Roling Family Archive

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A machinist’s shop in Salisbury, family gatherings in Quincy, and Bridget’s memories of school and a first date all have a place in the Roling story. Follow the family through Missouri and Illinois, then join the search for an earlier home in Germany, where the proposed connection is still unproved.
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Bob and Bridget’s Children: school years, milestones and personal stories →

Roling albums and stories

Family albums

Shared marriages and later family life connect branches. Original album captions, sources and uncertain identifications remain unchanged.

• Family Photos
• Robert and Bridget’s wedding photographs
• The 1952 wedding-trip album

Stories to explore

• Bob and Bridget’s wedding photographs
• The Roling family reunion of 1975
• The story of J.F. Roling & Son
• People and products in the local paper
• Bob’s Army years
• Bob’s election to Salisbury’s city council
• Bridget’s volunteering at St. Joseph School
• Bob and Bridget’s children: school years and personal stories
• A keepsake from Bob’s school days
• Bob Roling’s Boy Scout years
• A look back at local football
• Room for a growing family
• The family fishing tradition
• Bob and Bridget’s 1952 wedding trip

Complete Family Stories index · Photos & Documents index

The documented American family

John Franklin Roling’s 1947 Missouri death certificate names Bernard Roling as his father and Magdalena Wentz as his mother, and reports that both were born in Germany. This is an important record connecting the Salisbury family with the earlier Quincy household.

Bernard and Magdalena married on January 7, 1855, at St. Boniface in Adams County, Illinois. The diocese’s review of the original register found that neither spouse’s parents were recorded.

The 1900 Quincy census records Bernard and Magdalena under the spelling “Rolling.” Both reported immigration in 1854, and Bernard was marked naturalized. The immigration year is a retrospective report; a passenger vessel has not been identified.

John F. Roling remembered in Quincy

News of John F. Roling’s death reached the city where he had grown up. The Quincy Herald-Whig reported on November 23, 1947 that Frank Roling, 83, had been struck by a train at a crossing between his Salisbury home and business the previous Friday, November 21. The notice recalled his schooling at St. Mary in Quincy, named his late wife as Louise Bickel, and described his work with two sons in the machine-shop and farm-implement business. Read “Frank Roling, Former Quincyan, Killed by Train,” page 18, column 7.

This is a separate report from the Wabash-train clipping preserved by the family. The Quincy article does not name a railroad or train number; the newspaper, issue date and page of the family-held clipping remain unidentified.

Louisa’s parents: Henry Bickel and Anna Budde

Louisa Maria Roling’s parents were Henry Bickel and Anna Budde. They married in Adams County, Illinois, on November 13, 1860. When Louisa died in 1934, her death certificate named Henry and “Anny Budde” as her parents.

By 1870, Henry and Anna were living in Quincy with Pauline, Louisa, William, Martin and Michel. Henry worked as a stonecutter. The census taker wrote their surname as Beckel and listed Henry as 45, born in Prussia, and Anna as 33, born in Oldenburg.

Anna Bickel died in Quincy on October 12, 1901. The newspaper named her late husband Henry and their daughter Louise Roling of Moberly, tying the notice to our family. Her funeral took place October 15 from the family home at 518 Sixth Avenue South, followed by burial at Greenmount Cemetery. Four sons and two daughters attended.

Anna’s notice also named two nieces, Mrs. John Ahern and Mrs. William Schlagenhauf. A 1911 obituary for Eva Stephens Ahern names her mother as Mrs. William Uecke and Mrs. William Schlagenhauf as her half-sister. That makes Eva a strong candidate for the niece in Anna’s notice and gives us a family to follow. Exactly how these women were related to Henry and Anna still needs to be established. Quincy Daily Journal, June 3, 1911, page 3.

We’re still working out how Henry and Anna came to America. An Anna Budde arrived aboard the Ottilie in 1860, and a Joh. Heinr. Bickel associated with Langula appears on the Agnes passenger list in 1848. Both are worth following, but the ages, birthplaces and immigration dates don’t all agree. We can’t yet say these were Louisa’s parents or use those records to name their German parents or hometown.

Sources for Louisa’s parents

Adams County Marriage Record, vol. 1, November 13, 1860, Henry Bickel and Anna Budde; original register image (FamilySearch access may require sign-in). Louisa Maria Roling, Missouri death certificate 23687, July 15, 1934, informant Flora Roling; copy preserved in the family research collection. 1870 U.S. census, Quincy Ward 4, Adams County, Illinois, p. 11, stamped 531, dwelling 80, family 97; original image preserved in the family research collection.

Anna’s death and funeral: Quincy Daily Herald, October 12, 1901, page 8, “Found Her Dead in Bed”, and October 15, 1901, page 4, “Funeral of Mrs. Bickel”. Her reported age and address vary across the newspaper, death register and census records; those differences remain unresolved and do not settle her birth details. The October 12 notice says five children but names six; the funeral report explicitly gives four sons and two daughters.

Migration leads: published Ottilie passenger-list transcription, June 11, 1860, and Agnes passenger-list transcription, November 27, 1848. The passenger names have not yet been tied to this family. The 1870 census does not identify household relationships; Louisa’s death certificate names her parents.

Louisa Roling’s memorial card

A memorial card preserved in the family collection names Louisa Roling and gives her birth as June 17, 1863, and her death as July 15, 1934. A typed family sheet instead gives June 19, 1863, for her birth, while a separate undated family account gives June 1934 for her death. These differences remain unresolved; the dates are retained as each source presents them. The card does not itself establish her maiden name or marriage.

John and Louisa’s marriage

The preserved obituary clipping reports that John F. Roling married Louisa Bickel in Chicago on October 17, 1890. The typed family sheet instead gives a November 1890 marriage in Chicago. The sources disagree, and the date remains unresolved pending an original marriage record.

In the newspapers

William Bickel’s 1928 obituary named a sister, “Mrs. J. F. Roling, of Salisbury, Mo.” It did not give her own name. The notice also named his surviving brothers Fred, Martin of Keokuk, Iowa, and Henry of Peoria, Illinois. These are the newspaper’s reported relationships and places; the notice alone does not identify Henry with another particular Henry Bickel record.

Iowa City Press-Citizen, September 10, 1928, p. 2, fifth text column: “William Bickel Dies on Sunday” — read the original page.

The September 11, 1928 funeral notice, in the same newspaper, p. 2, fifth text column, reports arrangements planned for the following day. It does not confirm that the funeral or burial occurred.

Paulina’s family near Liberty

A 1921 obituary helps follow another likely member of Louisa’s family. Paulina Bickel Felsing died at her home near Liberty, Illinois, on September 1. The notice names her husband William, children Flora Rottmann and Henry Felsing, and daughter Mira Rottmann, who had died about eight and a half months earlier. Its four brothers and one sister closely match the family named when Anna Bickel died in 1901.

There are differences we have not settled. Paulina’s obituary calls her father Martin rather than Henry and places her sister, Mrs. Frank Rolin, in “South Bend, Mo.” Its August 25, 1860 birth date also differs from the census ages. We are keeping those details as printed rather than treating this promising family match as proof of every name and date.

Source: Quincy Whig-Journal, September 1, 1921, page 3, “Mrs. William Felsing, Born in Quincy, Dies at Home Near Liberty”.

Weddings and new households

The shop and the family often appeared in the same newspaper story. When Benjamin Franklin Roling married Katherine Marie Korte in October 1916, the wedding report described him as a mechanic working with his father, J. F. Roling. Ben and Katherine had been friends since childhood and were former schoolmates. Their ceremony at Glasgow’s Catholic church began at 9:30 a.m., with Margaret Korte, Flora Roling, Joseph Roling and John Korte as attendants. A five-course dinner at her parents’ home east of Glasgow was followed by a dance and dinner in Salisbury’s young men’s club rooms above Bertsch Bros. and Huber’s restaurant. They planned to make their home in the former Rose residence on East Second Street.

The following spring it was Joseph’s turn: he and Ida Bange married at St. Joseph Church, with her brother Frank and his sister Agnes standing beside them. A reception at the bride’s home east of town and a dance at the Pastime Club followed. The couple had rented a home on Lafevre Street.

By January 1928, another notice announced Ben’s marriage to Grace Panos in Hannibal. It described him as working with his father and brother, and identified Grace as Fred Ebert’s daughter. These two wedding reports belong to different chapters of Ben’s life; the notices alone do not explain how his first marriage ended.

Agnes Roling and Clarence Widmer’s August 1929 wedding brought the shop into the family news once again. Clarence was a machinist there; Agnes was associated with the Savings Bank. After the ceremony at St. Joseph, fifty guests gathered for dinner at the Roling home. The newlyweds planned to settle into the cottage recently vacated by Ben’s family.

Sources for this story

Salisbury Press-Spectator: October 20, 1916, p. 1 (original page); April 20, 1917, p. 1; January 13, 1928, p. 1; August 23, 1929, p. 1. These are reported weddings; the announced household plans are not proof of completed moves. Newspapers.com may require an account.

The possible Ochtrup connection

An 1820 St. Lambertus baptism records a child from the Wester 45 household in Ochtrup who is the leading German candidate for Quincy Bernard. The records describe a household that used Roling as a house or farm name, alongside the birth surname Kuhlmann.

The connection is probable, not proved. The German household and Quincy Bernard are kept distinct while the evidence is checked. The baptism gives May 27, 1820; a Quincy funeral transcription gives May 20. The difference remains visible rather than being silently resolved.

Explore this branch

Bob Roling’s Boy Scout Years: newspaper articles, 1944–1947.
Newspaper stories: childhood, family gatherings and public service.
Bob Roling from Fort Riley to Trieste: active Army and Reserve service.

John W. “Johnny” Roling: family memories and the wartime records.

Family Photos: view the family photo album. · Browse the complete 1952 wedding-trip album

Bernard Roling and Magdalena Wentz: the American records and the questions about Bernard’s origin.

Wester 45: the Ochtrup household, its names, and the limits of the proposed connection.

J.F. Roling & Son Inc.: the Salisbury business, its people, and memories.

More places in the family story

Map key: Green cards mark a confirmed family event. Amber cards mark a suspected family connection or an unverified tree lead. A record can name a place clearly even when we are still checking whether the person belongs to our family. Open a card to see its map. Pins show approximate town or city centers, not family homes, historical buildings or routes traveled.

Photographs and documents

People’s stories can be linked to photographs and documents, with names, dates when known, captions, and the source of each item. Uncertain identifications will be labeled clearly.

