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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

George Hall Roach, Sr. (1869-1954) and his wife, Bettie (Minor) (1872-1952) married in Decatur in 1894 and moved to Olney in 1896 when Bettie became a charter member of First Baptist Church. Mr. Roach entered the mercantile business in old Olney soon after his arrival. When the WF&S arrived in 1907, he and his brother, Cherrie and Mr. Stevens formed a partnership as Stevens Roach with the business located at Avenue C and Main Street. George and Bettie lived at 105 East Oak starting around 1900. They moved to this house built on the southeast corner of S. Avenue D and Hamilton, with Firstt Baptist having moved their wood-frame building from Spring Creek Road just across the street in 1912. In 1916, First Baptist was built at Main and S. Avenue D on this same block. In 1917, W.T. Campbell sold Campbell Banking Company to Stevens-Roach, and George was named president of the bank, located on the north side of Main in the 100th block. The challenge of running the bank and his mercantile interest proved too hard on Mr. George Roach, so they imported Mabry Wolverton from Mart, Texas, to run the bank, which was later named City National Bank and moved to the south end of the Stevens Roach building where they built the white brick building at S Avenue C and Main in the early 1920s. The Roaches had an only child, George Hall, Jr., who married Peggy Bridges, whose parents were Basil Bertram (1892-1975) and Maude (Avery) (1895-1961) Bridges. Following the Roach’s deaths, the Roach Estate sold the property to First Baptist in 1954 and used it for church purposes for several years.

City Council