History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 248

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1660

USA > California > San Joaquin County > History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 248

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Howard A. Myers attended the Prairie Chapel dis- trict school in Warren County, and remained at home until he was of age. On March 7, 1894, he was mar- ried, at Boswell, Ind., to Miss Lily M. Felix, a native of that same vicinity, and the daughter of William and Emma Felix. There were five children in her parents' family: Mary, Joseph, Bell, Lily, and Charles.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Myers removed to White County, Ind., where with his brother Perry, Mr. Myers bought a quarter-section of land, which they farmed jointly for six years and then sold. Next the two brothers went to Oklahoma, and there bought a quarter-section of land, which they also sold after farming it for three years. Perry Myers then went to Washington; but Howard Myers came to California, settling for a while in Kern County, where he rented twenty acres of alfalfa, in the "Weed

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Patch" close to Bakersfield. Next he removed to Stockton, and entered the business field as a dis- tributor of oil burners. He had a shop for two years on Market Street, and was also located on California Street.

In 1906 he removed to the northeastern section of San Joaquin County and traded his Stockton prop- erty for a quarter-section of land in the Brandt school district, about six miles southeast of Clements; and in 1919 he added to this ranch 640 acres of fine grain land, so that today he owns a section and a quarter. He has about eighty head of stock, and raises wheat, barley and oats. He also raises about 150 turkeys each season. In addition to the ranch which he owns, he also leases land, farming in all about 2,200 acres. He leases the Connelly and Jahant ranches north of Woodbridge, and also the Thompson Folger ranch of about 900 acres, and he has about 400 acres three miles to the south of his home. He uses two Yuba tractors, and has a full modern equipment of grain- farming machinery for operation on an extensive scale.

Seven children were granted to Mr. and Mrs. Myers: Minnie, Mrs. Kepple, who died at the age of twenty-two years, together with her infant child; Charles, who is at home, farming with his father; Perry, ranching for himself; Elwood, also at home, associated with his father; Mary, now Mrs. Peterson; and Elsie and Richard, still at home. Politically, Mr. Myers is a Republican,

ANGELO VICTOR LAGORIO .- Among the younger generation of horticulturists of San Joaquin County is Angelo Victor Lagorio, a native son of the county, having been born on his father's ranch on the Upper Sacramento Road, November 1, 1894. His parents, Louis and Theresa (Rossi) Lagorio, were born in Rippia, province of Genoa, Italy, came to San Joaquin County, Cal., many years ago and settled on a ranch of twenty-five acres located on the Upper Sacramento Road. At the time the father purchased this ranch it was bare land and he developed it to a splendid orchard. He did not live to enjoy the fruits of his labor, for he passed away in 1915. The mother had died in 1913. They were the parents of six children: Della, Mrs. Zepenitti, resid- ing in Stockton; Angelo Victor, the subject of this sketch; Lenora, Mrs. Piccardo, residing in Stockton; Louis, Amerigo and Raymond. Angelo was educated in the public school of Greenwood district and assisted his father on the ranch until his death. After his father's death in 1915, he took the management of the ranch and has been ably assisted by his three younger brothers. They have since added to their holdings; they first purchased fourteen acres in 1916 in the Morado district, eight miles from Stockton, which they planted to orchard, now all in bearing fruit trees. In 1920 the brothers bought sixty-five acres near Lin- den, which they also set to orchard. Louis and Amer- igo Lagorio live on this latter ranch and are looking after its cultivation and development in a thorough and systematic manner. Raymond and our subject live on the home place. Thus they own 104 acres, all devoted to orchard and vineyard.

