Return to the El Dorado County Page Return to El Dorado County TalesWritten by Joanne Burkett from research taken from Paolo Sioli's History of El Dorado County California, from El Dorado Co. birth, marriage, death and land records and often from interviews.
George William Herman Roelke was the son of John and Augusta Rohlke, natives of Hesse, Germany. On May 2, 1829, when George was born, the family was living near Baltimore, Md.
The extent of his education is unknown, but it is known that he learned the cabinet-making trade.
Then, in 1847, when George was just 18 years old, the war with Mexico staged a rude interruption in his life and he went off to fight, serving under General Taylor and General Wolfe.
Upon his discharge, he journeyed to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he met and married Caroline Augusta Boda, a German girl who was two years his senior. While in Cincinnati, George called upon his cabinet-making skills to earn a living, then the California gold rush hit and George got the itch.
In January 1852, the couple sailed for California, via the Panama route. On May 8, the ship docked in San Francisco and they headed for Placerville, where George used his cabinetry skills to make long toms for himself and the other gold miners. There he and Caroline remained throughout that year and the following year as well.
The year 1854 was notable for the young couple because of the birth of their son, John William. Also, sometime that year they moved to Kelsey, where George continued building his business for the next five years. Another son, James Edwin, was born in 1858 and then, in 1859, George took his family and relocated at Spanish Flat.
Elsewhere that same year, a baby girl was born who would connect and reconnect with this family for the next six decades or longer, becoming an integral part of it. Her name was Martha. She was the daughter of James T. Porter. James and his wife and children, including Martha, can be found in the 1870 census, living in El Dorado County.
The years marched on. George continued to mine. He also farmed, was a blacksmith, built a mill and even ran a hotel, the old Parker House, for a time, located between Kelsey and Georgetown. Apparently, though, the hotel did not enjoy a long life under George's care because later records show him as a farmer and the builder of a fine home in 1880.
A baby girl, Sophia E., was born in 1863, followed two years later by Caroline (Carrie) A. According to Paolo Sioli's History of El Dorado County, George and Caroline had another daughter, Henrietta C. as well.
Around 1870, George became justice of the peace and he became active in the area's schools as well as some of the area's fraternal organizations, namely the Odd Fellows and the Masons.
Over the years, George and his family continued to purchase land in El Dorado County. George filed deeds in 1864, 1873, 1886 (from the Central Pacific Railroad), 1898, and 1905. Several parcels were also deeded to Caroline between 1896 and 1905. Son John signed five deeds between 1896 and 1906.
In 1878 -- on Oct. 27 -- George's daughter Henrietta married John W. Reese. Sophia married Preston Smith on Aug. 28, 1891 and then, on Dec. 12, 1894, Martha Porter joined the family when she married James.
James must have died sometime before 1910, because on the 1910 census, Martha is shown in the household of George, who is listed now as 81 years of age. She is listed as "daughter-in-law." Caroline's name does not appear, so she may have died.
More years pass. It is the 1930 census and there she is: Martha, age 71. Now, she is the wife of her former brother-in-law, John W. Roelke. No mention of George. I'm assuming he is gone by now, but I haven't found a death record for him or Caroline.
Permission is granted by the author to use or republish this article, but proper attribution to the author -- Joanne Burkett -- is requested.
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Last Updated on: 11 January 2004