Henry C. Rohrs

Henry Rohrs learned granite & stonecutters trade in Germany.

In 1886 he came to Nemaha County.  He was a stone-cutter,

 general contractor, builder & bricklayer in Eastern Nebraska

for 25 years.  The community of Rohrs, located five miles

west of Auburn, was named for Henry Rohrs,

who was a depot agent for a few years. He built an elevator along the Burlington railroad tract in 1896. There was also a stockyard

for shipping livestock. He owned Rohr's Quarry for many years.  

 Soon after the railroad built its track, Henry Rohrs and

Herman Bohling opened a stone quarry nearby.

Stone from it was used to build the courthouse in Auburn.

Mr. Rohrs opened a small store in the community.

 In 1910 he built a two room brick building from which

 he sold dry goods, groceries, clothing, hardware, and feed.

 He also bought eggs, cream, and poultry. 

From 1896 to 1916 he was a grain dealer & elevator manager. 

Henry owned 2 farms near Rohrs.  From 1910 to 1922 he built entire village of Rohrs. He built many churches & other structures

in Nemaha County. From 1910 to 1931 he was owner and manager

Rohr's General Store.  From 1897 to 1907, 1919 to 1922,

and in 1925 he was secretary German American Mutual

Life Insurance Company.  From 1916 to 1925 he was director

Farmers Securities Bank, and President from 1925 to 1928. 

Henry was Deacon at Hickory Grove Lutheran Church.

Robbers Loot Henry Rohrs General Store

After Stealing License Number From Car of A. M. Engles

of Auburn, Driver of Big Nash Car Burglarizes Store of $3,000 Worth Of Merchandise

When Henry Rohrs general  merchant at Rohrs station, opened

his store for business Tuesday morning, he found that the

establishment had been practically looted during the night

by burglars who stole merchandise estimated to be worth

between $2000 and $3000,

The counters were in disorder, merchandise having been taken

from the shelves and thrown all over them, while the floor was

literally strewn with empty shoe boxes and covers.

Mr. Rohrs at once telephoned Sheriff Davis, who made a flying

trip to the station and obtained what clues he could to the

robbery. As soon as the proprietor of the general store could a

hasty inventory of the missing articles he did so, and found that

the entire stock of jewelry, amounting to $500 or more had been

stolen. This consisted of pins, gold chains, lavalieres, brooches

and other articles. One brooch had been dropped by the robbers.

All the cigar stock, amounting to about $300 was taken, together

with the entire stock of silks, laces, embroideries. Many pairs

of shoes were stolen. These had been taken from the boxes and

the latter were thrown on the floor. There was also a quantity of

ladies hose, ladies stocking caps, ladies bonnets and other articles

of feminine wear stolen. 

Six men's sheepskin coats ad a quantity of shirts were also among

the loot. In going over his stock several hours afterwards Mr.

Rohrs would find new articles which had been taken. Nothing in the

hardware department which contained guns, cutlery, search lights

and other articles of a very compact portable and compact nature

had been taken except a Marlin rifle, the individual property of

the owner of the store.

The robbers had entered the store by forcing one of the back

windows with a crow bar. Sheriff Davis tried to find some

legible finger prints on the glass of the show cases, and on the

surface of articles, which had been handled by the thieves,

but they were badly smeared that no characteristics could

be developed.

Mr. Rohrs said that there had been cars passing through Rohrs

almost every hour of the night and he had been quite uneasy

and scarcely slept. He had a hunch that something was wrong,

but he did not go down to the store to investigate.

Sheriff Davis, in looking for clues, found that one of the tires

of the automobile used for transporting the stolen articles was

a Goodrich tread and the marks of the car could be seen as it

approached from the east, and as it went west.

He also found, a cushion that had taken out of the machine and

left at the store. It was the kind that is used in a Nash touring

car. One of the robbers, a man evidently of slight build, had

left a gabardine overcoat behind. It bore the mark

of Browning, King & Company.

On Monday night a slight man, between 22 and 24 years

of age drove into town in a large Nash touring car. It had

yellow wheels and the top was enclosed.

A. M. Engles, of the Nemaha county bank, and who is also

city treasurer, has his books under his arm on his way home

from the city council meeting. The driver of the Nash car

stopped and asked him where he could get some gasoline.

Mr. Engles directed the fellow to the Coulter & Gritz garage.

He looked at the rear of the car as it passed him and he

saw what he thought was his own license plate on the car.

The plate contained the number, "Nebr. 254214". This was

Mr. Engles number. He hastened to where he had his car

parked in front of the Nemaha County bank and found the

license plate missing from his machine. Instead of getting

in his car and driving back to the Coulter & Gritz garage,

where the Nash car still stood, Mr. Engles started running

down the street in that direction. The driver of the Nash saw

him; he had just handed a bill to Mr. Coulter for the gasoline

and was waiting for the change. Seeing Engles running in his

direction the driver called out "keep the change," and drove

rapidly away.