Bridget’s memories

Bridget also caught a prize-winning moment with her camera: little Ron “Having Fun,” her second-place picture-contest snapshot.

Tim remembers going along with Bridget for craft mornings at the old St. Joseph High School, with a little exploring when he felt brave. A 1977 newspaper notice also names Bridget as a contact for the church’s Craft Ladies.

Bridget Morrison Roling’s handwritten memoir preserves her recollections of school, her first date with Bob, and their family life. These stories are drawn from her own account.

Working her way through St. Joe

Bridget attended the one-room Pleyer School before going on to St. Joe High School. When her family moved to the Prairie Hill farm, she could no longer use the same school bus. Determined to continue at St. Joe, she found a place to live and work with Dr. and Mrs. Hawkins. She remembered earning $3 a week while tuition cost $3 a month, or $27 a year. Her school days included a trip back to prepare the doctor’s lunch, followed by housework and supper after classes. The work enabled her to finish high school.

A Christmas party and a gold deer pin

Bridget remembered her first date with Bob at a Boy Scout Christmas party in the scout cabin at the city park. Each scout was to bring a date and a gift. There was a decorated tree, refreshments and music for dancing. In the margin of her account, she identified Bob’s gift as a gold deer pin. The evening brought her first Christmas party, first dance and first good-night kiss. Even the muddy walk home remained part of a happy memory.

Home and family

Looking back on their early married life, Bridget placed their home at 407 College in Salisbury. Her later memories included Bob’s love of farms, ponds and fishing, an enthusiasm she did not share. She closed her account by remembering their “49 good years together” and the pleasure they took in their family.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling’s family-held handwritten memoir, pp. 7, 11–12, 15–16, 29 and 34. Browse the Boy Scout newspaper articles. The Christmas-party reports have not yet been matched to the first-date memory.

Room for a growing family

Bob and Bridget’s home at 407 S. College had two bedrooms. When their sixth child, Jane Maria, was born, they moved next door to 211 West 4th Street. The five-bedroom, two-story house became the home where they raised their children, and they lived there for the rest of their lives.

Source: family recollection recorded in October 2026. The year of the move has not been established.

A fishing tradition, passed down

Fishing trips were a family tradition that carried from Joe Roling’s generation to Bob’s. Family memories recall Joe taking his children to Bull Shoals Lake and the White River, sometimes joined by Frank Roling, Ben’s son and Johnny’s brother. Bob later took his own children, with stays over many years at Gaston’s Resort and dock and, later, Newlands trout dock in northern Arkansas.

Source: family recollection recorded in October 2026. The dates of the remembered trips are not established. The newspaper notices below document Bull Shoals Lake and Table Rock-area outings; the White River and resort details remain family recollections.

1956 and 1959 · Fishing trips in the newspapers

A November 1956 notice reported that Alvin Monnig, Joe Roling, Frank Roling and Bob Roling had spent a weekend fishing at Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas and had a successful catch.

A separate notice in May 1959 described a Table Rock-area trip by Alvin Monnig, Joe Roling, Bob Roling, Frank Roling and Maurice Tebbe. It reported their return “last Thursday,” with poor weather early in the week followed by good fishing on Wednesday and Thursday.

These are two distinct newspaper reports. Neither identifies a resort or states the men’s family relationships; the relative day references do not establish exact trip dates.

Sources: “Fish In Arkansas,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, November 16, 1956, page 1; “Took Fishing Trip,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 1, 1959, page 7. Newspaper titles, issue dates and pages are shown in the supplied screenshots’ viewer headers. Family-held screenshots; exact original-page URLs have not been established.

November 1959 · Deer and fish in southern Missouri. A third, separate notice reported that Joe, Ben and Bob Roling and Al Monnig were getting deer and fish in southern Missouri. It gives no exact trip dates or more specific location, and does not establish that Al is the Alvin Monnig named in the earlier reports.

Source: “Get Deer And Fish,” Moberly Monitor-Index and Moberly Evening Democrat, November 14, 1959, page 8. Family-held screenshot; publication title, date and page from the newspaper viewer. An exact original-page URL has not been established.

A week in the Ozarks

Joe Roling also went fishing with friends from Salisbury’s business and professional community. An undated clipping lists him among ten men who left on a Sunday for a week in the Ozarks. His companions included Frank Nagel, Harry Jacobs, Oscar Horton and Elmer Bills. The notice names no particular lake or resort.

Source: “Businessmen to Ozarks for Fishing Trip,” family-held newspaper clipping, page 1. Its publication date and full newspaper heading are cropped; the visible heading is consistent with the Salisbury Press-Spectator. The missing date prevents us from securely matching it to the dated outings above.

Remembering her cousin Alvin

In her memoir, Bridget called Alvin Kunkel “our first cousin” and remembered that he was buried at sea. The 1940 census, the Navy’s casualty list and earlier Kunkel family records strongly support identifying him as the son of Fidelus Kunkel, brother of Bridget’s mother, Barbara. [A1] Original Navy muster records place Alvin Fidelus Kunkel aboard USS South Dakota; service number 3385018 links those records to his American Battle Monuments Commission entry. The ship’s May 1945 report of changes records his burial at sea on May 6, 1945. ABMC separately records that date as his date of death. The records reviewed do not establish his individual cause of death. [A2–A3]

Sources for Alvin’s story

[A1] Bridget Morrison Roling, family-held handwritten memoir, p. 23; 1940 U.S. census, Bee Branch Township, Chariton County, Missouri, ED 21-1, sheet 6B, household 123, lines 59–65; Navy, State Summary of War Casualties from World War II for Missouri (1946), p. 14; 1910 U.S. census, Bee Branch Township, ED 26, sheet 8A, dwelling 113, family 114; Fidelus Kunkel, Missouri death certificate, 1956.

1940 original (Ancestry; account may be required)

Navy casualty original

1910 original

Fidelus death original

[A2] USS South Dakota, muster roll for quarter ending June 30, 1944, p. 33; report of changes for period ending May 31, 1945, p. 6, corresponding row 4 in both tables. National Archives, RG 24, NAID 594996; digital images in Ancestry, collection 1143.

June 1944 original (Ancestry; account may be required)

May 1945 original (Ancestry; account may be required)

[A3] American Battle Monuments Commission, Alvin F. Kunkel, record 174414, official downloaded metadata, retrieved October 13, 2026: service 3385018, death date May 6, 1945, missing status Buried At Sea, Honolulu Memorial, Court 3. Official burial search

Bridget’s service to St. Joseph School

A newspaper clipping kept by the family reports that Bridget Roling received a Senior Service Award from Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder for volunteering at St. Joseph School. The award was presented during a school assembly. The family identifies the newspaper as the Salisbury Press-Spectator; the publication date remains unknown.

Source: family-held clipping headed “Receives Senior Service Award.”

A keepsake from Bob’s school days

A May 1950 newspaper report places Robert Roling among eight graduates of St. Joseph High School. Read beside the family’s preserved salutatorian keepsake, it gives Bob’s school years a firm place in the newspaper record. The article also lists Virginia Lee Roling, without explaining their relationship.

Source: “Eight Graduate St. Joseph High,” Moberly Monitor-Index and Moberly Evening Democrat, May 27, 1950, p. 4. The newspaper confirms the graduation; the medal’s identification as Bob’s follows the family collection.

Bob Roling from Fort Riley to Trieste

Active Army service 1953–1955 and Army Reserve service through 1961

Robert Eugene “Bob” Roling’s Army papers trace two years of active service, followed by an Army Reserve obligation that ended in 1961. Orders, a family photograph and his later questionnaires connect those years with Fort Riley, Trieste and Italy. [1, 3–7, 9]

Training at Fort Riley

A Selective Service letter dated February 10, 1953, instructed Bob to report on March 11 for forwarding to the induction station. His Army separation record gives March 12, 1953, as his actual induction date at Kansas City, Missouri. [1–2]

By July, Bob was a trainee in Company K, 86th Infantry Regiment, 10th Infantry Division, at Fort Riley, Kansas. A photograph preserved by the family carries the handwritten caption “Bob at Fort Riley” and the year 1953. [3–4]

Orders for Trieste

On July 14, 1953, orders directed Bob through Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, for shipment to Trieste United States Troops, known as TRUST. They called for travel to begin July 20 and for him to report at Camp Kilmer by August 4. These were planned movements; the papers do not establish his arrival date in Trieste. [3]

A later family recollection headed “Bridget Morrison Roling” recalls Bob being stationed in Trieste. His signed Army Reserve questionnaires also record residence in Italy, reporting sixteen months in 1956 and fifteen months in 1957. The differing estimates are preserved in the record. [5–6]

Two brothers meet in Italy

Army service took Bob to Trieste, while Navy service brought his brother Dick to the Mediterranean aboard the destroyer USS Rooks. For two days, their paths crossed in La Spezia, Italy. A newspaper clipping saved by the family reported that Bob had moved from Trieste to Leghorn and was awaiting his next assignment when the brothers met.

It was a little piece of home a long way from Salisbury: two brothers serving in different branches, with a chance to spend time together overseas.

Source

Family-preserved “News Of Service Men” clipping. The report names Robert and Richard Roling as sons of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Roling and says they spent two days together in La Spezia. Its publication date is not visible.

Two cards from Bob’s Army years

Bob kept two small cards that show another side of Army life. His Fort Riley liberty pass, issued April 11, 1953, covered “Normal Off Duty Hours.” A separate TRUST card, issued July 3, 1954, authorized him to wear civilian clothes during off-duty hours. One concerned time off; the other concerned what he could wear. Neither card identifies the La Spezia reunion as its purpose.

A ride to church and Sunday dinner

Tim remembers Hugh Paul Farnen telling him about the time he was stationed in Alabama while Bob and Bridget were there. Hugh Paul did not have a car, so on Sundays they would take him to church, then bring him back to their apartment for dinner. It was a small kindness that Hugh Paul still remembered years later.

The Farnen family appears beside the Rolings in a 1968 newspaper birth column. Hugh Paul and Gladys’s son, Steven Paul Farnen, later served as an Army Reserve specialist with the 477th Transportation Company. He was 22 when an Iraqi Scud missile struck U.S. Army barracks at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on February 25, 1991, killing him during Operation Desert Storm.

Sources: Tim Roling’s recollection of conversations with Hugh Paul Farnen, shared in October 2026; Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1968 birth announcement preserved in the family archive; Congressional Record, February 27, 2001, page H427; U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum memorial roster.

