roesch in time came to
Stockton and worked on the Grunsky ranch east of this
city; and for awhile he drove an ox team to the mines hauling freight. Later he located at Mokelumne Hill, in
Calaveras County, and turned his attention to various occupations, always
popular with those for whom he worked, or with whom he had any business dealings. Mr. Roesch took a live interest in local
affairs, as a very public-spirited man, and was a member of the old Volunteer
Fire Department in early days, and ran with the primitive hand-engine seen at
that time. Both he and his good wife
were members of the German Methodist Episcopal Church, and the parents of three
children: William C. died at the age of
twenty-nine; Mrs. C. R. Durham, of Stockton; and the subject of this review. The father died in November, 1872, highly
honored and esteemed by all who knew him.
Mr. Roesch had bought a corner lot
at the junction of East Market and Stanislaus streets, and there erected his
home, the house being later enlarged; and George F. Roesch lives on the site on
which he was born. Having attended the
Lafayette grammar school, he next pursued courses in the famous Stockton High
School, and topped off his studies with an excellent training in commercial
branches in the Stockton Business College.
For a time he clerked in the mercantile establishment of P. Samuels;
next he learned the butcher business with C. M. Aldus,
and later he was with the Avenue Meat Market.
He then spent four years in the carpenter trade, and after that entered
the employ of the Chicard & Worth
Draying and Forwarding Company, doing local work and teaming to the mines. His next advancement was as a member of the
draying firm of Sperry, Roesch & Company, N. B. Sperry and Messrs. Hewitt
& Carpenter also being members of the same firm. In 1891, however, he sold out his interests
and quit the business field.
In that year he entered into the
political arena, and was elected city assessor; and in 1893, he was re-elected,
also on the Republican ticket. He was
then appointed deputy county assessor under C. L. Ortman, and in that
responsible capacity he has served his fellow citizens ever since, excepting one term.
Mr. Roesch is a trustee, secretary
and treasurer of the German Methodist Episcopal Church, but he is known widely
in particular on account of his great activity, influence and usefulness in Odd
Fellow fraternal matters. On January 18,
1884, he joined Stockton Lodge No. 11, I. O. O. F., and progressed through all
the chairs of the subordinate lodge, and he has also made all of the chairs of
the Grand Encampment. He has attended
two sessions of the Sovereign Grand Lodge, and has been one of the two members
from California to represent the Grand Encampment of the state. He has been secretary of Stockton Lodge No.
11; vice-president of the board of directors of the Odd Fellows Hall Association,
and secretary of the associate board of trustees. He has served as clerk of Cantorr
Ridgely ever since it was formed in 1884, and trustee
of Parker Encampment, and also trustee of Lebanon Rebekah Lodge No. 41. He has been a member of the general relief
committee since 1887, and is its present secretary. He is also a member of Morning Star Lodge No.
68, F. & A. M., a member of the Stockton Parlor of the N. S. G. W., and he
belongs to lodge No. 218 of the Stockton Elks, and Charter Oak Lodge No. 20,
Knights of Pythias.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
416-419. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget
Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget
Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy Databases