Kitchen Clock and Information Related to our Rapp Ancestors

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Jacob and Christina Rapp Roesch

Kitchen Clock

This Kitchen Clock was a wedding gift to my Great Grandparents Jacob and Christina (Katie) (Rapp) Roesch. They were married November 10, 1868. It has the names in old German handwriting. It shows the names as Jakob Rösch and Christina Rösch on the front of the clock. Simon Rapp, the brother of Christina (Rapp) Roesch was a clock maker and he made the clock and gave the Kitchen Clock as a wedding gift to them.

The Kitchen Clock was left at the Fred Roesch (Grandson of Jacob and Christina Roesch) farm when Henry Roesch (son of Jacob and Christina Roesch) moved off the farm. It was decided by some of the children of Jacob and Christina Roesch to give the Kitchen Clock to the museum in Falls City. Mary (Roesch) Fischer (sister of Henry Roesch) went out to the Fred Roesch farm, picked up the Kitchen Clock and took it to the museum in Falls City (I think in the late 1940's). I think the museum still has the original gift records. As I was growing up, I would sometimes go to this museum when I was at the Prichard Auditorium and look at the Kitchen Clock.

This old German clock was made in Germany by Simon Rapp (a clockmaker), brother of Christina Magalena (Rapp) Roesch. It was a wedding gift to Christina Rapp and Jacob Roesch, by her brother. They brought it with them when they came to America in 1879. It was donated to the Richardson County museum by their daughter, Mary (Roesch) Fischer. The clock was missing the hands and did not run when it was donated. It was open on the sides, top, and bottom with bucket weights under it which would hold sand. The word Rapp (the clock makers name) was written on the clock some place. Rapp was pronounced like it rhymes with cop.

The front of the clock has the words Christina Roesch and Jacob Roesch all written in German. The painted face has a column painted on the right and left sides of the face. At the top of the face is a picture. Nancy Cheshire found that the picture is a scene of small monastery on the side of Rigi mountain overlooking Lake Lucerne. Under the picture is written “Das Klosterli auf dem Rigi” which translates to “the small monastery on the top of the Rigi”.

The museum was located at the Prichard Auditorium, Falls City, NE and moved to a new location in Falls City in the early 2000''s. During the move , the clock was misplaced but now has been found. The Kitchen Clock has now been restored, but not repaired to run and placed for viewing as shown in below picture. It is located at the Richardson County Historical Museum, 1401 Chase St, Falls City, NE, 68355 USA Phone:402-245-4407. One should call for times when open.

Additionally, Wilbur Roesch (a Grandson of Jacob and Christina Roesch) has in the Museum Military Room the following:

• • Wilbur Roesch Military Uniform and Boots

• • Wilbur Roesch pictures

• • Wilbur Roesch manual typewriter used to type his book

• • Copy of the book: Life as a Prisoner of War - by Wilbur Roesch

Roesch Kitchen Clock

on display above at the museum

Above is another picture of the

Roesch Kitchen Clock

before restoration

Another similar Clock made by Simon Rapp

Simon Rapp was a brother of my Great Grandmother Christina (Rapp) Roesch. Herbert Kammerer, Vera Gale's father (1995) is below the clock. They are descendants from Simon Rapp.

Christina Rapp Roesch

Buchenberg Village Councilman's seat

The Buchenberg Village Councilman's seat was made for ancestors of Simon Rapp and his sister, my Great Grandmother Christina (Rapp) Roesch.

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Last Modified January 2022

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