Release from active service and the Reserve years

Bob was a corporal when he was honorably released from active service at Camp Rucker, Alabama, on March 11, 1955. His separation record names Company M, 351st Regimental Combat Team, at Camp Rucker as his most significant duty assignment. The full dates and locations of his Company M service remain to be established. [1]

The same record lists the National Defense Service Medal and two years of active service, including one year, three months and thirteen days of foreign and/or sea service. That total does not establish an exact length of residence in Italy. [1, 6]

His transfer to the Army Reserve took effect on March 12, 1955. A March 1956 letter designated him for emergency reinforcement if mobilization became necessary. On April 8, 1961, he was honorably discharged from the Army Reserve. [7–9]

The Blue Devil and the setting of his service

The family preserved the September 1954 Blue Devil Souvenir Edition, a contemporary view of TRUST. Page 15 describes the command’s headquarters at Miramare; page 20 presents the 351st Infantry and its battalion installations. These pages provide historical context for Bob’s story. No reviewed readable caption identifies him, and the souvenir does not establish his barracks or his participation in the activities described below. [10]

Training could take soldiers well beyond Trieste. A photograph on page 23 shows a convoy assembling at Soldiers’ Field for the three-day journey to Grafenwohr, Germany. Its caption describes annual training that combined several days of firing practice with exercises at platoon, company and battalion level. The same page also shows Second Battalion soldiers cleaning weapons after firing at Basovizza, giving a glimpse of the work that followed a day on the range. [10, p. 23]

In downtown Trieste, Stazione Marittima gathered many everyday services under one roof. It housed APO 209, the command’s Army post office, along with the main post exchange, bowling alleys and the Sugar Bowl, which served everything from drinks to full meals. Upstairs, the Service Club offered a library, a reading room with current magazines and a game room. These facilities show how TRUST supported ordinary routines alongside military duties. [10, p. 24]

The souvenir also records places to spend time after duty. Page 26 describes year-round competition at Soldiers’ Field in Opicina and shows a soldier band at the First Battalion’s Tiger Terrace and open-air tables at the Second Battalion’s Patio Club. At Soldiers’ Beach on the Adriatic at Sistiana, the following page describes swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball and other recreation. Dressing rooms and almost all equipment were provided free of charge. [10, pp. 26–27]

Sources

The following papers and photograph are held in the family collection.

[1] Robert Eugene Roling, DD Form 214, March 11, 1955.

[2] Selective Service Board No. 21, Chariton County, letter, February 10, 1953.

[3] Headquarters 10th Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Special Orders No. 162, July 14, 1953, paragraph 65 and continuation.

[4] Family photograph annotated “1953” and “Bob at Fort Riley.” Identification follows the family caption.

[5] Family recollection headed “Bridget Morrison Roling.” The writing date and authorship of added annotations are unestablished.

[6] Signed Army Reserve Qualification and Availability Questionnaires, April 29, 1956, and January 25, 1957. Italy residence is recorded as sixteen and fifteen months, respectively.

[7] Camp Rucker Reserve transfer letter and signed continuation, effective March 12, 1955.

[8] Missouri Military District, Emergency Reinforcement Designation, March 30, 1956. This concerns a possible mobilization assignment, not active-duty National Guard service.

[9] Headquarters XI United States Army Corps, Army Reserve discharge letter, April 8, 1961.

[10] The Blue Devil, September 1954 Souvenir Edition, pp. 15, 20, 23–24 and 26–27. The reviewed family copy now contains all 28 issue pages, including pages 10 and 11. Collection review, October 2026.

School and college stories now have a separate home in Bob and Bridget’s Children.

Ron’s campus leadership →

Linda’s campus organizations →

Jane’s Mizzou commencement listing →

Seven sisters, seven glimpses

Joe Roling’s 1971 obituary names seven daughters: Ida Mae, Mildred, Evelyn, Jeanne, Helen, Rita and Carol. Earlier newspapers let us meet them at school, on stage and on their wedding days. Each notice catches just one moment, but together they bring a busy Salisbury family into view.

Ida Mae at commencement

In May 1935, Ida Mae Roling was one of nine St. Joseph High School graduates. The commencement took place at the church, with diplomas, hymns and benediction. Gertrude Roling also appears among the graduates; the article does not explain their relationship.

Evelyn on the parish stage

A packed house watched Wild Oats Boy at the W.C.W. Hall in February 1939. Evelyn Roling was in the cast of the St. Joseph parish production, alongside another Roling, Marian. The report preserves the occasion, although it does not name Evelyn’s character.

Helen puts her thoughts on paper

Helen Roling took part in St. Joseph High School’s first Apologetic essay finals in April 1942. The subject was “Why Should We Confess Our Sins?” The newspaper named Helen among the participants, not among the winners. It is a small glimpse of the religious education that formed part of her school years.

Mildred’s winter wedding

For her February 1947 wedding to Walter J. Brand at St. Joseph, Mildred wore white satin and carried calla lilies and white carnations. Jeanne Roling and Jerome Holtwick attended the couple. Dinner at the Roling home and a reception carried the celebration beyond the church.

Jean’s spring wedding

The April 1948 account of Jean Roling’s marriage to Alvin Monnig lingered over her satin gown, its three-tier bustle and train, and her fingertip veil. Helen and Rita were among the attendants. After the ceremony at St. Joseph, the family gathered for dinner at the Roling home on LaFevre Street. The bride appears as Jean in this report and Jeanne in her father’s later obituary.

Rita’s autumn wedding

Rita Roling married Maurice Tebbe in October 1949. Carol Sue, Patricia Monnig, James Monnig and Robert Roling were among the attendants, bringing familiar family names into another wedding account. The newspaper calls the church St. John’s in Salisbury; that wording is retained here rather than quietly changed to St. Joseph.

Carol and a Navy leave

Carol Sue, described as Joe’s youngest daughter, married Victor Jarvis at St. Joseph in August 1953. She had been working at the Roling firm on West Second Street. Their first plans reflected Victor’s Navy service: he would return to duty near Washington after his leave, while Carol would remain in Salisbury. Dinner and a reception were held at the family home.

Sources for this story

Moberly Monitor-Index and Moberly Evening Democrat: May 28, 1935, p. 3 (Ida Mae); February 21, 1939, p. 3 (Evelyn); April 16, 1942, p. 6 (Helen); February 13, 1947, p. 5 (Mildred); April 2, 1948, p. 2 (Jean); October 21, 1949, p. 4 (Rita); August 27, 1953, p. 4 (Carol); December 20, 1971, p. 2 (Joseph Henry Roling obituary and daughter identifications). Family-held newspaper screenshots; dates and pages follow the viewer headers. Original-page links have not yet been established.

Bud Jarvis on the basketball court

Victor “Bud” Jarvis carried his basketball experience from Salisbury into the Navy. A saved newspaper clipping reports that he was one of fifteen men chosen from four hundred who tried out for the Great Lakes station team. He played both guard and forward and had belonged to Salisbury High School’s 1949–50 champion Panther team.

The clipping names his parents as Mr. and Mrs. Gail Jarvis. That parentage, together with his Navy service, strongly connects him to Carol Roling’s husband in their 1953 wedding report.

Sources: “Makes Basketball Team at Great Lakes,” family-held newspaper clipping, page 1; its publication date and full newspaper heading are cropped. The visible heading is consistent with the Salisbury Press-Spectator. “Miss Carol Roling, Victor Jarvis Are Wed in Salisbury,” Moberly Monitor-Index and Moberly Evening Democrat, August 27, 1953, page 4.

Dick’s path from school to engineering

Richard “Dick” Roling appears in the St. Joseph eighth-grade graduation list in May 1949. A few days later, another report records his First Class Scout rank and badges in pathfinding and first aid. Ten years on, the news was from the University of Missouri: in May 1959, Dick, identified as Joe Roling’s son and a junior studying electrical engineering, received a $500 Westinghouse scholarship for his senior year.

Sources for this story

Moberly Monitor-Index and Moberly Evening Democrat, May 31, 1949, p. 3; June 3, 1949, p. 9; May 8, 1959, p. 1. The 1949 graduation photograph shows the high-school group, not Richard Roling’s eighth-grade class. The Scout report records First Class, not Eagle Scout.

Dick is chosen for Boys State

In May 1952, Dick Roling was one of two local high-school juniors chosen for Missouri Boys State. The newspaper called him “Dickie,” identified him as a son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Roling, and placed him at St. Joseph High School. He and Bob Wright were selected on scholarship, character and other achievements, with the American Legion’s Claude Duff Post 391 covering their expenses for the program scheduled at Kemper Military Academy in Boonville that June.

Source: “Wright And Roling Picked To Attend Legion’s Boy’s State,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 23, 1952, page 1.

Newspaper stories

These short accounts add details about childhood, family gatherings, work and service. The dates identify the newspaper issues; planned events and later recollections are noted separately. Boy Scout articles have their own page. Some original-page links open Newspapers.com, where an account or subscription may be required.

1940 · Bobby’s eighth-birthday party

The July 26 notice describes Bobby Roling, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Roling, celebrating his eighth birthday with ten friends at the family home on West Second Street. Ice cream and cookies were served. The article gives Sunday as the party day, but supplies neither a numbered birthday date nor a house number.

Source: “Bobby Roling Has Eighth Birthday”, Salisbury Press-Spectator, July 26, 1940, page 1. Read the original newspaper page.

1949 · An advertised comedy

An advertisement for The Gang’s all Here lists Bobby Roling as Upson Downes, Rita Roling as Pinky Herring and Jeanie Roling as Mrs. Olden Young. Performances were advertised for February 13 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in a high-school auditorium; the school is not named. These are announced cast credits, rather than confirmation that the performances took place.

Source: “The Gang’s all Here”, advertisement, Salisbury Press-Spectator, February 11, 1949, page 9. Read the original advertisement.

1952 · A visit to Long Beach

A short May notice reports that Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Roling had left Sunday to visit Mr. and Mrs. Charles Williams and family in Long Beach, California. It calls the journey a visit and gives no duration, route or relationship to the Williams household. The notice does not identify this May trip as the February wedding trip.

Source: Untitled local notice beginning “Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Roling”, Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 9, 1952, page 8. Read the original newspaper page.

1952 · Remembering Marvin Joseph Roling

Under its “20 Years Ago” heading, the newspaper remembered Marvin Joseph Roling, the young son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Roling, and reported that he had died of scarlet fever. This is a 1952 retrospective pointing to approximately 1932. It does not provide his exact death date, age or place of burial.

