Samuel Bergstresser Romberger

Samuel B. Romberger, was born in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 9 August 1845. He is a son of Daniel Romberger and Hannah [Bergstresser] Romberger. His grandfather, Adam Romberger, was twice married, and had twenty-three children, of whom, seventeen, three sons and fourteen daughters grew to maturity and were married. Adam Romberger died at Uniontown [Pillow] Pennsylvania, in 1868, aged ninety-three, leaving an estate valued at $40,000. His second wife preceded him a few years in death. His descendants are numerous, numbering at the time of his death 542, and are scattered over Dauphin County.

Daniel Romberger, father of Samuel B. Romberger, was born in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 19 February 1816. He was brought up as a farmer, and was married in his native place. He settled on a farm in Berrysburg, where he died 29 July 1882. His wife died in Elizabethville in 1889. Their children were: Adam Romberger, born 21 August 1839, farmer, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania; Edward Romberger, born 30 July 1841, farmer on the old homestead in Washington Township; Cyrus Romberger, born 14 July 1843, retired farmer and merchant, Elizabethville; Samuel B. Romberger; Josiah Romberger, born 9 October 1847, with the Reading Railroad Company at Shamokin, Pennsylvania; John A. Romberger, born 21 April 1850, grain, coal and lumber dealer, Elizabethville; H. Howard Romberger, born 12 July 1853, merchant, Gratz, formerly an Evangelical preacher; Alfred D. Romberger, born 9 October 1854, died 15 September 1857.

Samuel B. Romberger was of German descent on his father’s side, and on his mother’s Scotch-Irish. He attended school in his native place until he was nine years old, when the family removing to Washington Township his education was finished in the common schools there. In his seventeenth year he began an apprenticeship at tanning with Isaiah Matters at Uniontown [Pillow], Pennsylvania. He served three years, during which time he received $175, which was $10 in excess of the original contract. He worked at his trade a year and a half in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. He then formed a partnership with Reuben Weiser and established a tanyard at Green Briar, Northumberland County, and continued in business there two and a half years. At the end of this time he bought the tanyard known as Stine’s Plant, above Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He operated this plant for fourteen years, having sold the one at Green Briar.

In the spring of 1883, Mr. Romberger disposed of his property in Lykens Township and located at Elizabethville, where he at first operated a tannery, but later relinquished the business of tanning and dealt in hides and tallow. In 1892 he took into partnership his two sons, Daniel W. Romberger and Penrose C. Romberger. This is the pioneer firm in their business in this county; there are but two larger dealers in the state. They are operating branches at Wilkes-Barre, and Tyrone, Pennsylvania.

Samuel B. Romberger was married at Green Briar, Pennsylvania, to Miss Sarah Jane Brower, born in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, 29 October 1847, daughter of Nathan Brower and Carolyn [Troutman] Brower. Their children are:

Daniel W. Romberger, born in Lykens Township, 23 February 1870, was educated in the common schools of Gratz and Elizabethville, married Sadie Gotshall, has three boys, Melvin C. Romberger, Harold L. Romberger, and Lawrence Romberger;

Penrose C. Romberger, born in Lykens Township in 1872, first attended the common schools of his native township and Elizabethville, at seventeen years of age he entered the West Chester State Normal School, and took a commercial course, and then became traveler for the firm in Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, and Virginia;

Ella A. Romberger, born 18 July 1874, married 11 February 1896, to Ammon W. Krebs, resides with her father;

Ira P. Romberger, born in 1875, carries on a branch of his father’s business at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania;

Ella J. Romberger, born in 1878, at home.

Mr. Romberger is a Republican. He is president of Lykens Valley Fire Insurance Company, director of Lykens Valley Telegraph and Telephone Company, and of the Elizabethville Water Company. He is a member and a steward of the Evangelical church and a director of the Maple Grove Cemetery Association, of Elizabethville, Pennsylvania.