USA > California > Fresno County > History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Volume II > Part 141
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Octave's mother died when he was seventeen months old. Unhappily, the maternal grandmother, who was a woman of means and education, also died, when he was eleven years of age. When a lad he attended the village schools in the winter until his grandmother's death, and then, still in France, he worked on his father's farm. On December 12, 1885, however, the two brothers, Jean Marie and Octave took passage for New Orleans, landing there on January 6, 1886, during a storm and "cold wave" which covered New Orleans under six inches of ice. They stopped in New Orleans for thirteen months, while they worked at gardening, at twelve dollars a month; and then, having decided that California offered more than any other state in the Union, they came on to the Pacific Coast.
Arriving at San Francisco on January 7, 1887, the brothers worked at various jobs. Octave learned the baker's trade at San Jose and ran a bakery for Espetallier at Bakersfield for sixteen and a half months, after which he
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went to San Francisco and there lived for three months at Oakland. On November 23, 1890, he came to Fresno and soon after started to build the French Bakery there. Jean Marie came with him and helped form the part- nership of the two brothers which continued until Jean died. Then Octave bought out the latter's interest, and continued the bakery until December 1, 1914. He built his bakery on K Street, near Fresno, and ran the largest baking establishment in that city.
Having achieved this success at Fresno, Mr. Dargeles in 1911 came to Caruthers and bought his 480-acre farm, which he has partly improved with a modern dairy barn, silos, corrals, branding chutes and other necessary adjuncts of a first class dairy farm. Mr. Dargeles, for six months out of every year, uses forty-one horsepower of electric power for pumping and other farm work. He also put in six wells and five pumping plants, one of which is run by a twenty horsepower dynamo, capable of irrigating 200 acres and supplied by two deep wells. In studying out the plans for the dairy barn and extensive yards and corrals, Mr. Dargeles was ably assisted by his four boys. The two eldest of these having gone into the army, Mr. Dargeles has rented out 400 acres for a dairy farm, and he expects to build a residence on the eighty acres nearest to Caruthers ; he also intends to set from fifty to sixty-five acres of Thompsons and Malagas.
In 1894 Mr. Dargeles was married to Victorine G. Bonnabel, a native of Forest St. Julien, Hautes Alpes, the Province of Dauphine, France, by whom he has had seven children. Ernest O. is at present a mine layer on the Housatonic, operating in the North Sea; Caesar Raymond, the adopted boy, is an instructor of aeroplane gunners; Henry Julius and Frank Octave are with their father; the fifth-born, named Octavia, died when she was eleven months old; the sixth in the order of birth is now eleven years old; and there are Francina Mary Gabriel and Raymond.
Mr. Dargeles has voted since 1892 when he became a naturalized citizen of the United States, and he has fitted himself for further responsibility in civic affairs by reading extensively, studying philosophy, religion, eco- nomics, industrialism and sociology ; he is a Socialist. He helped to organize the Caruthers Cheese Factory, and is ever ready to aid in any movement for the community's advancement.
N. P. BECK .- Natives of Denmark coming to this country have shown a special liking for the land, whether from an inherent love of conquest or not, but whatever the reason they seem determined to wrest from the soil that success that only the industrious may claim. A splendid example is seen in the case of N. P. Beck, who was born in Aarhus, Jylland, Denmark, March 6, 1885. His father, Neils Nielsen Beck, was a farmer, and his mother, before her marriage Metta Marie Beck. They are both living, and are the parents of eight children, five in Denmark and three in the United States. These last are, N. P., J. P. I., ranchers at Empire and Johannes, who was in the United States Service.
Mr. Beck was brought up on a farm, and received a public school edu- cation. At the age of seventeen he was apprenticed as gardener and florist for four years. In 1906 he came to New York City and followed his trade until 1907, when he came to California. Fresno County was his objective point, for he had become interested here from reading of the vineyards and orchards, and he wanted a milder climate. Upon arrival he went to work in a dairy at Laton, remaining there for five months, and then came to Empire Colony where he engaged with Mr. A. C. Hansen in vineyard work. After five months here he went to Palo Alto as a florist, and spent eighteen months in this place. He returned to Empire Colony and began farming. He has twenty- six acres in vineyard, Thompson seedless and Muscats, and the balance in alfalfa. Mr. Beck is a member of the Danish Brotherhood of Fresno, and also of the California Associated Raisin Company.