Source: “Yesteryear in Salisbury,” “20 Years Ago” section, Salisbury Press-Spectator, December 12, 1952, page 2. Read the original newspaper page.

1953 · A family reunion between training and travel

The July 24 newspaper reports a Sunday reunion at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Roling, with all their children home for the first time in about two years. Its guests included the Charles Williams family of Long Beach, the Forrest Ward and Maurice Tebbe families, Helen Roling, Bob and his wife, Dick Roling, the Walter Brand and Al Monnig families, and Carol Roling.

The article says Pvt. Bob Roling had recently completed basic training at Fort Riley and was on furlough en route to Trieste. S.A. Dick Roling had completed boot training and was on leave before a planned forty-week fire-control course in Washington, D.C. It does not establish their later arrival or Dick’s course completion, and it does not identify any surviving July 1953 family photograph as a picture of this reunion.

Related photographs: The Roling family group is inscribed “Roling Family July ’53” on another surviving capture, and the photograph of Dick, Bridget and Bob is marked “July 53.” The family confirms the people and setting at Joe and Ida’s Salisbury home. These photographs are likely associated with this reunion, but neither inscription names the occasion or supplies an exact day.

Source: “Family Reunion Held at J. H. Roling Home”, Salisbury Press-Spectator, July 24, 1953, page 3. Read the original newspaper page.

1954 · St. Joseph alumni work

An April report names Mrs. Bobby Roling as secretary of the St. Joseph Alumni Association. The officers had voted to hold a banquet in the school hall on May 29, with the Altar Sodality to serve the meal. The secretary role is reported as current; the banquet was still a future plan.

Source: “St. Joseph Plans to Have Banquet May 29”, Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 30, 1954, page 1. Read the original newspaper page.

1955 · Home from Camp Rucker

In its service-news column, the newspaper reports that Cpl. and Mrs. Bobby Roling arrived home Sunday from Camp Rucker, Alabama, where he had been stationed and had received his discharge Friday. The notice gives relative weekdays rather than numbered event dates and does not identify the home address. The official Army papers discussed above supply the separate active-service chronology.

Source: “News Of Service Men,” notice beginning “Cpl. and Mrs. Bobby Roling”, Salisbury Press-Spectator, March 18, 1955, page 1. Read the original newspaper page.

1955 · A College Street purchase

The April 8 paper reports that Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Roling had purchased the Delbert Kruse property on College Street. This fits the broader family account of Bob and Bridget’s College Street home, but the notice itself gives no street number, closing date or move-in date. The family’s identification of 407 S. College remains a separate source.

Source: “Purchase Kruse Property”, Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 8, 1955, page 1. Read the original newspaper page.

1958 · Easter guests at the Roling home

The April 11 newspaper reported that Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Roling entertained guests on Easter Sunday. Those listed included Dick Roling of Columbia, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Roling and family, and the Ward, Tebbe, Monnig, Jarvis and Brand households. Mrs. Monnig and Mrs. Jarvis of Kansas City stayed for a visit. The notice preserves the hosts’ initials and does not spell out the guests’ individual relationships.

Source: “Guests in Home of J. H. Roling Sunday,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 11, 1958, page 10. Read the original newspaper page.

1962 · A Kiwanis office

The November 9 newspaper named Bob Roling second vice-president of the Salisbury Kiwanis Club, with George S. Thompson as president and Art Schneider as first vice-president. The notice does not give Bob’s installation date.

Source: “Thompson To Head Local Kiwanis Club,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, November 9, 1962, page 1. Family-held screenshot; publication date and page from the newspaper viewer.

1964 · Scout charters at Kiwanis

The February 28 newspaper reported that district Boy Scout Executive Dave McFarland presented new Scout Troop and Cub Pack charters to Bob Roling at a Kiwanis meeting. Bob was described as club vice-president and was in charge of the meeting. The notice does not name him a Scout-unit officer or give a troop or pack number.

Source: “Scout Executive Talks At Kiwanis Meeting,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, February 28, 1964, page 1. Family-held screenshot; publication date and page from the newspaper viewer. An exact original-page URL has not been established.

1964 · Deputy Grand Knight

In reporting a June 1 election of the local Knights of Columbus council, the newspaper listed Bob Roling as Deputy Grand Knight. Leroy Weimer was elected Grand Knight, succeeding Ernest Nanneman. The officers were expected to take up their duties at the July meeting.

Source: “New Officers Elected For Knights Of Columbus,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, June 12, 1964, page 1. Family-held screenshot; publication date and page from the newspaper viewer.

1968 · A 625 bowling series

The December 9 bowling column credited Bob Roling with a 625 three-game series in the Cosmopolitan League during the preceding week. It also recorded a 2,999 series for the Roling and Son team. The 267 single-game score belonged to Jim Littrell; the notice does not explicitly place Bob on the Roling and Son team.

Source: “BOWLING,” “Cosmopolitan League,” Moberly Monitor-Index and Moberly Evening Democrat, December 9, 1968, page 10. Family-held screenshot; publication date and page from the newspaper viewer.

1969 · Benjamin Franklin “Ben” Roling remembered

Ben’s obituary reports his death on February 18 at age 77 in Moberly. It gives a January 10, 1892 birth in Monroe City, names his parents as John F. and Louisa Bickel Roling, and describes him as a retired pipe fitter. Among the relatives named are his surviving brother Joe and his son John, who had been killed in World War II. The notice reports completed funeral services and burial at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, but does not print an exact funeral date.

Source: “Funeral Service Thursday Morning For Ben Roling”, Salisbury Press-Spectator, February 28, 1969, page 1. Read the original newspaper page.

A brief notice the week before had told Salisbury readers that Ben had died in a Moberly nursing home, where he had lived for several months. Funeral arrangements were still to be announced by Berry Funeral Home and through the newspaper’s Tel-A-News service.

Additional source: “Ben Roling Died Tues. in Moberly,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, February 21, 1969, page 1.

1972 · Bob announces his council candidacy

On March 23, the newspaper announced Robert (Bob) Roling’s candidacy for Salisbury’s second-ward city-council seat in the election scheduled for April 4. The notice described the ward as covering the south-central and southwest parts of town and named Leo Maag and Bill Hollis as its representatives. It records Bob’s candidacy before the election result reported below.

Source: “Bob Roling to Run for City Council,” The Salisbury Press-Spectator, March 23, 1972, page 1. Family-held screenshot of the newspaper viewer; the masthead confirms the issue date and the viewer identifies the page.

1972 · Bob elected to Salisbury’s city council

The April 6 newspaper reports that Bob Roling won the second-ward council seat, defeating incumbent alderman Bill Hollis by 166 votes to 59. It lists Bob and Leo Maag as the ward’s council representatives. George Roling’s 308 votes in the same article belong to a separate school-board contest. The report does not establish Bob’s taking-office date or length of service.

Source: “Bob Roling, Rae Sellers, Bob Scheiderer Elected”, Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 6, 1972, page 1. Read the original newspaper page.

1974 · Bob does not seek reelection

The March 28 newspaper reported that Bob Roling was not seeking reelection to his second-ward Salisbury city-council seat, with his term due to expire. Joe Reynolds, Ken Janney and Leo Maag were running for that position in the April 2 election. The notices add a later record of Bob’s council service without establishing his exact final day in office or who succeeded him.

Source: Election roundup (“Candidates Named”) and “Maag a Candidate for City Council,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, March 28, 1974, page 1. Read the original newspaper page.

Betty’s 1974 softball story is now in Bob and Bridget’s Children.

1975 · A reunion at the Knights of Columbus Hall

The September 11 newspaper reported that approximately 65 members of the Mrs. J. H. Roling family attended an August 24 reunion at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Salisbury. The Salisbury guest group included Mr. and Mrs. Bob Roling, Betty, Ronnie, Linda, Jane, Mike, Mary and Timmy; Richard Roling appeared in the St. Louis group. The notice gives a broad family gathering and dated locality connections without defining each attendee’s relationship.

Source: “Roling Family Has Reunion Here,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, September 11, 1975, page 6. Read the original newspaper page.

David’s 1976 college announcement is now in Bob and Bridget’s Children.

1977 · FFA appreciation

The May 19 newspaper pictured Bob Roling among parents and friends receiving certificates of appreciation from the Salisbury FFA Chapter. The caption identifies him at the far right of the group. It does not explain his particular service or establish that he was the parent of a student.

Source: Certificates-of-appreciation photograph and caption under “Many awards presented at Annual FFA Banquet,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 19, 1977, page 11. Read the original newspaper page.

Betty’s 1977 bridal shower is now in Bob and Bridget’s Children.

1977 · Looking back at local football

In a “30 Years Ago” item, the newspaper lists Bobby Roling among the players on Johnny Summers’ Cubs and Bill McCurry’s Blue Devils. The list is collective and does not assign him to either team. This is a 1977 retrospective with an approximately 1947 setting; no exact game date or original 1947 report has yet been identified from this item.

Source: “Yester Years,” “30 Years Ago” section, Salisbury Press-Spectator, October 6, 1977, page 2. Read the original newspaper page.

Jane’s 2011 Leadership Columbia story is now in Bob and Bridget’s Children.

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More family stories from the newspapers

A leap-year birthday gathering

Friends surprised J. F. Roling with a birthday party on February 29, 1916. The Salisbury Democrat described about twenty guests and a gift of a smoking set. Both Salisbury papers reported that he was fifty-two, but they counted his leap-day birthdays differently: the Democrat called this his twelfth, while the Press-Spectator called it his thirteenth. Those are the newspapers’ own descriptions.

Sources for this story

“Celebrates Birthday,” Salisbury Democrat, March 3, 1916, p. 1, family-preserved newspaper clipping; and “Celebrates ‘Thirteenth’ Birthday,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, March 3, 1916, p. 1, original page. The latter gives his birth as February 29, 1864. The accounts describe the same gathering, not two separate parties. Newspapers.com may require an account.

Ben comes home from the Navy

In August 1914, the Salisbury Democrat welcomed Ben Roling home from four years in the Navy. Its report identified him as J. F. Roling’s son and said he had received an honorable discharge in Philadelphia on August 13. It described a year aboard the Idaho and three aboard the Connecticut. Back in Salisbury, he was working in the family shop.

Source: “Home From U. S. Navy,” Salisbury Democrat, August 21, 1914, p. 1, family-preserved newspaper clipping. These service details are the newspaper’s account; a Navy service record has not been checked for this addition.

Agnes at the Savings Bank

A July 1920 notice reported that Agnes Roling had taken Florence Botkins’ place at the Savings Bank. It described Agnes as a business-college graduate. The notice does not name the college or give her job title.