On December 11, 1917, in Stockton, Mr. Lagorio was married to Miss Celia Queirolo, born in San Francisco, a daughter of Andrew and Mary (Pesonia) Queirolo. Andrew Queirolo was born at Jackson, Cal., where his father, Giovanni Queirolo, was a pio-

neer in the mines. Grandfather Queirolo returned to Italy with his family and recently passed away at the age of ninety years. When Andrew Qucirolo reached young manhood he returned to California and engaged in business in San Francisco until he later removed to Stockton. Mrs. Lagorio was only seven years old when her mother passed away. There are four chil- dren in the family: Josephine, Mrs. Valvano, residing in Stockton, Joseph, Mrs. Lagorio and William. Mrs. Lagorio received her education in the Fair Oaks and Fremont grammar schools and then took a course in Heald's Business College in Stockton, and after graduation worked as a stenographer for some time before she was married. Two children were born to this couple, La Verne and Angelo Victor, Jr. Mr. Lagorio entered the U. S. Army on July 1, 1918, and was sent to Los Angeles, where he entered the Man- ual Arts high school for a mechanical course; after four months he was sent to Fort McArthur at San Pedro; he was discharged at Fort McArthur in De- cember, 1918. He is a member of Stockton Parlor No. 7 of the N. S. G. W. and in politics is a Repub- lican.

PIERRE LAHAIE .- As a farmer, dairyman and vineyardist, Pierre Lahaie has been very successful and now leases a ranch on the Harshner Road. He was born at Botiscon, Canada, on April 25, 1866, a son of Gaseb and Margaret (La Favre) Lahaie. There were nine children in the family, namely: Henry, Anna, Alvin, Caroline, Laura, Albert, Pierre, our subject, Merle, and Isaac. The father was a farmer in Canada and when Pierre, our subject, was two years old the family moved to the Georgian Bay district in Ontario and lived there for nine years, when they removed to Bottineau County, N. D., and there the father bought a half-section of land. He lived to be sixty-eight years old and the mother was eighty-two, when she passed away.

Pierre Lahaie received his education in the grammar school and in vacation time helped his father on the home farm, where he remained until he was twenty- seven years old. He was married at Willow City, N. D., on November 19, 1890, to Miss Emelie March- and, a native of the same vicinity in Canada where her husband was born, a daughter of Joseph and Elsie (Carrigan) Marchand, Mrs. Lahaie being the seventh in a family of nine children, as follows: Jos- eph, Josephine, Zepherin, Marie, Artimese, Armidos, Emelie, Antoinette, and Arthur. When Mrs. La- haie was thirteen years old her family removed to Bottineau County, N. D., where her father home- steaded a half section of land. Her mother passed away at the age of thirty-nine and the father is still living at the age of eighty-four.

Shortly after his marriage, Mr. Lahaie removed to Duluth, Minn., where he worked for two years; he then returned to North Dakota, where he continued as a wage earner for a couple of years, then purchased a half-section of land and devoted his attention to raising grain and cattle for nine years; then he re- moved to Willow City and resided there for one year, when he came to Lodi, in 1904, where he purchased a fourteen acre ranch in the Pearly tract north of Wood- bridge. He set it to vineyard and being unable to make of it a paying proposition, he turned it back to the original owners. He then rented 184 acres in the Tules and ran a dairy of twenty-five cows for three years; he then went northeast of Lodi on the Dry

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Creek Road one-half mile east of the Elliott school house and leased 480 acres of land on which he ran a dairy of seventy cows for three years; he then re- turned to the country north of Woodbridge on the Lincoln Highway, known as the Benedict ranch, con- sisting of 380 acres, part in vineyard, and remained there for one year; then he leased 180 acres eight miles west of Lodi and for the following two years conducted a dairy and alfalfa ranch; he then moved to the Neil McClintock ranch of eighty acres and rented it for three years. On January 4, 1921, he purchased forty-four acres of land, which was in vine- yard. This property he sold in May, 1922, and came back to the dairy ranch on the Harshner Road. Mr. and Mrs. Lahaie are the parents of ten children: Ernestine, Mrs. Rossinni is deceased. Her husband also passed away in 1918 and they left one son, Wal- ter, three years old, who lives with his grandfather. Eugene Lahaie married Hilda Perrin and they have two children, Genevieve and Wilbert. He enlisted in the U. S. Army, June, 1918, and was sent to San Diego, where he was assigned to an ammunition train and in February, 1919, was discharged as a private. Arthur Lahaie enlisted, at the age of nineteen, on March 20, 1917, and was sent to Camp Kearney in the field artillery; later he was transferred to the 135th Aero Squadron as mechanic and was sent to France where he became an officer's chauffeur and a mes- senger, besides serving as an interpreter, for being of French descent he understands and speaks the French language. He was in the front line trenches in the St. Mihiel drive and the Argonne offensive. Upon his return to the United States he served the balance of his enlistment at Fort Sill and there he was dis- charged in May, 1919. He has recently reenlisted and is now serving in the aviation department in the Philippines. Leo Lahaie married Miss Dorothy Brad- ley and has one daughter, Mary. The others are Pierre; Aldea, Mrs. Samuel Schenkenberger; Evelyn, Romeo, Edward and Velma. In politics Mr. Lahaie is a Democrat. He is a member of the Catholic Church.

