Biography of Thomas Henry Roach of Polk Township
Thomas Henry Roach, born November 16, 1853, in Dubuque County, Iowa, was a successful farmer and stock raiser in Polk Township, Nodaway County, Missouri. His parents were Richard Roach, a native of Ireland and a “forty-niner,” and Julia Malone, originally from New York of Irish descent. The family moved to Missouri in 1865. Thomas settled in Nodaway County in 1872 and built a prosperous 300-acre farm. On January 1, 1877, he married Martha Neal, and they had five children: Charles H., Julia, Nellie, Maud, and Golda. Thomas was active in educational affairs and served as road overseer and school board member.