Source: untitled notice beginning “Miss Agnes Roling,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, July 2, 1920, p. 5, family-preserved newspaper clipping.

A separate account, “A Pair of Pairings,” Salisbury Democrat, October 20, 1916, p. 1, also reports Ben Roling and Katherine Korte’s wedding at the Catholic church in Glasgow. It describes dinner at the bride’s home and a dance afterward at the Catholic Club room in Salisbury. The family-preserved Press-Spectator clipping “Prominent Young Business Man Marries,” April 20, 1917, p. 1, corresponds to the Joseph Roling and Ida Bange wedding source already cited here; it is not counted as another independent report.

The earlier notices

Saying goodbye through the window

One family memory adds a poignant detail to Marvin’s story. During the scarlet-fever quarantine, his coffin was placed beside a window so friends could pay their respects from outside. The family account describes a private service at home, followed by burial at St. Joseph’s Cemetery.

The handwritten note credits Jeanne and Ida Mae with this memory and says Bob was too young to remember it himself. The contemporary obituary also reports the private home funeral and cemetery burial.

Two contemporary notices add to the later remembrance of Marvin Joseph. The May 2, 1930 birth announcement names him as the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Roling and gives his birth as April 19. His obituary, published December 9, 1932, reports that he died of scarlet fever on Tuesday evening. It names six surviving sisters, Ida May, Mildred, Evelyn, Jeanne, Helen and Rita, and a brother, Robert, and reports burial in St. Joseph’s cemetery after a private funeral at home.

Preferred birth date: April 18, 1930. Marvin’s Missouri death certificate 38884, filed under the spelling “Marvin Joseph Rolling,” gives that date and records his death on December 6, 1932, aged two years, seven months and eighteen days. It names Joseph Rolling as both father and informant and Ida Bange as mother. This adds strong support to April 18, also given in the obituary and a family record. The birth information was supplied retrospectively on a death certificate, not an original birth registration.

The May 2, 1930 notice’s April 19 birthday remains a genuine competing statement. The obituary’s description of Marvin as three years old conflicts with its own April 1930 birth date and the certificate’s detailed age. Later typed family compilations give April 18, 1931; that reading is retained as compilation history, but the contemporary 1930 birth notice and certificate rule out 1931 for this child.

Birth city remains unresolved. The certificate says only “Mo.” in the birthplace field. A family record says Moberly, while the obituary says Salisbury. The birth notice describes his mother’s return from Woodland hospital in Moberly; that does not by itself establish where Marvin was born.

Sources for the earlier notices and date comparison

Untitled birth notice beginning “Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Roling,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 2, 1930, p. 5; “Three Year Old Child Dies of Scarlet Fever,” Salisbury Press-Spectator, December 9, 1932, p. 1. Both are family-preserved newspaper clippings; their original wording and discrepancies are retained.

Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Missouri death certificate 38884, Marvin Joseph Rolling, death December 6, 1932; Missouri State Archives, Missouri Digital Heritage. Certificate number 38884 is distinct from the linked image filename 1932_00039731.PDF. The certificate also reports scarlet fever and burial at St. Joseph Cemetery in Salisbury on December 7, 1932; those are certificate statements, not a separate cemetery-register finding.

Roling binder 1, PDF page 2 (April 18, 1930, Moberly); Roling binder 2, PDF page 27, and Roling binder 3, PDF page 46, printed H-40 (repeated April 18, 1931 compilation). The repeated sheets are not independent support for 1931. A birth or baptism record remains the appropriate independent test of the one-day difference and birth city.

Public service across generations

Three generations of aldermen

The Rolings’ public service involved the practical details of a small town: water, sidewalks, wells and street lights. J. F. Roling appears among the aldermen at the May 1, 1899 council meeting. A February 1903 notice announced his candidacy for re-election in the Third Ward and said he had already represented it for several terms.

The council reports show what that work looked like. In April 1906, J. F. and G. H. Winslow were assigned to extend a water main from Second Street one block north toward St. Joseph Church. He also served on the Sidewalk Committee. That June, he joined a committee to arrange filling a well at Third and Broadway as cheaply as possible. In October, he and W. D. Murphy disagreed about where new incandescent street lights were needed, and the committee was given more time.

Joe Roling followed him into city government. The April 6, 1928 newspaper reported that Joe won the Third Ward contest, 52 votes to George Prescott’s 33. A separate report in the same issue described the council meeting at which he was sworn in.

A third generation appears in the 1972 election reports. Bob Roling ran in Salisbury’s Second Ward and defeated Bill Hollis, 166 votes to 59. In March 1974, the paper reported that he would not seek re-election as his term came to an end. Together, these records follow J. F., Joe and Bob through three generations of service to the same town.

Sources: Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 5, 1899, p. 6; June 8, 1906, p. 1; April 6, 1928, p. 1, election and council reports. Salisbury Democrat, February 27, 1903, p. 5; April 20, 1906, p. 4; October 5, 1906, p. 1. Original clippings preserved in the family collection. Bob’s election and decision not to run again: Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 6, 1972, p. 1, and March 28, 1974, p. 1, already cited in his family story.

Family and community stories

A midnight call for Joe, 1934

Thirteen years later, another newspaper report placed Joe Roling in a nighttime confrontation. This time the setting was Father F. J. Ernst’s chicken house, not the Roling garage.

The June 29, 1934 Salisbury Press-Spectator said chickens had been disappearing for several weeks. With Father Ernst away, his housekeeper, Maggie Lohe, kept watch. Around midnight, according to the article, she saw a man unlock the chicken house and emerge with two sacks of chickens. She called her neighbor, Joe Roling.

The paper reported that Joe fired two shotgun shots. The man dropped the chickens and a flashlight and escaped before anyone could positively identify him. Joe believed he had struck the man because he heard a scream, but the report did not confirm an injury.

Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, June 29, 1934, page 1, “Chicken Thief Gets Scared Away With Shot Gun.” Publication details and text checked against the family-preserved clipping.

Sparks on the roof, 1922

A short August 1922 notice records a close call at J. F. Roling’s home. Sparks from the kitchen flue had set the roof on fire on the preceding Saturday afternoon, at about half past one.

The Salisbury Press-Spectator reported that the fire was discovered before it gained much headway. Even so, a hole several feet across burned in the roof, and there was some slight water damage.

The surviving notice does not say who spotted the flames or how the fire was put out. Those details remain unknown. What it does preserve is a small, vivid interruption to ordinary family life, beyond the births, weddings and business notices that usually mark the record.

Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, August 25, 1922, page 1, “Sparks From Flue Set Fire to Roof.” Publication details and text checked against the family-preserved clipping.

A charge in one paper, a different outcome in another

Not every appearance in the local paper was flattering. In December 1908, the Salisbury Press-Spectator listed a disturbing-the-peace indictment against J. F. Roling. His bond was reported as $100, with Fred Bickel as security.

A later paragraph alleged that Roling and several other men had disrupted a religious gathering at the Moore building in Salisbury on November 18. It described accusations of loud noise, insulting behavior and threats against the man named King. These were reported charges, not a finding that Roling had done those things.

The next relevant clipping changes the picture. In May 1909, the Salisbury Democrat reported a disturbing-peace case headed “State of Missouri vs. J. F. Roling et al.” Its entry said, “Nolle prosed as to J F Roling.” In plain language, the prosecution was dropped as to J. F. Roling. It separately reported guilty pleas and $5 fines for Peter Vitt, Evo Olivett, Charles Ihms and Ben Ott.

The shared names and charge make the two reports worth reading together, but the clippings do not provide a case number confirming that they concern the same proceeding. The later report does not record a guilty plea or fine for J. F. Roling.

Sources: Salisbury Press-Spectator, December 18, 1908, page 2, “Indictments,” original page; Salisbury Democrat, May 7, 1909, page 1, court-report excerpt. Both originals are preserved in the family archive. The explanation of nolle prosequi follows the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana’s legal glossary.

On the stage and in the church

Flora Roling’s name appears in the cast of Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, performed by St. Joseph’s school pupils at Karcher Opera House in December 1904. The newspaper described the entertainment as only fairly well attended, while praising the pupils’ acting and costumes. The printed program preserves Flora’s place among the children on stage.

Eight years later, Flora and Agnes Roling appeared in another public gathering: the confirmation class at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. The May 1912 report describes carnations and potted plants decorating the church, special music and a class of sixty-three children, thirty boys and thirty-three girls.

Sources: Salisbury Press-Spectator, December 9, 1904, p. 1, “Catholic Church Entertainment,” original page; May 17, 1912, p. 1, “Confirmation Services,” family clipping.

When family news was worrying news

Some of the shortest notices record anxious moments. In April 1925, Mrs. Ben Roling was taken to Woodland hospital on a Monday night and underwent an emergency operation for appendicitis around midnight. The newspaper said she had come through the operation well and reported her condition as satisfactory as could be hoped for.

Two years later, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Roling went to St. Louis to consult a specialist about her health. The brief March 1927 notice says no more about the illness or the outcome. Such entries preserve the journeys and concern that surrounded family illnesses, even when the medical details are missing.

A March 1934 notice describes Ben coming from Beloit, Kansas, when his mother’s condition became serious the previous week. The report said she improved, and he returned home that Saturday. Earlier notices record harder journeys: J. F. left for Quincy after learning of his mother’s death in November 1904, and on May 27, 1908 the family lost little Frankie, their two-year-old son, after a short illness.

Sources: Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 10, 1925, p. 1; March 25, 1927, p. 7; March 2, 1934, p. 4. Salisbury Democrat, November 25, 1904, p. 5; May 29, 1908, p. 1. Family-preserved clippings.

Frankie’s death date: May 27, 1908 is preferred. The contemporary report, the family record for John Frank Roling and Louisa Maria Bickel, and Louisa’s obituary all give that day. Louisa’s obituary names her two-year-old son John Frank, strongly linking the newspaper’s “Frankie” with the child later called John Frank Roling II. This remains a qualified identification, not a newly recovered civil or parish death record.

Some later family compilations and a separate handwritten annotation give May 7, 1908. That conflicting reading is retained, but it has less support than May 27; no copying-error explanation has been proved. The exact birth date is not upgraded by this comparison.

