St Landry County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Roos, David October 13, 1918
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St. Landry Clarion (Opelousas, LA) Oct. 19, 1918, page 2
DAVID ROOS - Died, in Opelousas, last Sunday evening at 6 o'clock, David Roos, 
a native of Alsace, France, aged 84 years. The funeral was held from the family 
residence the following day with interment in the Jewish cemetery.

The death of this worthy and estimable citizen was not wholly unexpected by his 
family and friends. He had more than passed the allotted three score and ten 
years, and his active and purposeful life was one of dedication and devotion to 
his business and family.

The deceased came to this country from Weisenburg, Alsace, when a mere youth, 
about seventeen years of age, and fate and fortune brought him to the parish of 
St. Landry very shortly after his arrival upon the hospitable shores of his 
adopted country. Without a friend, without means, but endowed with indomitable 
purpose, integrity and energy, he began his career here by picking cotton, at 
which labor he earned his first dollar. By dint of hard work young Roos soon 
acquired a sufficient fund to purchase a horse and vehicle, and with this 
equipment he began the sale of merchandise throughout the rural districts. The 
avocation threw him in contact with the farmers and land-owners of an extensive 
and rich territory, comprising at that time the parishes of St. Landry, 
Evangeline, Acadia and Calcasieu and when in after years, Mr. Roos established 
a modest mercantile business in the corner of Main and Bellevue streets, he 
immediately drew to him the custom of his old friends, patrons and 
acquaintances. His business grew from a modest beginning to one of the largest 
mercantile establishments in Southwest Louisiana, and it is indelibly written 
in the mercantile and financial history of this section that the name of David 
Roos uniformly stood for honesty, promptness and square dealing, and for this 
reason it is easy to account for the large fortune which he accumulated in his 
chosen career.

At one time he associated with him in business two of his sons, Isaac Roos and 
the lamented Nathan Roos, under the firm name of D. Roos and Sons. Subsequently 
Isaac Roos acquired the Opelousas Mercantile Company and Nathan Roos became the 
sole partner of his father. The untimely and lamentable death of Nathan, whom 
all affectionately remember, left the details of the business again in the 
hands of the elder Roos, and from that time until the hour of his death, his 
attention and application to his business was assiduous and unremitting. He 
practically died in harness, and has left a monument for those who survive 
which testifies to his high character, splendid citizenship and fidelity to 
family and friends.

Mr. Roos married Miss Elise Marks of New Orleans who died about thirty years 
ago, and the following children survive that union:

Rosa, the widow of Louis Goldstein of New Orleans; Isaac Roos, Jonas Roos; 
Jeanette Roos, wife of Jno. A. Haas; and Mary Roos, wife of Leon S. Hass, all 
of Opelousas.

The inadequate mention of the life and character of Mr. Roos would not be 
complete without some reference to his connection with the Peoples State Bank, 
one of the first banking institutions organized in this section, and bearing a 
reputation for solidity second to none in the state. This bank was organized by 
Mr. Roos in 1895. He was its first president, and continued in that office up 
to the day of his death; and so well did he lay the foundation of this bank and 
map out its policy that there will unquestionably be no cessation of its useful 
existence.

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