Biography: William H. ROMICH: Worman, Berks Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Betty Burdan USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. "Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County, PA" ; Morton L. Montgomery J.H.Beers, Chicago, 1909; Volume II, p. 1417 WILLIAM H. ROMICH - BERG, CASE, DAVIDHEISER, FISHER, FRITZ, GIFT, HELFRICK, HOFFMAN, KEELEY LEVAN, LEVENGOOD, MOYER, NESTER, REIFSNYDER, ROHRBACH, ROMIG, ROMICH, SEITEL/SPEITEL, WAID, WEISNER, WISE William H. ROMICH. The gentleman who bears the name with which this sketch is introduced is possibly the best known man in Berks County, his business as professional auctioneer having carried him throughout its entire bounds. He is a successful auctioneer and farmer. The family to which he belongs was an early one in the county, some of its representatives spelling the name as above, others changing the "ch" to "g", making it ROMIG. John ROMICH, the ancestor of this branch of the family, came to Berks County in the latter part of the 18th century from Conestoga Township, Lancaster County. He settled in Earl Township, where he was the owner of much land and a man of influence in his community until his demise in 1804. Part of the estate reached over into Douglass Township [Berks County], but the portion on which he lived and died was situated in Earl Township, near Worman. The will distributing his estate is on record in Will Book IV, page 244, [see also Wills in Berks Co., Archives], his son John, and his friend Jacob KEELEY, Sr., being the executors. His wife's first name was Anna Maria, and they had children: John, who obtained a farm of 180 acres, partly in Earl and partly in Douglass Townships; George; Christian; Jacob, and Henry. John (2), eldest of the family was the next in descent. He passed his entire life in Earl Township, and was a man of large influence and property. He died in 1835, bequesting[sic] a farm of 160 acres, located in Ohio, to his son Andrew. He and his wife, Mary, had other children besides Andrew and Jacob, the latter being the grandfather of William H., but said children do not appear in the will. Jacob ROMICH and Jacob WEISNER signed the will as witnesses. George ROMIG, second son of the ancestor, was born Jan. 9, 1765, and died April 2, 1850, his age being eighty five years, two months and twenty-three days. He married Sophia FRITZ (1773-1828), and to her were born seven sons and four daughters. Christian ROMIG, third son of John, the ancestor, was born Jan. 13, 1766, and living seventy-eight years, one month and twenty-two days, died on the 5th of March, 1844. Catharine SEITEL [also known as SPEITEL], his wife, was born in 1767, and died in 1844, after a married life of fifty-six years. There were four sons and one daughter. He and his wife, together with George and his wife, are buried in the FRITZ burial ground, Douglass Township [Berks County]. Jacob ROMICH, fourth son of the ancestor, and grandfather of William H., was a farmer in Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, for a few years, thence coming to Worman, in Douglass Township. He cultivated a farm of 128 acres at that place for nearly a half-century, and this property is at present owned by William H. [ROMICH] The house which is now used by our subject was partly built by Jacob ROMICH, who was born there Jan. 10, 1793, and died Feb. 3, 1879, aged eighty-six years and twenty-three days. He married his cousin, Elizabeth ROMICH, who was a daughter of John ROMICH of Montgomery County, the latter coming to Amity Township later in life. The wife was born Feb. 27, 1800, and lived to be seventy-eight years, eleven months and four days old, her death occurring Feb. 1, 1879. Jacob and his wife lie at rest in Boyertown Cemetery. Their children were as follows: John; George; Sophia, who married John DAVIDHEISER; Ephraim (1826-1901); Zephaniah; Henry; Jacob; Harriet FISHER; Mary M., who married, first Jeremiah REIFSNYDER, and second, John BERG. George ROMICH, of the above family was born near Worman in Douglass Township in 1827, and died in 1900, aged seventy-three years. His occupation was that of shoemaker. His home was above Gabelsville, where he owned a small tract of land, now in the possession of his son, Llewellyn ROMICH. In religious matters he was a member of the Lutheran Church. He was twice married, his first wife being Sarah ROHRBACH. Their children were: Elizabeth, who died at the age of three years, and Jacob R., born in Earl, near the "Yellow House", June 16, 1856. The children by the second wife were: Calvin, Llewellyn, Katie and Frank. When twenty-one, Jacob R., learned the shoemaking trade, which he has since followed. In 1888 he engaged in the shoe business in Boyertown at what is called the old J.S. CASE shoe-store ". In 1878 he was married to Miss Sophia NESTER, and they had one child, George A., born March 10. 1879, who is now organist of St. John's Lutheran Church, and teaches music to a number of pupils in Boyertown. His wife perished in the Boyertown Fire, January 13, 1908, when only thirty one years of age. [see also biography of Jacob R. Romich, from the Boyertown Democrat, Oct. 13, 1938, Berks County Archives]] John R. ROMICH, father of William H., was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth ROMICH, and brother to George, mentioned above. He was born on the old homestead in Douglass Township Jan. 11, 1823, and died Dec. 28, 1885, aged sixty-two years, eleven months and seventeen days. Boyertown Cemetery holds his remains. During his lifetime he cultivated the homestead where he lived and died. He was a man of fine instincts and strong characteristics, and wielded an exemplary influence during life. He was a member of the Lutheran Church at Boyertown, which he served for many years as Deacon. Catharine, daughter of Abraham HOFFMAN, became his wife. She was born Apr. 12, 1831, and died July 2, 1901, having lived seventy years, two months and twenty days. Their children were: Jonathan, William, Emma, John, Ellen, George, Annie, who married William LEVAN; Katie, deceased; Ida, who married Joseph HELFRICK. William H. ROMICH, son of the above, was born Aug. 7, 1853, on the old home- stead, near Worman, where he now resides. He began farming for himself in the Centennial Year, in Colebrookdale Township, where he lived but one year, when he moved to Upper Hanover Township [Montgomery County]. Here he remained another year, when, in the spring of 1879, he returned to the old homestead in Douglass Township, where he has since resided. The old homestead of 128 acres, with its associated memories of father, grand- father and great-grandfather, came into the possession of the present owner after his father's death. The present dwelling was built by the grandfather, Jacob ROMICH, the older part having been erected by Jacob ROMICH's father. The barn is also a very old building, and has been standing more than a century. The farm originally comprised 500 acres, when it was homesteaded by the first ROMICH, and included what is now the "Israel WEISNER" farm, the "Henry ROMICH" tracts, and other property. William H. ROMICH was married June 26, 1875, to Amanda WISE, daughter of William and Rebecca (LEVENGOOD) WISE. They had children: Albert (deceased); Rebecca, married Samuel MOYER; Warren; Sallie, who married Oscar GIFT; Dora, now the wife of Irwin WAID; Irwin; Wayne, who perished in the Boyertown Fire; Walter; Mabel; and Harry. Mr. ROMICH and family are members of St. John's Lutheran Church of Boyertown, of which he has been a deacon and elder. End