Sources for Frankie’s date comparison

“Little Frankie Roling Dead,” Salisbury Democrat, May 29, 1908, page 1, family-preserved clipping; Roling binder 1, PDF pages 3 (family record), 60 (Louisa’s obituary, also located in the Salisbury Press-Spectator, July 20, 1934, page 1; the binder clipping and newspaper page are the same underlying account) and 61 (separate handwritten May 7 variant); Roling binder 2, PDF page 67, printed page 75, and Roling binder 3, PDF page 70 (repeated typed May 7 compilation, not independent corroboration). The 1908 newspaper’s whooping-cough/bronchitis report and the later annotation’s pneumonia wording remain separately attributed, not medically reconciled.

Celebrations and journeys

Twelve years married, and a house full of visitors

Joe and Ida Roling’s twelfth wedding anniversary brought an unexpected gathering. The April 26, 1929 Salisbury Press-Spectator said relatives and friends had surprised Mr. and Mrs. Joe H. Roling at home the previous Thursday evening.

The guests included Mr. and Mrs. Joe Bange, the J. F. and B. F. Roling families, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Hildebrandt, and Mr. and Mrs. John Rudder with their daughter Dorothy. The brief notice preserves more than an anniversary date: it shows who came together to mark it.

Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 26, 1929, page 5, anniversary notice. Publication details and guest names checked against the family-preserved clipping. Ida’s identification follows the already documented Joseph Roling–Ida Bange marriage.

A Wednesday dance in Glasgow

A May 1916 social notice catches Joe, Agnes and Flora Roling away from the shop and home. They had attended a dance at Glasgow on Wednesday evening, with Emmet Summers, John Sutter and E. E. Duckett also named.

The paper gives no description of the music, the journey or the dance itself. Its little guest list is still worth keeping: a glimpse of the young Rolings’ social circle and an evening out in a neighboring town.

Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 26, 1916, page 4, “Local News” dance notice. Publication details and names checked against the family-preserved clipping.

Out of town, and company coming home

The short social notices trace a family that kept in touch across towns. In July 1912, Mrs. J. F. Roling returned from two weeks with relatives in Quincy, Illinois. Her niece, Carrie Roling, came home with her for a visit of several weeks.

Glasgow appears repeatedly. In November 1916, Amelia Labus visited Flora Roling, while a neighboring notice reported that Mrs. Ben Roling had spent the weekend in Glasgow with her parents. In April 1918, the paper named those parents as Mr. and Mrs. Barney Korte. That same issue sent Joe Roling off for a week’s visit in Iowa and Quincy.

Flora and Agnes had a longer outing in 1922. They returned from two weeks with friends in St. Louis and reported a delightful visit. A later Bange notice adds another destination: after visiting her parents in Salisbury in August 1936, Betty Bange planned to spend the following week in Dallas attending the Centennial.

Sources: Salisbury Press-Spectator, July 5, 1912, p. 1; April 26, 1918, p. 5; October 27, 1922, p. 5; August 14, 1936, p. 5. Salisbury Democrat, November 24, 1916, p. 5. All preserved family clippings.

A wedding day from church to dance floor

Anna Pauline Roling and Edmund Suttner’s wedding day began at half past eight at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in October 1931. Father Ernst officiated, with the groom’s brother Joseph and sister Magdaline attending the couple.

After the ceremony came dinner and an all-day reception at the bride’s home, attended by about forty relatives and close friends. That evening, friends of the groom gave a wedding dance at Aholt. The newlyweds planned to make their home on a farm nearby.

Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, October 16, 1931, “Married at St. Joseph’s Church Tuesday Morning,” family-preserved clipping. The displayed header does not establish a page number.

Quincy and Salisbury connections

A visit so good he promised to come back for Christmas

In November 1915, Ben Roling headed home to Salisbury after ten days with his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Roling, in Quincy. The Quincy Daily Herald reported that he had enjoyed himself so much that he promised another visit at Christmas.

Travel ran in both directions. In August 1917, the same newspaper noted that Lena Roling, of the Henry household’s 928 Madison Street address, had returned from three weeks visiting friends and relatives in Moberly and Salisbury.

Sources: Quincy Daily Herald, November 9, 1915, p. 12, original page; August 24, 1917, p. 7, original page.

A choir wedding and breakfast for thirty

When Caroline Roling and Arthur Schlephorst married at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Quincy, both were already familiar voices in the church choir. The Quincy Daily Herald described the Wednesday-morning ceremony, a church decorated with roses and chrysanthemums, and a wedding breakfast for thirty at the bride’s parents’ home on Madison Street.

Lula Roling was maid of honor, and her brother Anton was best man. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Roling were among the out-of-town guests. After the celebration, the newlyweds left for a Chicago honeymoon, with plans to make their home on North Fifth Street.

Source: “Schlephorst-Roling Wedding Celebrated Wednesday Morning,” Quincy Daily Herald, October 27, 1921, p. 4, original page. Issue date from the preserved archive identification; page and article visually checked.

Making a home and making do

The dress on the Sears cover

Bridget remembered beginning high school with dresses made from printed feed sacks. Then the spring Sears catalog arrived with a dress on its cover that she could not forget. Its $14.98 price was more than her mother would spend, but that was not the end of the story. On a trip to Moberly, her mother found nearly matching fabric and lace at a store Bridget remembered as Midway. Without a pattern, she cut, fitted, basted and sewed. Several days later Bridget had her own pink-checked version. While her mother worked, Bridget helped with her mother’s chores, carried water for the chickens, and helped wherever she was asked.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, p. 19.

A journey in dollars and cents

Alongside the travel story, Bridget’s notebook preserves the small expenses that made up a trip: an 80-cent movie, a $1.55 ferry crossing and $2.50 for Crystal Cave. A room in West Plains is entered at $4.08; another stop, the Star Motel, at $5.00. Three subtotals are brought together as $74.39. These are the expenses recorded in the notebook, rather than proof that every cost of the journey was included. A separate page divides a $40 budget into rent of $12.50, food of $10, miscellaneous spending of $2.50 and savings of $15. The page gives no weekly or monthly period, but its four neat columns offer another glimpse of how money was planned.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, notebook expense and budget pages; transcribed notebook pp. 4, 6 and 10. The expense pages themselves are undated.

A wedding veil for First Communion

Bridget’s First Communion outfit carried a piece of her mother’s wedding day. Her mother made the white dress and cut her own wedding veil to make a veil for her daughter. A pair of ordered white shoes completed the outfit. Bridget remembered those shoes with particular affection: she wore them until her toes turned under. Looking back, she admitted that she remembered being less concerned with holiness than with pride in her shoes.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, p. 27. Date not supplied.

Keeping the farm going

While her brothers were away during World War II, Bridget remembered doing the livestock chores with her mother as her father worked in the fields. She brought the cows in from the pasture, and they milked them, fed the hogs, put hay down for the mules, cared for the chickens and gathered eggs. Supper still had to be cooked after the animals were tended. Her recollection gives the family’s wartime story another setting: not only the places where her brothers served, but the daily work that continued at home.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, p. 28.

Waiting for the snow boots

As a little girl on Poverty Ridge, Bridget watched a day of snowfall and longed to get outside. But first George had to come home from school: she needed his overboots, coat and gloves. She stood with her nose against the window, watching for her brothers. Even after George arrived, there were his chores to finish before it was her turn. By the time she finally went outside, the cold had taken the fun out of it. She remembered it as her first great disappointment.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, pp. 3–4.

Courtship and journeys

Two songs for a dime

High-school weekends meant Cokes, friends and dancing. Bridget remembered piling into whichever family car a boy could borrow and heading out on Friday or Saturday night. The jukebox offered two songs for a dime or five for a quarter, and being invited to choose the music was a special honor. One wedding dance supplied a particularly good memory: wearing a fitted green hand-me-down from Eugenia Hawkins, Bridget found herself dancing repeatedly with another young man. Bob had said he needed to stay with the wedding party. After noticing the attention she was getting, she recalled, he decided he did not need to stay there after all.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, pp. 24–25.

Bagnell Dam by cattle truck

During Bridget’s high-school years, Bagnell Dam seemed a grand destination. When Leo Maag offered to take everyone who wanted to go in his large cattle truck, she was eager to join. The group piled into the back and set off. She remembered seeing the dam and having a wonderful time—and thought it was probably her first trip outside Chariton County.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, p. 25.

A movie among the feed sacks

The summer after eighth grade brought an event Bridget remembered as a milestone: her first movie. Elmer Bills Sr. rented a feed-store building in Bynumville on Friday nights. The feed sacks were moved aside, wooden chairs were set out, and a projector turned the building into a temporary theater. Her brothers took her along. She remembered that the screenings happened only a few times; her next movie outing came a couple of years later at the Lyric.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, p. 10.

Places shared across generations

Sunday afternoons at Prairie Hill

The Prairie Hill farm belonged to more than Bridget’s childhood. In her memoir, she recalled that after her parents died, Bob told her he would like to buy the farm if it was sold. When her brothers decided to sell, Bob and Bridget bought the farm. Their children then had their own turn to enjoy it: Sunday afternoons meant running, exploring and riding a go-cart. It is a small scene that joins two generations of family life on the same ground—Bridget’s years growing up there and her children’s afternoons of play.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, p. 33.

The stove came first

Bridget remembered moving from Poverty Ridge on a cold, windy, blustery day. Her mother wrapped her in a quilt and tucked her into a corner of the wagon bed. The journey to the new farm seemed long. On arrival, the first job was not unpacking everything: it was setting up the cookstove and getting a fire going so the family could warm up. Only then came the wagons, beds and belongings. By the end of a long day of work, they were settled in. That fall she began attending Pleyer School.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, pp. 27–28.

Sunday letters from the kitchen table

With four sons serving during World War II, Bridget’s mother made time on Sunday afternoons to sit at the kitchen table and write to them all. Bridget remembered the replies arriving in bunches. Some letters from Tony and Walt had words cut out, a visible reminder of how much could not be said in wartime mail. The memory places the family kitchen beside the military record: a mother writing, waiting and keeping her sons connected to home.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, p. 20.

Back to the coast

During their stay in Alabama after Bob returned from overseas, Bridget remembered trips to the coast whenever he could get a three-day pass. Decades later, Tim took her on another coastal vacation. The shore had changed so much that she could scarcely believe it. They eventually found a state park where the younger Bridget could reach the water, and they collected shells. In her account, the outing joins memories of travel with Bob to another family’s day at the sea.

Source: Bridget Morrison Roling, handwritten memoir, pp. 14–15.

Memories kept in the family papers

A mother’s small rewards

In a Mother's Day newspaper feature, Bridget described the rewards of raising nine children. They were not all grand milestones. She remembered a child's happiness with a new puppy, an older brother standing up for a younger one, and teenage daughters offering to babysit so she could travel with Bob. For her, the lasting reward was seeing a child become a good person who would be a blessing to others. The clipping preserves her voice as a mother alongside the names and dates in the family tree.