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CONRAD WINTER .- A resident of Fresno County for the past seven- teen years, Conrad Winter has taken advantage of his opportunities and is now engaged in ranching on his own account and meeting with deserved suc- cess. Born in Skadopki, Samara, Russia, October 3, 1875, he is a son of Con- rad and Katherine Elizabeth (Bischel) Winter, farmer folk of that country ; the father passed away in 1889, and the mother is still living there. Conrad was the fourth oldest in a family of seven children, and was raised on the home farm, receiving his education in the public schools. When twenty-one he entered the Russian Army and served three years and eight months in the Regular Infantry, at the end of that period receiving his honorable discharge.
Seeking better opportunities than those afforded in his home environ- ment, he made the long journey to Fresno in 1902, and after his arrival worked in the city and on ranches. His marriage occurred here, June 21, 1904, to Miss Katherine Schwabenland, also born in Russia, a daughter of Conrad and Katherine (Romish) Schwabenland, who brought their family here in 1894 and the father was engaged at farm work, then with Barrett & Hicks in the plumbing business, until his health failed and he retired; his death occurred here in 1915; the mother still resides in Fresno. They were the parents of nine children, two living, of whom Mrs. Winter was the oldest, and she re- ceived her education in the public schools of Fresno.
After his marriage, Mr. Winter continued his work in Fresno and in 1910 bought his ranch, twenty acres on Shields Avenue, in the Empire dis- trict ; he made all the improvements on the raw land, built his home and other ranch buildings, and has fifteen acres in Thompson seedless vineyard, the balance devoted to orchard and alfalfa. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Winter, three living: Annie; Marie; and Christina. The family attends the Lutheran Church in Fresno. Mr. Winter is a member of the Cal- ifornia Associated Raisin Company, and combines his industry with a spirit of cooperation and progress.
JOSEPH J. SILVEIRA .- A resident of Fresno County since September, 1888, and one of the oldest settlers of the Herndon section is Joseph J. Sil- veira, born on the Island of Flores, Azores, February 2, 1869. His father John made three trips to California, finally locating here, spending his last days at Merced being survived by his widow Marie Silveira who still makes her home in Merced, at the age of seventy-seven years. Joe Silveira, the eldest of their seven children, learned the stock business as a lad in his native land. He always had a desire to come to California as it was also his father's advice, who described California to him as God's country. So in the Fall of 1888 Mr. Silveira came to Stockton, Cal., where he worked for a sheep man and two months later came with him to Madera, then Fresno County, working for the same man for three years-without the loss of a day. When his employer sold out young Silveira had saved enough money to buy a flock of sheep and followed the business with success for many years. In February, 1900, he bought his present ranch at Herndon which has been his head- quarters ever since. At one time he leased thousands of acres of land on which he raised grain, operating it with five big teams and combined threshers. He made a specialty of raising mules and has had some of the finest specimens in the county. He owns a 318-acre ranch in Tranquillity, and a 160-acre ranch on Madera Avenue near Kerman which he will improve to vines and alfalfa. He built and owns a warehouse at Herndon. Mr. Silveira was an organizer and is a director in the Growers National Bank of Fresno. In Oakland occurred the first marriage of Mr. Silveira to Marie Quiller of whom he was bereaved, leaving him five children : Marie, Jack, Joe, Mabel and David. He was married a second time at San Rafael to Anna Armas, and they have four children living: Maria, Fred, Louis and Elsie. Mr. Silveira is a member of the I. D. E. S. and U. P. E. C., and politically is a Republican.
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LORENZ OLSEN .- A prosperous couple who had the best of advan- tages in their native country, coming from families comfortably situated, and who have made many friends at Rolinda although only recently located here, are Mr. and Mrs. Lorenz .Olsen. He was born at Horsens, in Jutland, Denmark, on March 9, 1891, where he was reared on a farm, while attending the local schools. His father was Soren Olsen, a prosperous farmer who be- came the owner of several valuable farm properties, but who has sold all of them and now lives retired in Horsens. The mother, Mrs. Anna Olsen, died in 1917.
