THE ROHRER FAMILY
Union Cemetery in Greensburg PA 

According to the cemetery listing of Union Cemetery in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Frederick Rohrer Sr. died in Greensburg, PA at the age of 83, which would make his birth year 1742.  His wife is buried next to him, Catherine E. Deemer, who died at the age of 85 on 12 March 1829.  My Grandmother, Clara Rohrer, who was born in Washington County, Maryland on 26 March 1883 and died on 14 March 1910, is also buried in Union Cemetery.  Her married name was Clara Harris. Clara Harris (Rohrer)'s Mother was Barbara (Jones) (Not verified) yet.  She was a direct descendent of Frederick Rohrer.  Her Father's name was William Rohrer born about 1852 in Sharpsburg MD.

Also buried in Union Cemetery 

Frederick A. Rohrer   He died at 88 yrs of age on 13 January 1882 in Greensburg. Originally buried in St. Clair Cemetery and moved on 28 Oct 1891 to Union Cemetery.  His birth would probably be in 1794.

Frederick A. Rohrer   He died when he was only 34 yrs old.  His date of death was 31 March 1889 in Greensburg PA.  Originally buried in St. Clair Cemetery and moved on 26 Oct 1891.  He was probably born in 1855.

Elizabeth C. Rohrer She died on 20 April 1909 at the age of 84.  She was born probably in 1825.

There is another person buried in the Rohrer Plot:

Amanda Williams She died at 84 years of age on 15 April 1916.  She was probably a Rohrer and was born about 1832.

The people who are caretakers at the Cemetery have verified this information.  I was born and raised in that area of Pennsylvania.  I have traced my Grandmother's family to Frederick Rohrer Sr. who was born in Alsace-Lorraine (Part of France) in 1742.

Charles Harris  

I sent you the information on Frederick Rohrer quite a while back.  The list of Children that I obtained from the History of Washington County Maryland may be incorrect.  Since that time I have discovered that the History may have confused or inter-mingled two Rohrer Families.  Since that time I have received a copy of a Will from another Researcher and that Will is for a Frederick Rohrer who passed away in 1832 in Washington County MD.  I find that this particular F. Rohrer was born in 1755.  It lists his children as:
Magdalene who married John May.
Christian - was born in Washington Co MD in 1790 and moved to Ohio in 1836 and died in Ohio in 1862 .
David - Founder of Rohrersville
Frederick Jr
Susannah - I believ she married a George Thomas
Mary - married George Keefauver
Jonathan
An article I located about Christian states that his Father Frederick born 1755 was the son of Samuel Rohrer.
I believe the Farm that was owned by Samuel, Frederick and then Christian was sold to DD Keedy which was located in Pleasant Valley near Rohrersville.  I also believe that a daughter of Frederick Rohrer (Born in 1755) by the name of Betsy Rohrer is buried on this farm and that some of the other Researchers are getting this Rohrer Family mixed with the Frederick Rohrer (Born in 1742, died in Greensburg PA Sep 21, 1825). Indications that this F. Rohrer lived in Hagerstown MD and may have been a Tavern or owner of an Inn.
 
As for the individual that sent you the article stating that Frederick Rohrer and his Daughter Betsy are buried in Washington County MD.  Well, I also believe that the Son of Frederick Rohrer (b. 1755), Frederick Rohrer Jr married a Betsy Thomas and this is the Frederick and Betsy that are buried in Washinfton County MD.
 
I have verified the fact that F.A. Rohrer and his Wife Catherine (Deemer) Rohrer are buried in Union Cemetery in Greensburg PA and the dates that I submitted to youe arlier are correct dates.  Some researchers have the death date of F. A. Rohrer as 1823.  The records of the Cemetery list it as 1825.  My Grandmother Clara (Rohrer) Harris, b. 1883, d. 1910 is also buried in Union Cemetery.
 
Please delete the list of Children that I initially sent you for Frederick Rohrer and Catherine Deemer.
 
His Will which is on file in Greenburg PA only lists the following Children:
Elizabeth who married John Fleegar (2d Husband) (They are also buried in Union Cemetery Greensburg PA)
                                             Fredereick J. Cope (1st Husband)
George
He also had a son Frederick who died in 1794 - probably in Greenburg PA.
The Will aslo mentions a Son In Law in Indiana named Peter Kinter.  This indicates one of his Daughters was married to him.  It does not mention any other names, but I do know that there were other children.
   