Source: Mike Colgan, “Moms agree IOUs do get paid,” undated newspaper clipping.

Back at work, with a growing family

Bob's January 1957 Reserve questionnaire places his return to civilian life beside his continuing military obligation. He listed plumbing and heating as his occupation, with new installation and repair as his principal duties. The same form recorded a wife and two young sons. Asked about preparations before a possible mobilization, his concern was practical: time to provide for his family.

Source: Bob Roling’s Reserve questionnaire, January 25, 1957.

The same equipment, generation after generation

Tim remembers removing a water pump from the Prairie Hill farm for his mother around the time Associated Electric bought the farm, before the company took possession. He places it roughly in the late 1980s. While he was working, Bobby pointed out the equipment's family history: “That is the same well pump jack that your grandfather lost part of his thumbs on.”

The water pump began a quieter second life as a decoration in his mother's backyard, where it stood for years. His sister Mary has it now. Tim imagines the pump jack went back into a cabinet at the machine shop, ready for another job, though he does not know that for certain.

What stayed with him was how long the tools remained in use. When he was young, much of the equipment around the shop had already served for many, many years. That moment brought the generations together in a particularly vivid way: the same piece of equipment, another family member's hands, and a story remembered while the work was being done.

Source: Tim Roling’s recollection, shared in October 2026.

Family milestones in the newspapers

Small events belong in the family record too. Dates below identify the newspaper issue, not necessarily the day of the event. Exact event dates are stated when the report gives them; plans and candidacies remain plans and candidacies.

1890s milestones

• Reported May 5, 1899: The May 1 council meeting lists J. F. Roling among Salisbury's aldermen. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1899-05-05, p. 6.
• Reported May 12, 1899: Mrs. F. A. Shannon advertised for rent the West Third Street residence occupied by J. F. Roling. This records the property's occupancy and rental offer, not the date he moved. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1899-05-12, p. 7.
• Reported June 9, 1899: J. F. Roling resigned as alderman after moving out of the Second Ward; a special election was to fill the vacancy. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1899-06-09, p. 7.

1900s milestones

• Reported February 27, 1903: J. F. announced his candidacy for re-election as Third Ward alderman. The paper said he had already represented the ward for several terms. Source: Salisbury Democrat, 1903-02-27, p. 5.
• Reported November 25, 1904: J. F. traveled to Quincy after learning of his mother's death; the notice reports her funeral that Saturday. Source: Salisbury Democrat, 1904-11-25, p. 5.
• Reported December 9, 1904: Flora Roling appeared in the cast of Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia in the St. Joseph school entertainment at Karcher Opera House. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1904-12-09, p. 1.
• Reported April 7, 1905: The newspaper lists J. F. as a Third Ward alderman candidate in the April 4 election and among aldermen present in the accompanying council report. Source: Salisbury Democrat, 1905-04-07, p. 4.
• Reported April 20, 1906: J. F. and G. H. Winslow were assigned to arrange a water-main extension toward St. Joseph Church. J. F. also joined the Sidewalk Committee. Source: Salisbury Democrat, 1906-04-20, p. 4.
• Reported June 8, 1906: J. F. joined a committee to arrange filling the well at Third and Broadway. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1906-06-08, p. 1.
• Reported October 5, 1906: J. F. and W. D. Murphy differed over proposed street-light locations; their committee received more time. J. F. was also assigned work on the mineral well. Source: Salisbury Democrat, 1906-10-05, p. 1.
• Reported May 29, 1908: Frankie, the two-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Roling, died May 27 after whooping cough complicated by bronchitis. Funeral and burial followed the next day. Source: Salisbury Democrat, 1908-05-29, p. 1. Read the date comparison and retained May 7 variant.
• Reported December 18, 1908: A grand-jury report listed a disturbing-the-peace charge against J. F. Roling and a $100 bond. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1908-12-18, p. 2.
• Reported May 7, 1909: A court report said the case was 'nolle prosed' as to J. F. Roling: the prosecution was dropped as to him. The clipping does not give a case number connecting it conclusively to the December 1908 report. Source: Salisbury Democrat, 1909-05-07, p. 1.

1910s milestones

• Reported May 17, 1912: Flora and Agnes Roling were named in the sixty-three-member confirmation class at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1912-05-17, p. 1.
• Reported July 5, 1912: Mrs. J. F. Roling returned from a two-week visit in Quincy, accompanied by her niece Carrie Roling. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1912-07-05, p. 1.
• Reported March 3, 1916: Friends marked J. F. Roling's February 29 birthday with a surprise party and a smoking set. The two accounts differ on the numbered leap-day birthday. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1916-03-03, p. 1; Salisbury Democrat, 1916-03-03, p. 1.
• Reported May 26, 1916: Joe, Agnes and Flora Roling attended a Wednesday-evening dance in Glasgow with friends named in the social notice. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1916-05-26, p. 4.
• Reported October 20, 1916: Ben Roling and Katherine Korte married at the Catholic church in Glasgow; the report describes dinner at the bride's home and a Salisbury dance afterward. Source: Salisbury Democrat, 1916-10-20, p. 1.
• Reported November 24, 1916: Amelia Labus of Glasgow visited Flora; a neighboring notice reported Mrs. Ben Roling's weekend visit with her parents in Glasgow. Source: Salisbury Democrat, 1916-11-24, p. 5.
• Reported April 20, 1917: Joseph Roling and Ida Bange married at St. Joseph's Church, with a reception and dance afterward. They had rented a home on Lafevre Street; Margaret Korte visited for the wedding. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1917-04-20, p. 1; Salisbury Democrat, 1917-04-20, p. 5.
• Reported April 26, 1918: Joe left for a week's visit in Iowa and Quincy. Mrs. Ben Roling separately visited her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Barney Korte, in Glasgow. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1918-04-26, p. 5.

1920s milestones

• Reported July 2, 1920: Agnes Roling took Florence Botkins' place at the Savings Bank. The notice described her as a business-college graduate. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1920-07-02, p. 5.
• Reported December 9, 1921: J. F. and Ben Roling appeared on the Salisbury Red Cross chapter membership list. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1921-12-09, p. 1.
• Reported August 25, 1922: Sparks from the kitchen flue had set J. F. Roling's roof on fire the preceding Saturday. The report describes a hole in the roof and slight water damage. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1922-08-25, p. 1.
• Reported October 27, 1922: Flora and Agnes returned from a two-week visit with friends in St. Louis. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1922-10-27, p. 5.
• Reported April 27, 1923: J. F. Roling, named as administrator of Laura C. Wills' estate, gave notice of an intended final settlement at the May court term. The notice does not explain his connection to her. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1923-04-27, p. 6.
• Reported August 22, 1924: Friends called at the shop to congratulate Ben and Joe on new babies: a boy in Ben's household and a girl in Joe's. This notice does not name the children. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1924-08-22, p. 1.
• Reported April 10, 1925: Mrs. Ben Roling underwent an emergency appendicitis operation at Woodland hospital on the Monday night described in the report. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1925-04-10, p. 1.
• Reported April 24, 1925: Ben F. Roling and the Korte and Roling families published thanks for help, sympathy and flowers during their bereavement. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1925-04-24, p. 10.
• Reported July 23, 1926: A social notice named Rev. and Mrs. F. E. Mosley and 'two sons, Stanley and Clay Roling' on a visit while traveling toward Wilmore, Kentucky. The unusual surname wording is preserved as printed; their connection to the established Roling family remains open. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1926-07-23, p. 1.
• Reported March 25, 1927: Mr. and Mrs. Joe Roling went to St. Louis to consult a specialist about her health. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1927-03-25, p. 7.
• Reported April 6, 1928: Joe Roling won the Third Ward election, 52 votes to George Prescott's 33; the same issue reports his swearing-in. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1928-04-06, p. 1; Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1928-04-06, p. 1.
• Reported April 6, 1928: A court notice recorded Benjamen F. Roling and Grace Roling's petition to adopt George Fredrick Panos. It documents the petition, not a final adoption order. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1928-04-06, p. 10.
• Reported April 26, 1929: Relatives and friends surprised Joe and Ida Roling for their twelfth wedding anniversary. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1929-04-26, p. 5.
• Reported July 12, 1929: Deed notices named Benj. Roling and wife, J. F. and Jos. Roling, John F. Roling and wife, and Jos. H. Roling among parties to property transfers. The notices are retained as property-history leads; this short entry does not assign the parcels to a particular family home. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1929-07-12, p. 2.

1930s milestones

• Reported March 7, 1930: Joe announced his candidacy for Third Ward alderman. This is a campaign notice, not an election result. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1930-03-07, p. 1.
• Reported May 2, 1930: A birth notice announced Marvin Joseph, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Roling, and gave April 19 as his birthday; his later obituary gives April 18. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1930-05-02, p. 5. The record comparison now prefers April 18, 1930 while retaining this notice’s April 19 statement.
• Reported October 16, 1931: Anna Pauline Roling married Edmund Suttner at St. Joseph's Church, followed by a reception and an Aholt dance. The couple planned to live on a farm near Aholt. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator (probable; visible header ends at Salisbury Press-), 1931-10-16.
• Reported December 9, 1932: Marvin Joseph Roling died of scarlet fever on the Tuesday described in the report. His obituary's age and birth date differ from the 1930 birth notice. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1932-12-09, p. 1. The death certificate supplies December 6, 1932 and supports an April 18, 1930 birth; the newspaper discrepancies remain documented.
• Reported March 2, 1934: Ben came from Beloit, Kansas, when his mother's illness became serious; she improved, and he returned home the Saturday before this report. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1934-03-02, p. 4.
• Reported June 29, 1934: The newspaper reported that Joe fired two shotgun shots during the chicken-house incident at Father Ernst's property. The unidentified man escaped; an injury was not confirmed. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1934-06-29, p. 1.

1950s family artifacts

• April 11, 1953: Bob’s Fort Riley liberty pass was issued for normal off-duty hours. See the Army cards.
• July 3, 1954: Bob received authorization to wear civilian clothes during off-duty hours with TRUST. See the Army cards.

1950s milestones

• Reported May 23, 1952: Dick Roling and Bob Wright were selected for Missouri Boys State, scheduled for June 14–21 at Kemper Military Academy in Boonville. Read about Dick’s selection. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 23, 1952, p. 1.

