One Township's Yesterdays Chapter XXIX  

ROMIG

It was some time before 1840, so the early census reports say, that DANIEL ROMIG came to this township and settled on the land. He seems to have been the first to locate in that southwestern corner of the township. The late 'thirties must have witnessed his arrival there.

Not a great deal is known hereabouts concerning the very remote history of the ROMIG family, and not so very much either concerning the genealogy, life, affairs and movements of the ROMIGs prior to their coming to Union Township. Fortunately, we have been able to get in touch with a descendant, living not far distant, who has been competent to supply some of the information desired. This obliging person is IDEN S. ROMIG, of the South Bend law firm of Romig & Johannes.

Speaking of the beginnings of the ROMIG family in America, IDEN ROMIG says, "Our ancestor came to this country in 1732. He took boat at Rotterdam and, no doubt, came from the Palatinate in Germany, (Incidentally, the Palatinate included some of the Saar region, to which great interest has been directed of late by reason of the plebiscite, an event of epochal.)

The early ROMIGs settled in Pennsylvania, where there are many still living, though there are many also in New York and Delaware. From Pennsylvania, our great-grandfather JESSE ROMIG went to Seneca County, Ohio, and from that county our grandfather, JOHN ROMIG, came to the old farm southwest of Maxinkuckee Lake.

He received title to eighty acres of the farm on which he lived and died, from his father, JESSE ROMIG, by deed dated April 8, 1848. This deed is recorded in Deed Record "H", Page 11; it was about a year before grandfather's family moved to this place. He had other lands situated in the same locality, a part of which he bought from his brother, DANIEL ROMIG, who was the father of Aunt SARAH PARKER, who was the mother of SAMUEL PARKER, now of South Bend.

"Uncle Daniel, I think, lived there at the time that grandfather and grandmother and the family came out. I can remember hearing my father say that he was eight years old when they came and he was born January 27, 1841. I often heard my father say that grandfather thought he was in the vicinity of Uncle Daniel's home when the night came on the day on which they arrived. Grandfather had been told that Uncle Daniel kept hounds and that the hounds could be heard a long distance; that they stopped and grandfather whistled through his hands, a habit which he had and by which he could be heard afar. In response to his whistle the hounds started their baying and the family knew they were close to their destination, which they made then after knowing the location."

DANIEL ROMIG, whose name in the 'seventies was sometimes spelled ROMACK, doubtless was the first of the family to come to this section. It was he who came in the 'thirties. A township map, published in the 'seventies, shows no lands then in his name. Evidently the map was drawn after he sold out and went to Ohio. The map gives other ROMIG lands in the Zion neighborhood. Land around Zion Church and west of it, in Section 30, was at that time in the name of J. ROMIG and consisted of 120 acres. Below it there was a parcel of forty acres, also J. ROMIG's property.

IDEN ROMIG continues He informs us that "Uncle DANIEL ROMIG, after selling out, moved to Ohio but later came back to Indiana and is buried in the cemetery north and east of Plymouth." The family historian adds: "It is my recollection that he was born in 1800. Grandfather Romig was born some years later." He died in 1884 and was buried in Zion Cemetery.

"On our grandmother's side," says IDEN ROMIG, "her people came from Germany or Switzerland. I rather think they were Swiss. In Lucerne, Switzerland, I saw the name of SCHOCH on a store and I talked with the proprietor and was told that they were Swiss but spoke the German language. Grandmother had a brother, GEORGE SCHOCH, who lived and died near Coldwater, Michigan, and a brother, WILLIAM SCHOCH, who lived and died in Bellevue, Ohio. I remember seeing both of them. MABLE CHRISTILAW of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is writing a book on the SCHOCH side of the house." Information concerning the family has been given her by Mr. ROMIG and members of the family in and around Culver.

Grandfather ROMIG's given name was John. His wife was ANNA SCHOCH. W. S. EASTERDAY gives the information that JOHN ROMIG was an orphan boy, who in his youth performed a very noble act. He once saved the life of a girl from burning. Later he married her. She was his first wife. ANNA SCHOCH became his second wife.

The members of the family of John Romig are given by Iden Romig, who says:

Aaron, who was a half-brother, came first
JULIA KRAUSS died in Bellevue, Ohio
Abram then my father,(who was known as Uncle Abe)

died on a farm west of Argos, August 29, 1892
Henry [was] next, AUSTIN ROMIG's father,
Solomon Of this family only remains and he is at Marshall, Michigan.
boy who died practically in infancy

choking to death on a bean which he swallowed and which lodged in his larynx
boy who died practically in infancy

was a little toddler who fell backwards into a tub of hot water which grandmother was using in scrubbing the floor.

Dates of birth and death were unknown to our informant, IDEN ROMIG, who has been able to supply some information of real value to us. He has remembered some things which younger people in the ROMIG family, or rather group of related families, are not in position to tell about. Speaking of the farm in the southwestern part of the township owned by his grandfather, JOHN ROMIG, he states that this farm was sold after Grandfather ROMIG's death.

In the Zion or Kaley neighborhood, the ROMIGs were associated with the STAHLs, the WOLFRAMs, the ADLERs, the DITMYERs the MORLOCHs the ZECHIELs. Side by side these families fought their way upward from pioneer beginnings to a state of comparative comfort and economic ease. The old people in these families tell of the many privations and difficulties of the early days. Long distances traveled to mill and market.
'
IDEN ROMIG reminisces: "I remember of hearing grandmother tell of taking wheat to Michigan City to sell and later to Logansport. I remember my father relating that our great-grandfather, JESSE ROMIG, came out to visit them once from Ohio. He came on the train to Fort Wayne and walked from Fort Wayne to grandfather's home."

In conclusion, let us consider that branch of the family which seems to have been the most intimately associated with the affairs of our township from early times to the present day.

That is the branch made up of descendants of HENRY and SARAH JANE (CROMLEY) ROMIG. Henry was a son of JOHN ROMIG, while his wife, Sarah Jane, was a daughter of JOEL and AMELIA (SAMPSELL) CROMLEY, both natives of Pennsylvania. Sarah Jane was a sister of JOHN F. ("NEIGHBOR" CROMLEY), Jacob J., Marion Miles, and MERRITT J. CROMIEY [CROMLEY]. Sarah Jane was a school teacher years ago. She taught at the Mt. Pleasant School.

The children of HENRY ROMIG are:

John Watson, the oldest, of Cass City, Michigan
Nettie, wife of CHARLES ZECHIEL, of Culver
Cora, wife of FRANK EASTERDAY, of Hammond, Indiana
Amelia ("Josie") , wife of ALBERT STAHL, of Culver
Austin of Culver

was born in Starke County, June 6, 1878, and was married to LOUISA ADALINE ZECHIEL
Martha Viola

was born also in Starke County, near Monterey, wife of SYLVESTER A. ZECHIEL, of Culver

Della, who died at the age of sixteen

just after graduation from school in what is now Culver.

WATSON ROMIG was born in Grandfather JOEL CROMLEY's house, near Marmont, February 22, 1869. He married BERTHA PAULINE ZECHIEL; in fact, was married twice. He had three children by his first wife:

Freda Louisa
Grace Viola, Louis Watson
and three by his second wife [ of which is ]:
AMELIA JOHANNA ROMIG

was born in Starke County, May 29, 1875, and was married to ALBERT FREDERICK STAHL