Charles Harris


A note from Shirley  -  I happen to live close enough to Washington County, MD and I went there to do my own research.  The information I had found in Washington County, MD, and the information I had from Westmoreland County indicated to me the information he had published from "The History of Washington Co., MD" was very suspect.  I wrote him once again telling him of my analysis.  He then told me that another Rohrer (see below) researcher had proved to him that he had confused the two Frederick Rohrers.  He is descended from one of the Rohrer families in Washington County, MD.

Note from Gen Forum  -  "The History of Washington Co., MD is incorrect. (there are many errors...).  I sent all the corrections on this line to Mr. Neal of KY after he published Vol. I on the Rohrers. He was kind to mention me when he printed Vol. 2, correcting the errors "lifted" from the History of Washington Co., MD. 1906.  The correct Frederick Rohrer is buried next to his daughter "Betsy" Thomas... one would of thought this fact would of made it easy to see that the Frederick in PA was indeed the wrong one."


From "A HISTORY of WASHINGTON COUNTY MARYLAND", by Thomas J. C. Williams, published in 1968.
Page 963.     From the Maryland Historical Society, Library of Maryland History.
 
My rationale for the two Frederick Rohrers being related is that Frederick A. Rohrer immigrated from Alsace-Loraine, went to York, PA where he married Catherine Deemer and then went to Elizabethtown/Hagerstown, MD.  A Rohrer(If memory serves me, a Jacob Rohrer) built what is known as Rohrer's Addition to Elizabethtown.  That gentleman was a Brewer.  This gentleman had a son, Frederick Rohrer who was a farmer.   Frederick A. Rohrer was a tavern keeper in Elizabethtown/Hagerstown.  He continued to buy lots in Elizabethtown/Hagerstown.  He seemed either to be a land speculator or a land agent for other people.  He traveled throughout the frontier purchasing land and then selling it, or deeding it to other persons.  Prior to his leaving Elizabethtown/Hagerstown for Greensburg, he sold all of his properties in the town.  His son and at least three of his daughters were living in Greensburg.  In his will he left all of his lands in KY and ?Tennessee?.....to two sons-in-law.

Frederick Rohrer, who was born in France, July 28, 1742 was the progenitor of the Rohrer Family, which founded Rohrersville, and after which the District of Rohrersville was named.  He emigrated to America during the war between France and England (1754-1763).  In 1766 he married  Catherine Deemer in York County, PA., and soon after removed to Hagerstown, ten years before Washington County was formed. The same year, 1766, he visited the western country, going as far as Pittsburg, then composed of a few Indian huts.  He took a number of cattle with him, which he traded with Gen. Arthur St. Clair for a tract of land in the Ligonier Valley.  Leaving his family in Hagerstown, in 1767, he took over the mountains the first wheat ever imported into that country.  Frederick Rohrer obtained a warrant for all that tract of land on the Conemaugh river on which salt has been made; he was the first to discover those immense springs of salt water.  He boiled the first salt in an earthen pot, and traded it to the Indians, then the only inhabitants of Westmoreland County, PA.  In 1771, with his family, he removed back to Hagerstown, being unable to live any longer among the hostile Indians.  Here he remained until 1793, when he removed to Greensburg, Westmoreland County, PA., and remained  there until his death, September 21, 1825. Cathereine his wife died on March 12, 1829 at the age of 83 years at which time they had nine living children, forty-two grand-children and seventeen great grand-children. They are both buried near Greensburg PA in the Old Union Cemetery, Hempfield Townshsip, Westmoreland County PA.

There is another paragraph pertaining to the David Rohrer Family and about Rohrersville MD.  The only thing I can find wrong was the number of children  If you count them its 11.  The last paragraph has 9 and if Frederick Jr died in 1794 then it would be 8.  Up to 1794 he had 9 living, after that he only had 8.  I think the writer may have made a mistake.

The information pertaining to Westmoreland County is the part that I thought you may be interested in.

C. E. Harris