Lorenz was the second in the family of three children, and received a good common and high-school education, after which he assisted his father at farming. He served in the Third Company of the Twenty-third Battalion in the Danish Army, and was duly and honorably discharged. Hearing favor- able reports of Fresno County, Mr. Olsen in 1916, came to America and on May 17th arrived at Fresno. For a few months he was employed on a large ranch at Burrel but on November 1st, in partnership with his brother, he pur- chased the present place of thirty acres at Rolinda, where he has since engaged in viticulture and dairying. He has twelve acres set out to Thompson seed- less grapes, and ten acres in Sultana seedless, while the balance is planted to alfalfa. With C. Andersen he owns a Reo truck which he runs on a cream route, gathering cream for the Danish Creamery, and the truck covers over fifty miles every day between customers.
On December 21, 1916, Mr. Olsen was married in Fresno to Marie Erick- sen, who was also born in Jutland, Denmark, the daughter of Erick and Helena Eleanor Ericksen, who still live in good circumstances near Horsens. Of their eleven children, four are in the United States, one having served in the United States Army. Mrs. Olsen received an excellent education in her native land. They have one child, Erick Andrew.
Mr. Olsen is a member of the California Associated Raisin Company, and is always ready to help in advancing the interests of the community.
HENRY MEISNER .- Beginning life under the unfavorable conditions prevalent in the old country, Henry Meisner has become a landowner and prosperous rancher in the country of his adoption, and by his own efforts has attained comfort for his declining years. Born in Bobofgina, Samara, Russia, July 22, 1872, he is a son of Adam and Margaret (Summer) Meisner, both now deceased in their native land, and the parents of five children.
The youngest of the family, Henry was reared on the home farm in Rus- sia, and attended the public schools of Bobofgina. When twenty-one, he entered the Russian army in the artillery, and served at North Rastof for three years and eight months. On his return home he married there, in July, 1898, Miss Marie Buschel, also a native of that province. After marriage, Mr. Meisner engaged in farming in Russia for a time, but in 1903 he made the journey to the land of greater opportunity, and located in Fresno, his family joining him a year later. For the first five years he worked in a plumb- ing shop. In 1911 he bought his ranch of forty acres on Barstow Avenue, and engaged in the dairy business ; he now is a viticulturist also, setting out Thompson seedless grapes, and meeting with the success made possible by habits of industry and thrift for which the Russian people are noted.
Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs, Meisner: John, who died, aged two years, in Russia ; Marie, born in Russia, is now Mrs. Sipe of Bars- tow; John; Henry; and Adam. The family attends the Lutheran Church in Fresno and enjoys the comfort made possible by the parents' early planning. Mr. Meisner is a member of the California Associated Raisin Company, and a worker for the further upbuilding of his district.
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ADAM METZLER .- A self-made man who is doing well in his chosen vocation, that of ranching, Adam Metzler was born in Bobofski, Samara, Rus- sia, June 26, 1881, a son of Peter and Marie (Rudolph) Metzler, farmer folk of that country. He is the third oldest among seven children, and the only one in the United States. Brought up on a home farm, and attending the public schools, he followed farming with his father until his marriage, on November 22, 1907, to Miss Marie Quisnar, also born there, a daughter of Frederick and Elizabeth (Riechert) Quisnar, farmer folk and the parents of six children, of whom Marie was the second oldest.
In 1908, Mr. and Mrs. Metzler located in Fresno, and here he entered the employ of the California Produce Company, working up to the position of foreman. In 1912 he bought his ranch of twenty acres in the Biola district, built his residence and barns, and set about improving the property ; half to be set to Thompson seedless vineyard, and the balance to alfalfa.
Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Metzler: Elizabeth ; Peter ; Bertha ; Henry ; Marie; and Martha. The family attends the Christ Lutheran Church in Fresno, of which Mr. Metzler has been trustee. He is a member of the California Associated Raisin Company.
CONRAD KINZEL .- An energetic American by adoption who has made a success by hard work and perseverance, that he is today a man of affairs, is Conrad Kinzel, who first came to Fresno in the late nineties. He was born in Priwalnoe, Samara, Russia, on February 5, 1870, the son of George Henry Kinzel, a farmer there, who married Catherine Leisle. The mother died, but the father is still living, seventy-two years of age.