1960s milestones

• Reported September 30, 1960: A newspaper account described Betty’s driveway accident, treatment at Woodland Hospital, and discharge the following Monday. Read the childhood note. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, September 30, 1960, p. 1.
• Reported September 8, 1961: A newspaper note reported that Betty had fallen from her bed and broken her collarbone. Read the childhood note. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, September 8, 1961, p. 5.
• 1962: Ron joined Bob and Bridget’s family as their fourth child. Read the family announcement. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1962.
• Reported April 27, 1962: Mr. and Mrs. Victor Jarvis and their family came from Kansas City for a weekend visit with Mr. and Mrs. Joe Roling. Carol and Victor’s wedding story provides the family connection. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 27, 1962, p. 5.
• Published January 25, 1963: David, Dan, Betty and Ron appeared together in the newspaper’s “Citizens of Tomorrow” feature. See the original portrait clipping. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, January 25, 1963, p. 1.
• 1963: Linda joined Bob and Bridget’s family. Read the family announcement. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1963.
• May 10, 1964: Dan was among twenty-three children who received First Communion at St. Joseph parish. Read the childhood milestone. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 15, 1964, p. 6.
• Reported February 5, 1965: David received the Wolf Silver Arrow and a one-year service star before a Scout derby. Read about his awards. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, February 5, 1965, p. 1.
• 1965: Jane joined Bob and Bridget’s family. Read the family announcement. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1965.
• Reported January 21, 1966: Bob Roling advertised a six-room modern house for sale, described as three blocks from town. The notice records an offer, not a completed sale or an identified street address. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, January 21, 1966, p. 9, classified advertisement..
• Reported July 8, 1966: Keith Malone and his family, of Lincoln, Nebraska, were reported as holiday visitors of Bob Roling and his family. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, July 8, 1966, p. 7, social notice..
• 1968: Mike became Bob and Bridget’s seventh child. Read the family announcement. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1968.

1970s milestones

• Published February 5, 1970: David and Dan were pictured with St. Joseph’s junior-high basketball squad on a page advertising the February 11, 12 and 14 tournament at Salisbury High School. See the full newspaper page. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, February 5, 1970, p. 9.
• 1971: Mary became Bob and Bridget’s eighth child. Read the family announcement. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1971.
• Reported October 7, 1971: Dan and Greg Asbury received the Greenhand Degree as new members of the Salisbury FFA Chapter. See the group photograph and story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, October 7, 1971, p. 13.
• 1972: Tim became Bob and Bridget’s ninth child. Read the family announcement. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1972.
• March 21, 1972: Dan placed third in the individual two-mile race at Centralia, helping Salisbury finish second overall against Centralia and Paris. Read the track result. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, March 30, 1972, p. 5.
• Reported April 6, 1972: Bob Roling won Salisbury's Second Ward council seat, 166 votes to Bill Hollis' 59. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 6, 1972, p. 1..
• 1973: Linda joined Ann Gladbach’s roller-skating birthday party and stayed overnight with the other girls. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1973, p. 13.
• Reported March 28, 1974: The newspaper reported that Bob would not seek re-election as his council term ended. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, March 28, 1974, p. 1..
• 1974: Betty earned a girls’ basketball letter. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 23, 1974, p. 5.
• 1974: David earned a football letter. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 23, 1974, p. 5.
• 1974: Mike rode with the Grand River Valley Pony Pullers in a prize-winning parade entry, with Sandy Brown riding alongside. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1974, p. 11.
• Published December 19, 1974: Ron appeared with St. Joseph’s seventh- and eighth-grade Ravens basketball team. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, December 19, 1974.
• Reported February 13, 1975: Dan led the Jaycees with twenty-two points in a 73–39 men’s-league win over C.Y.O. Read the game report. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, February 13, 1975, p. 4.
• Reported April 10, 1975: Dan Roling and Greg Asbury were listed as seniors on Salisbury High School’s third-quarter honor roll. Greg would marry Betty in 1977. Read the family connection. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 10, 1975, p. 4.
• Published May 15, 1975: Dan and Greg Asbury appeared in the newspaper’s senior portraits, alongside an announcement of May 20 commencement. See the portraits. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 15, 1975, p. 5.
• Reported December 11, 1975: Linda won local first place in poetry and Jane in oratory in the fourth-through-sixth-grade Bicentennial division; first-place winners were set to advance to county competition. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, December 11, 1975, p. 7.
• Reported March 25, 1976: Linda Roling won poetry and Jane Roling won oratory in Salisbury R-4’s fourth-through-sixth-grade Bicentennial contests, advancing to the district competition scheduled in Kirksville. Read their story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, March 25, 1976, p. 1.
• 1976: Mike was listed among the guests at Jaydin Wellborn’s afternoon birthday party. A glimpse of childhood. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, 1976, p. 7.
• June 14–18, 1976: Ron attended Camp Rising Sun at the Lake of the Ozarks with Salisbury FFA members. See the camp group photograph. Source: preserved clipping dated July 1, 1976.
• Reported August 26, 1976: Linda and Jane earned 4-H ribbons at Brunswick’s fair and joined the blue-ribbon Corny Country Band, playing homemade instruments. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, August 26, 1976, p. 14.
• Published September 2, 1976: Ron’s football profile listed him as number 70, a freshman playing end. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, September 2, 1976, p. 13.
• Published September 23, 1976: Mike was pictured with St. Joseph’s first- and second-grade pupils in a feature about classroom birthday celebrations. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, September 23, 1976, p. 7.
• February 5, 1977: Linda and Monica Nanneman received a red ribbon in duet acting at a Bellarmine Speech League contest at St. Mary’s in Glasgow. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, February 10, 1977, p. 1.
• Published March 3, 1977: A St. Joseph girls’ basketball action photograph identified Linda as number 22. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, March 3, 1977, p. 36.
• Reported April 7, 1977: Linda placed second in American Legion Auxiliary Unit 391’s local essay contest. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, April 7, 1977, p. 1.
• Published May 26, 1977: A newspaper caption named Mary Roling in Salisbury R-4’s morning kindergarten class, which presented musical numbers under Sally Guilford. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, May 26, 1977, p. 11.
• Reported August 4, 1977: Bridget was listed as a contact for special craft orders from St. Joseph’s Church Craft Ladies, to be ready for the late-November fall festival. Read the notice and Tim’s childhood memory. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, August 4, 1977, p. 7.
• August 20, 1977: Betty Roling married Greg Asbury at St. Joseph Catholic Church, wearing her mother’s wedding gown and keepsakes from both grandmothers. Read the wedding story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, September 8, 1977, p. 7.
• November 5, 1977: Jane received a red ribbon for “A Girl Called Lavender” at the Diocesan Speech Contest in Glasgow. See her speech-group photograph. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, November 10, 1977, p. 4.
• Reported November 17, 1977: Ron attended the National FFA Convention in Kansas City with fellow Salisbury students. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, November 17, 1977, p. 13.
• November 22, 1977: Linda led St. Joseph’s girls with nine points in a 31–14 win over St. Pius of Moberly. Read the story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, December 1, 1977, p. 3.
• Thanksgiving Day, 1977: Dan married Pamela Louise Henke at St. Joseph Catholic Church. David was a groomsman, Ronnie an usher and Timmy the ring bearer. Read the wedding story. Source: Salisbury Press-Spectator, December 8, 1977, p. 7.

The work behind the family history

Gertrude L. Roling Widmer’s foreword offers a glimpse of the work behind the family’s history book. She thanked her sister Mary Lou for cutting and recutting the stencils, and looked ahead to keeping the history current with annual updates.

The source notes name family interviews, church records, census records and passenger lists. The book grew out of relatives’ memories as well as hours spent tracking down documents—a family effort that later generations could build on.

Source: the family history’s undated foreword and source notes. The foreword is signed Gertrude L. Roling Widmer (Mrs. John R. Widmer).

Sources and confidence

Sources and how to read them explains how records, recollections and unresolved questions are presented.

ROL-S01: John Franklin Roling’s 1947 Missouri death certificate. Names Bernard Roling and Magdalena Wentz as his parents.

ROL-S02: 1900 U.S. census, Quincy Ward 3, ED 128, sheet 12B, lines 96–97. Records the household’s reported immigration year and Bernard’s naturalization notation.

ROL-S03: St. Lambertus, Ochtrup, 1820 baptism. Documents the German child; the connection to Quincy Bernard remains unproved.

ROL-S08: Freiburg Funeral Home transcription, entry 131 in the 1900 sequence. Names Ochtrup and gives a birth date that differs from the German baptism.

St. Boniface marriage evidence: January 7, 1855 sacramental index and the diocese’s September 17, 2026 report that the original entry names neither spouse’s parents.

Louisa Roling memorial card, photographed copy in the family collection; printed name and life dates. Issuer and publication date not shown.

Typed family sheet headed by Louisa Maria Bickel and John Frank Roling, family binder, first orange sheet; compiler and date not identified on the sheet. This compiled source gives June 19, 1863, and July 15, 1934. It also gives a November 1890 marriage in Chicago.

Obituary clipping headed ‘J. F. Roling Killed Friday Evening by a Wabash Train,’ with its continuation, preserved in the family collection. The continuation reports the Chicago marriage on October 17, 1890. Newspaper name, issue date and page number are not visible in the supplied photographs.

The separately identified Quincy Herald-Whig report of November 23, 1947, page 18, column 7 is discussed in John F. Roling remembered in Quincy above. Its citation belongs to that article, not to the undated family clipping.

‘J. F. Roling Family,’ separate typed family account, author and date unidentified. Its closing paragraph gives Louisa’s death month as June 1934.

Research questions

Can an American or migration record connect Quincy Bernard explicitly to the Ochtrup household? What explains the different birth days? Can Bernard’s naturalization papers clarify his origin?

Salisbury photographs and business stories can be added as separate, clearly sourced pages without turning family recollections into proved facts.

More from the family album

Each photograph’s caption preserves its source, uncertain names, dates and locations, unresolved notes, and reproduction-rights qualifications.

All related photo collections

• Bridget photographs
• Bob photographs
• Bob and Bridget with family and friends
• Family portraits, gatherings and travel photographs
• Earlier family and album photographs
• Historical childhood and school photographs
• Historical childhood and family photographs
• School and group photographs
• Adult family snapshots
• Further historical family and group photographs
• Historical outings and workplace photographs
• Family porch, garden and outdoor photographs
• Historical portraits and group photographs
• J. F. Roling Machine Shop reproductions
• Bridget in family photographs