Johnson Hindin Genealogy


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Ernst (Ernest) ROHRKASTE

Male 1823 - 1904


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Born  28 Mar 1823  Hanover Province, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Ernst may have been born on March 23, 1823.
    Gender  Male 
    Died  3 May 1904  Mt. Washington, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried  6 May 1904  St. Paul's Cem., Mt. Oliver, Allegheny Co., Pittsburgh, Penn. Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID  I784  Johnson Hindin Tree
    Last Modified  9 Jun 2015 

    Father  Frederick Christian Gottlieb ROHRKASTE,   b. 22 May 1796, Helpsen Nr. 7, near Meerbeck, Germany (probable) Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 14 Feb 1884, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mother  Eleanora WIGGRAVIER,   b. Abt 1803,   d. 1877, Pittsburg, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID  F702  Group Sheet

    Family  Sophia Dorothea STOLTE,   b. 31 Jan 1825, Wendthagen, Schaumburg-Lippe, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 Jun 1915, Mt. Washington, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Married  27 Jul 1850  Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Children 
     1. Carolina Louise Sophia ROHRKASTE,   b. 19 Nov 1852, South Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1877, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location
     2. F. William ROHRKASTE,   b. 8 Nov 1854, South Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 20 Apr 1906
     3. August Edward ROHRKASTE,   b. 26 May 1857, South Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1 Jul 1896, South Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location
     4. Herman Adolph ROHRKASTE,   b. 11 May 1860, South Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 21 Jan 1904, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location
     5. Louis Herman ROHRKASTE,   b. 5 Nov 1862, South Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 Jun 1904
     6. Johann Friedrich ROHRKASTE,   b. 28 May 1865, South Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 Mar 1904
     7. Frederick G. ROHRKASTE,   b. 5 Mar 1868, South Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 Sep 1955
     8. Christian Carl ROHRKASTE,   b. 4 Apr 1873, South Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 Feb 1955
     9. Ernest Frederick ROHRKASTE,   b. Jun 1851, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
    Family ID  F265  Group Sheet

  • Notes 
    • Ernst received a common school education in Germany. He left school at 24 years old, emigrating in 1846. He sailed from Bremen to New York

      According to Jordan, John W., "A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People, v. III, Lewis Publishing Company (1908), Ernest sailed from Bremen to New York, the voyage taking ten weeks. He then went to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he knew some friends, but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after one year. For four years he worked in a foundry.

      In 1850, he was employed in the Bennette Soda works in Brownstown, but later moved to Fourteenth Street, Southside, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he operated a grocery business. In 1859, he built a house and store on Thirteenth Street, where he conducted business until 1869, when he moved to the corner of Twenty-third and Carson Streets. In addition to his grocery business, he was for a time interested in the Empire Laundry, which was later operated by his son Frederick G. Rohrkaste. In 1891, Ernest retired from business and was succeed by his sons. At that time, he moved to Boggs Avenue on Mt. Washington, where he later died. He was an astute businessman and a man of strict integrity. Politically, he was a lifelong Republican. He and his wife were members of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church on Eighteenth Street, Southside, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

      The following obituary was published in the May 4, 1904 edition of The Pittsburgh Press:

      Ernest Stolte

      After a residence of over 60 years on the South Side, during which he saw the borough of Biringham grow into an important section of Pittsburg, Ernest Rohrkaste, aged 82, died last night at the family residence [unreadable] Boggs avenue, Mr. Washington. During the holidays he contracted a cold which resulted in a general breakdown. During the years that followed the annexation of Birmingham to the city Mr. Rohrkaste took an active part in its affairs and represented the Twenty-fifth ward in councils for a number of terms. Mr. Rohrkaste was born in Hanover province, Germany in 1822, and came to this country when a young man. He settled on the South Side, where he entered the grocery business. For 40 consecutive years he continued the business and was well known throughout that part of the city. Mr. Rohrkaste retired 14 year ago. He son, Christ Rohrkaste, continues the store opened by his father. Shortly after coming to Pittsburg he married Miss Sophia Stolte, a South Side girl, who survives at the age of 80 years. Five children, William, retired; Herman, in the restaurant business on Carson street; Louis H., bookkeeper for the Pittsburg Brewing Co.; Frederick G., in the laundry business, and Christ, survive. Mr. Rohrkaste was a member of the Lutheran Church.

      He was living at 157 Boggs Ave. when he died.

  • Sources 
    1. [S46] According to Jordan, John W., "A Century and a Hal.

    2. [S697] Colleen Northrup, McCurdy Northrup Family Lines.