EDWARD W. LATTA .- A resident of San Joa- quin County, Cal., since 1911, Edward W. Latta was associated with the Lockeford Mercantile Company until 1918, when he sold his interest and established a route for the Lodi Steam Laundry, which he has successfully built up and which has been a lucrative occupation. A native of Michigan, he was born in Grand Rapids on September 29, 1876, the son of Charles and Etta (Mott) Latta, farmers in that state. Edward W. is the eldest of a family of seven children, the others being Edith, Roy, Herbert, Fred, Bertha, and Harry. Charles Latta, the father, passed away at the age of fifty-four, while the mother only reached the age of forty-six.

Edward W. Latta received a grammar school edu- cation and at the age of fifteen was thrown on his own resources, finding employment with Edgar Hols- enberg, a groceryman of Grand Rapids, where he worked for eight years. At the end of eight years he purchased the business and continued for three years longer when he sold out and came to California, set- tling at Lockeford. He worked in a grocery store for two years, then with S. S. Strobridge and Mr. Athearn bought out the business and formed the Lockeford Mercantile Company which continued for five years, then the business was sold. In 1917 he established

a route for the Lodi Steam Laundry which covered all the territory outside of Lodi; recently he has sold the portion of the route lying southeast of Lodi.

On September 5, 1908, at Grand Rapids, Mich., Mr. Latta was married to Miss Jetta Holsenberg, born at Grand Rapids, a daughter of Edgar and Rose Holsen- berg. Mrs. Latta received her education in the schools of Grand Rapids and was the second in a family of three girls; Lila, Jetta, and Ida. Mr. and Mrs. Latta are the parents of one child, Virginia Rose. Politi- cally, Mr. Latta is a Republican and fraternally be- longs to the Odd Fellows of Lockeford.

KARL NEUHARTH .- Nineteen years ago, Karl Neuharth made his first trip to California and while here visited the Lodi section of San Joaquin County, for one year. He then returned to his home in South Dakota and farmed there for two years, but the lure of the Golden State, with her mild winter climate, wonderful fruits and vegetables proved too much for him, so in 1907 he came back to make San Joaquin County his permanent home. He was born near Menno, S. D., on March 2, 1876, a son of Phillip and Katherine (Fink) Neuharth, and is the third-born of thirteen children: Jacob; Elizabeth, Mrs. Geo. Hauck; Karl, our subject; Barbara, Mrs. Fred Gutmiller; Katherine, Mrs. Emanuel Handel, of Lodi; Christian; Amelia, Mrs. John Handel; Louisa, Mrs. W. Meher; Christina, Mrs. David Schorzman; Rosina, Mrs. Geo. Serr; Bertha, Mrs. A. New; Phillip; and Pauline, Mrs. Gus Maas, of Lodi. The father was a farmer in his native country of South Russia and on arriving in America settled at Menno, S. D., where he filed a homestead and timber claim for a half-section of land. The parents still reside at Menno, S. D.

Karl Neuharth received a grammar school educa- tion in South Dakota and remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-seven years old, when he bought a quarter-section of land. This land, however, proved to be poor soil and in 1903 Mr. Neuharth sold it and came to California, where he remained for one year, when he went back to South Dakota and engaged in farming for the next two years. In 1907 he returned to California to make this his permanent home and bought forty acres of land on Kettleman Lane; later he traded this for a ten-acre vineyard two miles east of Lodi on the Lockeford Road.