There were twelve children in the family, and ten are living, while two are in the United States. One of these, a brother named Phillip, is in partner- ship with our subject. Conrad was brought up on a farm and attended the public schools; and he was fortunate in learning both the German and Rus- sian languages.
He served five years in the Russian army as a member of the cavalry, being stationed near Warsaw on the German frontier; and in time he was honorably discharged. For two years he continued to work on his father's farm, and then he concluded to come to the United States. He was fortunate in the information given him about California, and was lucky in selecting Fresno as his future home.
On November 22, 1898, he arrived here, and he was employed on ranches for seven years. Having saved some money, he started in the grocery and meat business, on South F Street, one block south of his present store; and he there took into partnership Jacob P. Christian. They each had a capital of $500; but at the end of the year he sold out. Then he worked for a year at farming and for another year was in the employ of August Steitz on F Street. He was next in the employ of H. B. Bier in his store on F Street, for nearly three years, and then he bought out Henry Rudolph, of Steitz & Ru- dolph, for $2,000, and continued in business as Steitz & Company. He bought a half interest in the store and building and they continued together for nine years.
On January 27, 1919, Mr. Kinzel bought out Mr. Steitz's interest and took in his brother Phillip as a partner, the firm becoming Kinzel Brothers; and now they have a large modern store filled with choice general merchan- dise. It is located at the corner of California and Kirk avenues, and there is also a warehouse with a floor space of 30 x 125 feet. Mr. Kinzel is a Re- publican in politics, but too good an American not to see the merit in politi- cal propositions often advanced by the opposite parties.
He was married at his old home to Miss Catherina Bier, a native of Sa- mara, and the daughter of George Conrad Bier. The Kinzels are members of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Cross Church and he is a member of the Eagle Lodge.
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PHILLIP DAUER .- A viticulturist, dairyman and carpenter and expert builder, is Phillip Dauer, who was born near Volga, Russia, on January 3, 1873, the son of Gotlieb Dauer, a carpenter and a farmer who died in the vicinity of his home in 1887. He had married Marie Wulf; and his widow is now living.
Phillip, who is the only child living, was brought up on a farm while he attended the neighborhood school; and for four years he served his appren- ticeship as a carpenter. He worked for his brother at the same time that he learned how to paint. And he followed his trade as long as he was in his native country.
In 1902, having crossed the ocean to America, he pushed west to Ar- lington, Minn., and there he went to work on a farm. Later he followed the carpenter's trade; and being a painstaking mechanic, he was never without employment. In fact, whether as a skilled laborer or as a farmer, the quality of Mr. Dauer's service was always such that he gave general satisfaction.
Three years after settling in Minnesota, Mr. Dauer moved still further West and settled in Fresno, where he again took up work as a carpenter. He helped construct the building at Zapp's Park. On January 24, 1909, Mr. Dauer located in Barstow Colony and bought his present place of twenty-five acres. He engaged in dairying and the raising of alfalfa, and as he prospered, he bought twenty acres more. This last tract he set out to Thompson's seed- less grapes. He is a member of the California Associated Raisin Company, where his cooperation is appreciated.
Mr. Dauer is not the kind of a man who withholds any assistance needed that he may render. Barstow Colony felt the want of a carpenter ; and he has continued to contract and to build ; and while adding to his enterprise, he has done much to solve the problem of new residences for the community.
Mrs. Dauer was Miss Mary Jacoby before her marriage, which occurred in Russia ; and she is the mother of nine children, all of whom are living. They are Susie, now Mrs. Seibert of Selma ; and John, Phillip, Peter, Edward, Henry, William, Amelia and Mollie, who reside at home. The family are Lutherans, and encourage each worthy movement for the moral uplift and educational improvement of the neighborhood.
FIRMIN YZURDIAGA .- An enterprising and progressive farmer and dairyman of Fresno County Firmin Yzurdiaga was born in Pamplona, Navarra, Spain, December 22, 1884, the second oldest of a family of seven children born to Vincente and Micaela (Elcano) Yzurdiaga who were indus- trious farmers in their native land; the mother died when Firmin was only twelve years of age while his father still lives at the old home. Firmin was reared to the life of a farmer and his educational advantages were necessarily limited because he was early set to work to help support the family. Striking out for himself in October, 1904, he came to the city of Mexico, where he was employed for five months, until April, 1905, when he came to Los Angeles. Finding employment on farms near La Puente until 1908, he then came to Fresno County and here he worked on farms until 1911. He then purchased a herd of. dairy cows, leased land from M. Theo. Kearney and engaged in dairying. He leases 160 acres from the Kearney estate and he now has a herd of 140 cows. He also owns a twenty-acre vineyard on the corner of California and Hayes Avenues. Mr. Yzurdiaga was united in marriage in San Francisco May 12, 1912, to Miss Eulalia Amorina who was also born in Pamplona, Spain; she is the daughter of Miguel and Firmina (Ygoa; Amorina, the latter died in 1917 while the father is still living at the old house. Of their ten children seven are still living. Mrs. Yzurdiaga being the eighth in order of birth. She received a good education in her native place; coming to Cali- fornia in 1911 she resided in Stockton and San Francisco until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Yzurdiaga are both members of the Catholic Church in Fresno. Believing in protection he is a Republican in national politics.
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ANTONIO FARETTA .- One of the adopted citizens of Fresno County, who has forged ahead without making any fuss about it, is Antonio Faretta. He was born in the Province of Potenza, Italy, October 28, 1875. He attended the village school until his eighth year, when he went to work, but kept up his school at night. Upon reaching manhood, he served thirty months in the Italian army, and returning to his home village in 1898 was married to Cathrina Masucci, who had come to America when six years of age, and had returned to Italy. An- tonio's father had also come to America and was located in Oakland, Cal. Soon after the son's marriage he and his wife started for America with just enough money to reach this side, arriving in 1898, and going to Oakland. After work- ing for wages in Oakland for eighteen months, he came to Fresno County in 1900 and for six months was employed by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, and for the next two and a half years worked on ranches in the county. He then followed work in various lines until, in 1904, he started a grocery store at 1301 Fresno Street, one of the first to engage in business on the West Side. This was a small frame building, and his business grew from the start and to such proportions that finally, in 1913, he erected his present two-story brick building, which enables him to better supply his still increasing trade. He also owns a twenty-acre ranch on Shields Avenue, planted to Thompson seedless grapes. He is a successful, self-made man. He has four children, all born in California: Mamie, Rosie, Marie Antoinette and Theodore.
ADAM RUDOLF .- A native of Russia, who is today, after fifteen years in Fresno, not only one of the patriotic of adopted American citizens, but also one of the most enterprising and successful, is Adam Rudolf, the well-known vineyardist, who is particularly proud of the fact that he improved his ranch himself. He was born at Popofkina, on the Volga River, Samara, on January 6, 1873, and his father, also Adam Rudolf, was a farmer before him. There were four boys and six girls in the family, and of this group, two boys are in Fresno County.
Growing up under conditions both favorable and unfavorable, Adam nevertheless enjoyed the usual popular schooling until he was fifteen, and from that age followed farming as the means of a livelihood. In some re- spects, Russia is a great agricultural country, and so his opportunity to be well grounded in certain fundamental things in farming was good. When he had somewhat established himself, he married Miss Annie Lung, a native of the section. She was the daughter of Henry Lung, a well-situated farmer; and when they had set up their little household, they farmed on a place of fifteen acres that they owned.
Deciding to come to America and California, of which they had heard such inspiring tales, Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf disposed of their holdings, and in 1902, with their one child, they crossed the ocean and the continent, and arrived in California. He was fortunate in securing work in a vineyard; and so, in addition to becoming a viticulturist with the best of training, he learned the best methods of managing such an enterprise.
Thus encouraged by his progress, Mr. Rudolf in 1911 bought his present place of twenty acres in the Barstow Colony-a tract all stubble when he took hold of it, but which yielded to his persistent hard work. He set out a vineyard of eleven acres of Thompson's seedless, and also planted four acres each to peaches and alfalfa. And when he had thus equipped himself for ranch enterprise, he joined the California Peach Growers, Inc., of which he is a stockholder, and the California Associated Raisin Company, and gave his cordial support to the excellent work yearly undertaken and accomplished by both of those organizations.
Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf have one child, a boy named Adam; and they are also rearing a very attractive girl, Marie Busch. The family are members of the Free Cross German Lutheran Church, in Fresno.
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