The Rock Family

Michael Joseph Rock was born in Ireland in 1865 and came to America in 1885 at the age of 20. He married Sarah Ellen Lane, of Northern Ireland, in 1899 and they made their way to the Owyhees. That same year their first infant died and the next year, 1900, they lost five-day old Michael as well. The Rocks moved on from saloon keeping in Silver in 1900 to farming and ranching in Murphy, where they later had two sons, John and Thomas, who helped at the ranch. Michael was elected Owyhee County Sheriff for eight elections and was also a stockman and rancher. He died at age 58. Sarah spent a great deal of time in Silver in her golden years, listing it as her home in the 1940 Census along with living part time in Nye Nevada. She listed 5th grade as the highest level of school completed, and lived to be 69 years of age. She and Michael are buried at the Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise.