MARTIN RORAH
Martin Rorah, one of the present representatives of the grocery business, engaged in this line of trade on coming to Wiota, in 1879. He handles staple and fancy groceries, flour and feed, candies, tobaccos, etc., and has a fine trade.
Martin Rorah was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, July 5, 1828, and is the son of Jacob and Margaret (Hohn) Rorah. Martin was reared and educated in his native county, and when grown to manhood he followed the occupation of farming. In 1868, he went to Henry county, Illinois, where he still followed the life of a farmer until September, 1879, when he came to Wiota, Cass county, Iowa, and has since been engaged in business. He was united in marriage in 1849, in Pennsylvania, to Louisa Bork, a native of that State. They have been blessed with nine children, seven of whom are now living--Maggie, now married and lives in Cass county; Frank, living at home; John, Charles, Elmer and Ida. William J., died in 1852, aged two and one-half years, and Mary Jane died in 1863, at the age of twelve years. Mr. Rorah owns a farm of one hundred and twenty acres of land, southeast of Wiota, in Franklin township, but his residence and business are in town, while he owns other town property. He is a man of substantial character, and is highly esteemed as a business man and companion.
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pp. 804-805.