Mr. Engles at once telephoned Sheriff Davis of the circumstances,

and the sheriff, believing that the Nash was a stolen car, sent out

warnings to all of the nearby towns.

Mr. Engles says he believes there was another person in the

rear of the Nash car. It is believed that this was the machine

that had been used in the transportation of the goods stolen

from the Rohrs store. It is thought that the driver turned his

car toward Rohrs and waited until after midnight before

attempting the robbery.

Shortly after 2 o'clock in the morning Sheriff Davis received

a long distance call from the city Marshall of Syracuse that a Nash

car which answered the description of the supposed stolen car

had passed through that place and was evidently going in the

direction of Eagle, Nebraska. It is thought the driver was

headed for Omaha, crossing the Platte river at Ashland.

Nemaha County Herald

Friday

November 11, 1921

Woman Summoned By

Death Call

Mrs. Henry Rohrs Has Passed Beyond

Woman Who Was Born in This County and Whose Life Had Been Spent Here Has Entered Into Eternal Rest

Funeral Services At Johnson Sunday

Mrs.  Henry Rohrs passed away Tuesday at 11:30 P.M. at her home near Rohrs.  Mrs. Rohrs had been in failing health for several

months, and although not unexpected, her death brings

profound sorrow to her relatives and many friends. She

had been a resident of Rohrs community for many years and

those who shared her friendship realize that one who was in

every way worthy of their love and respect had been called

beyond. She was a woman admired for her kindly nature and

her beautiful traits of character and disposition. She was a

true helpmate, being very industrious, her household duties

and care of her family occupying most of her time. The

members of her family to whom her passing has brought deep

sorrow, have the sympathy of a host of friends.

Emma Marie Sophia Lunzmann was born in Hickory Grove

vicinity, December 27, 1875, and was the second child of

August and Anna Lunzmann. While an infant she received the

Holy rites of Baptism at the Stone church. In the year 1889

in the Hickory Gove church, Rev. Whitting, pastor, she

accepted the baptismal covenant through the rite of confirmation.

At the age of eighteen, she was united in marriage to

Johann Heinrich Christoph Rohrs at the Hickory Grove

church. Rev. Theodore Streng performed the ceremony.

To this union seventeen children were born, two of whom

have preceded their mother in death, one at the age of 16

months and the other by accident, at 12 years of age.

In early infancy, Mrs. Rohrs was a member of the Stone

church, later becoming a member of the Hickory Grove

congregation. Twenty-six years ago she and her husband

became charter members of St. Mathews church, to

which she brought devotion and support, especially in

the Ladies Aid.

She is survived by her husband and fifteen children;

Rudolph, Auburn; Anna Deubler, Graf; Minnie Hector,
Auburn; Gustav,  Atkinson; Emma Balke, Johnson;

John, Auburn; Lottie Bergman, Byron; Herman and August,

who live at home; Louise Weers, Superior; William,

Christine, Leona, Leo, Lloyd at home; twelve grandchildren,

one sister, Mrs. Louise Harms, Auburn; five brothers,

William Lunzmann, Columbia, South Dakota; Gustav, Enders,

Nebraska; Henry, Johnson; Herman and John, Auburn.

Funeral services were held from St. Mathews Lutheran

church in Johnson, Saturday afternoon, conducted by

Reverend G. F. R. Duhrkop. Many friends attended the obsequies

thus paying tribute to the memory of a good woman who had

been called beyond. The following sons of the deceased acted

as pall bearers, John, Rudolph, August, Herman,

William and Gustav.

Following the services interment was made in the church cemetery.

Nemaha County Herald

Thursday

October 20, 1932

Nettie Pearl Rohrs

Nettie Pearl Rohrs was born April 1, 1886 at Millard, Nebraska,

the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Loomis.

After an extended illness, she passed away at the

Lutheran Hospital in Beatrice on August 30, 1970.

She was 84 years, four months and twenty-nine days of age.
 

She was united in marriage to Ale Rockemann in 1902 at Humboldt, Nebraska. Five children were born to this union. Mr. and  Mrs. Rockemann farmed near Nemaha until Ale passed away in 1933.
 

In 1935 she was married to Henry Rohrs. They made their home at

Rohrs Corner until 1945 when they retired and moved to Auburn.

Mr. Rohrs farmed, and was the postmaster and depot agent

 at Rohrs Corner. He passed away in 1947.
 

Pearl continued to live in Auburn until 1963 when she moved to the

Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Wymore.

She had been in failing health for the past several years.
She was a member of the Christian Church in Auburn.
 

Pearl was also preceded in death by her parents,

two children, three brothers, and two sisters.

Those left to mourn her passing are two sons,

Cleo and Gerald E. Rockemann of Beatrice;

one daughter, Mrs. Joe C. (Opal) Humphrey of Lincoln;

eight grandchildren, and eleven great-great grandchildren.

Obituary Courtesy of Mrs. Roberta Everett