The marriage of Mr. Neuharth occurred at Grafton, Neb., on November 14, 1915, and united him with Miss Rosina Eckerman, a native of that state and a daughter of Peter and Margaret Eckerman, the par- ents of twelve children: Peter, Jacob, Henry, John, Fred, Andrew, Frederick, Regina, Mrs. John Schmidt, of Lodi; Caroline, Emma, Mrs. Rosina Neuharth, and Christina. Mrs. Neuharth received her education in the grammar school of Grafton, Neb. Her mother passed away in 1904, but her father is still living. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Neuharth removed to their ten-acre ranch, where Mr. Neuharth had built a residence, and remained there for three years, when he sold it and purchased a thirty-acre ranch on Al- mond Avenue, a mile south of Lodi. Of this, eight- een acres is in vineyard and the balance in an orchard of cherries, apricots and several acres in alfalfa. In the fall of 1921, in partnership with his brother-in- law, E. Handel, Mr. Neuharth bought a thirty-five acre vineyard on the Lockeford-Lodi Road two miles east of Lodi. Mr. and Mrs. Neuharth are the parents

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of four children: Vera, Ruben, Emma, and Ella; and they are members of the German Reformed Church of Lodi. In politics Mr. Neuharth is a Republican.

JOHN NAZRO .- A wide-awake young business man, John Nazro is the efficient secretary and de- signer of the Engineering & Foundry Company of Stockton and has done much for the city's industrial and business development, his labors proving of direct benefit in advancing the prosperity of the state. He was born in Chicago, Il1., October 26, 1890, but as his father was a mining engineer in Colorado, his parents removed to Denver and our subject became a mes- senger boy and later stock boy with the Denver Dry Goods Company. He attended the Denver high school and there took mechanical drawing and shop work in connection with his other studies. In 1908 the family removed to California and located at San Jose, where John entered the San Jose high school, from which he was graduated; then attended Stan- ford University for two years, taking the mechanical engineering course. In company with his father, he went to Tuolumne County and followed mining en- gineering during 1910 and 1911; he was engineer in the construction of the concrete dam for the West Side Lumber Company. On November 1, 1911, he re- turned to Stockton and became draftsman for the Aurora Engine Company; then he was with the Stock- ton Iron Works in the same capacity. Removing to Los Angeles he became salesman for the Campbell Real Estate Company, selling orange land in San Ber- nardino County. Returning to Stockton he was em- ployed as draftsman by the Holt Manufacturing Com- pany and in 1915 entered the employ of the Engineer- ing & Foundry Company, and assisted in designing a motor for the Harris Manufacturing Company. Later he traveled as a salesman for the same company. He then became designer and engineer for the Gieger Iron Works; then was solicited to return to the En- gineering & Foundry Company as secretary and de- signer, which position he now holds to the entire satisfaction of his company.

The marriage of Mr. Nazro occurred at Stockton and united him with Miss Lois Stamper, a native of Stockton whose parents were pioneers, and they are the parents of two children: Nancy Louise and John Jr. Fraternally Mr. Nazro is a member of the Stock- ton Elks, No. 218. He enjoys the confidence of the business community, and the high regard of his as- sociates in social life.

CAESAR MONTANELLI .- A vigorous, enter- prising and very successful rancher who has demon- strated his preference for the most progressive meth- ods in twentieth century agriculture, is Caesar Mon- tanelli, an Italian-American who was born near Chia- vari, Italy, in the Province of Genoa, on August 24, 1873, the son of Ferdinando and Anna (Compiano) Montanelli, the former an orchardist of repute in his native country. These worthy parents did the best they could for our subject, who commenced his train- ing in the schools of Comanche and continued his studies in San Joaquin County. In 1875, his father moved with his family to Comanche, Cal., and there started in truck gardening; and in time they had four children: Caesar, our subject; Louis; Amadeo, who served in the United States forces during the World War; Dosuline. The two youngest were born in Cali- fornia. The parents are now living in Stockton, both enjoying the best of health.

After a stay of five years at Comanche, the Mon- tanellis moved to a ranch nine miles out on the Cop- peropolis Road, where they lived until they retired, and when Caesar was twenty-one years old, he com- menced to operate for himself .. He first bought five acres, nine miles out on the Copperopolis Road, ad- joining his father, which he turned into a truck gar- den; and after twelve years here he disposed of the place. He then purchased eighty acres on the Eight- mile Road, at the corner of Jack Tone Road. all at that time open land; and later he sold off forty acres to Mr. Martin, after he had farmed the whole for two years. Still later, he split up the forty acres, retain- ing just half of it for himself; and on this choice tract he built a home, setting out around it an orchard of eleven acres of almonds and five acres to cherries and four acres to peaches and apricots, all well irrigated. The original eighty acres were a part of the old Mc- Donald place.

