The Valley of Heart's Delight
JOHN ROLL
Santa Clara County Supervisor and Chairman of the Board
SURNAMES: Runge,
After many years of faithful service in Santa Clara County, John Roll has
been re-elected time and again to the responsible office of supervisor,
while his associates have honored him for the past four years by selecting
him as chairman of the board. He has served them in that capacity more than
twenty-seven years, being chosen by a large majority at each election. His
mind and heart have been engrossed in the well-being of the county and such
has been his success in the solution of many difficult problems that his
fellow-citizens more and more have reposed confidence in him.
The Roll family settled in the state of Wisconsin as early as 1846,
being pioneers of the then very sparsely settled territory and it was there,
six years later, that John Roll was born, receiving his education in the
public schools of his state. After his school days were over, he was
employed at railroading in Iowa and Minnesota, later, in 1882, removing to
Arizona where for eighteen months he followed mining.
[ed note- see more on the ROLL family in Arizona
]
In 1884 he removed to Santa Clara, Cal., and for ten years was employed
by the Pacific Manufacturing Company. During this time he served four years
as a member of the board of trustees of Santa Clara, thus aiding in securing
the municipal water works and electric light plant for the town. In the year
1894, he was elected supervisor for the fourth supervisorial district of
Santa Clara County, to which position he has been reelected each time and is
now serving his seventh term and at the present time is chairman of the
board. Always interested in having good roads his years of experience in
that endeavor have well qualified him as a judge in that line and he is
looked upon as an authority in road building not only by the people of his
county but throughout the whole state. The County Hospital has also received
his strong support and for twenty years he has been at the head of the
hospital committee and it is largely due to his energy and zeal that Santa
Clara today has one of the finest county hospitals in the state.
Mr. Roll is well and favorably known throughout the state and was one
of the organizers of the State Supervisors' Association and at the first
meeting was honored with by election each year until at the meeting in
Sacramento, 1920, when he was elected president, the highest honor that
could be bestowed on him and thus he acted as presiding officer for the
accustomed one year.
The marriage of Mr. Roll united him with Miss Emma M. Runge, also a
native of Wisconsin. Five children have been born to them: Robert I., Julia,
deceased; Clara, August E., and John H. The latter served his country
overseas in the World War. Mr. and Mrs. Roll also have four grandchildren.
Politically a Democrat, Mr. Roll has served both his party and his community
acceptably and efficiently. Fraternally he is a Knights Templar Mason and a
Shriner, being a member of San Jose Commandery No. 10, K. T., and Islam
Temple A. A. O. N. M. S., San Francisco, as well as a member of the Odd
Fellows and the Red Men. He is at all times deeply interested in the welfare
of his community and has never failed to accomplish the duties nearest him
and aided materially in the county's advancement to a foremost place in the
great commonwealth of California.
Transcribed by , Phyllis Dearborn,researching the Roll name, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 866
SANTA CLARA COUNTY PIONEER FAMILIES
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORY