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WILLIAM A. ROACH.
No man in the ninth congressional district is better known to the people of this district than William A. Roach,
familiarly called "Deacon," and no man is more popular A lawyer by profession and a native of Carroll
county, he was scarcely out of his teens before he had turned his attention to politics. Having served as city
attorney of Delphi for five years and as secretary of the Republican county central committee during the campaigns
of 1902 and 1904, he was elected chairman of the committee in 1910 and served throughout the campaign of that year
and in the campaign of 1912. In 1912 he was also elected Republican chairman of the ninth congressional district
and still holds this position as the responsible head of the party in this district. Popular as he is with the
people of the ninth district, especially the rank and file of the Republican party. honored and admired by men
of all parties, he is looked upon as a logical candidate for one of the highest offices within the gift of the
people of the ninth district if ever he should seek political honors from his party.
The senior member of the firm of Roach & Roach, real estate and loan agents, William A. Roach was born in Delphi,
Indiana, December 24, 1874. He is the son of William and Anna (Morgan) Roach, the former of whom was born in Canada.
and the latter born in the West Indies, while her parents were en route from England to America. William Roach,
Sr., was reared near Toronto, Canada. and, after having received a liberal education in the Dominion schools, came
to the United States at the age of nineteen in 1865, and located at Delphi. this county, where he has ever since
resided. Soon after coming to Delphi he engaged in the ice business, in which he continued for fourteen years.
Afterward he farmed for four years and then engaged in the milling business with the firm of Montana & Company,
which is now Roach & Rothenberger. His wife died several years ago. To them were born four children, Lillie
J., the wife of Edgar L. Cox, of Ockley, Indiana; William A., the subject of this sketch; and two who died in infancy.
The paternal grandparents of William A. Roach were natives of Scotland. His paternal grandfather was Patrick Roach,
who married a Miss Head, and immigrated to Canada in pioneer times. In 1865 he settled in Delphi, where both he
and his wife died at advanced ages. He was a teamster and lived to rear a family of nine children, four others
dying in infancy. Those who grew to maturity were, John, Mary Ann, William, Sarah, James, Elizabeth, Edmond. Robert
C. and George A. The maternal grandparents of Mr. Roach were natives of England, who left London for America and
who, after reaching America, settled in White county, Indiana. Later they moved to Delphi. the grandmother dying
at the age of ninety nine years. The grandfather was killed when past sixty years old in a runaway. He was a farmer
by occupation and had a large family of children, mong whom were William, Anna, Rachel, George, Allen, Thomas,
Naomi and Mary.
William A. Roach was reared in the city where he now resides and which has always been his home. Having attended
the public schools of Delphi, he entered the Indiana Law School and was graduated with the class of 1897, being
admitted at once to the Carroll county bar, state and federal courts. For nine years Mr. Roach was engaged in the
practice of law at Delphi in the office of Michael A. Ryan, now the senior member of the firm of Ryan & Ruckelshaus
of Indianapolis.
Mr. Roach was married on October 6, 1897, a short time after his graduation from the law school, to Georgia Newell,
the daughter of Henry M. and Julia (Van Gundy) Newell, of Chicago, but formerly of Rockfield, Carroll county, Indiana.
Georgia Newell was born at Rockfield, October 10, 1876. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and her mother
of Rockfield, Carroll county. Her mother is deceased but her father is still living. They were the parents of three
children, Georgia, Homer M. and a daughter who died in infancy. Mrs. Roach's paternal grandparents were John and
Phoebe Newell, who were the parents of three children, Mrs. Harriet E. Stansel, Henry M. and Dr. J. W., of Denver,
Indiana. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Roach was Adam Van Gundy a very early settler in Carroll county, Indiana,
and one of the prominent citizens of the county during his day and generation, and lived to be a very old man.
Of his children, Nelson W. served as sheriff of Carroll county for two terms. The other children were Willard and
Julia. Mr. and Mrs. William A. Roach have no children.
A director of the Delphi State Bank, of Delphi, William A. Roach is also secretary and treasurer of the Ockley
Lumber & Supply Company, of Ockley, Indiana. Fraternally, he is a member of Mt. Olive Lodge No. 48, Free and
Accepted Masons; the Delphi Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; and Delphi Commandery No. 4o, Knights Templar. He is also
a member of Murat Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Indianapolis. Mr. Roach is now serving as chancellor
commander of Delphi Lodge No. 8o, Knights of Pythias, and is a member of the uniform rank of this lodge. He is
a member of the State Bar Association. Mrs. Roach is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Roach
has served as president of the Methodist Brotherhood of Delphi.
From:
History of Carroll County, Indiana
Its People, Industries and Institutions
By: John C. Odell
B. F. Bowen & Company
Indianapolis 1916
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