On February 25, 1908, Mr. Montanelli was married to Miss Genevieve Costa, a native of San Francisco and the daughter of Peter and Juana (Silva) Costa, one of five children. Her mother died at the age of twenty-eight years, and her father lived to be sixty- one years old. Mr. and Mrs. Montanelli have a family of five children; and they bear the names of Joseph, Louise, Lena, Emma, and Lawrence. Mr. Montanelli is a Republican, and a loyal American, and he takes a keen interest in national as well as local questions of the day.

OTTO NEUBAUER .- A well known citizen and the owner of a productive ten-acre vineyard on Har- ney Lane, in the Lodi section, is Otto Neubauer, and his place is visible evidence of his enterprise and thrift. He was born in Pommern, Germany, on January 19, 1866, a son of William and Henrietta (Limberg) Neu- bauer, farmers of their native land. They were the parents of seven children; Otto, the subject of this sketch, being the third in order of birth.

Otto attended the excellent schools of his native land and learned the trade of blacksmith there; and on July 7, 1888, landed on American soil and went direct to Faribault, Minn., where he found employ- ment with Henry Reinege for one year on his farm. He then moved to Superior, Wis., and worked as blacksmith in the timber camps for H. M. Stocking; later he was lumberjack for seven years; then became a cook in the camps near Superior and finally opened a restaurant there, but sold out and went back to Faribault, where he conducted a hotel and restaurant for nearly three years, when he returned to Superior and ran a restaurant for one year. He then sold his restaurant in Superior and came to California and opened a restaurant at Lodi, which he continued for four and a half years, when he sold out and moved on a thirty-acre ranch just off of Cherokee Lane, two and half miles southeast of Lodi, which he had purchased upon coming here. This place was a part of the old. Ferdun ranch and was devoted to grapes, which he set out, and to alfalfa growing. He lived on this place for eleven years and then sold it and purchased the ranch of ten acres on Harney Lane where he now resides. He built a new, modern house and installed a pumping plant for irrigation with a four-inch pump driven by a ten horse-power motor.

The marriage of Mr. Neubauer occurred at Morris- town, Minn., on June 26, 1899, and united him with Miss Katie Weber, a daughter of Jacob Will. it

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farmer of Morristown. Mrs. Neubauer was reared and educated in Morristown. Mr. and Mrs. Neubauer have had four children; Otto and Walter, died in in- fancy in Wisconsin; Mildred, died in her 13th year; Harold, died at four years. He is a Republican in politics and he and his wife are members of the Ger- man Lutheran Church of Lodi.

MANUEL T. NUNES. - An experienced dairy rancher, who has been on the Harris ranch, one mile east of Clements, since November 1919, is Manuel T. Nunes, born at St. George, in the Azores, on May 15, 1888, the son of Antone and Mary (Santos) Nunes. The father was a shoemaker by trade, who died at his native home at the age of sixty-six years. There were six children in the family: Joseph, Mary, Carry, Jo- anna, deceased in 1920, Manuel T, and Antone, the youngest, who was drowned.

After attending the schools in his native district, at the age of sixteen, Manuel T. Nunes came to Amer- ica. Soon arriving in California, he settled for a while at Sunol, in Alameda County, where he attended school and worked for a living in vacation time. Hav- ing finished his studies, he went to San Mateo, and for three years worked for Frank Brewer on a dairy. Then, taking Antone Silva as a partner, he established himself in the dairy business, near San Mateo, and for two years they operated with forty head of milch cows. When they sold their business, Mr. Nunes helped to organize a creamery, and there, near San Mateo, he worked for a year. He then came into San Joaquin County, and together with John Home and Joseph Faleso, leased the Woods ranch of 450 acres on Roberts Island. They had a dairy of 200 cows, and continued together for four years. Then, with Joseph Silva, Mr. Freitas and Mr. Serpa, he purchased 300 acres near Manteca, where they had 300 head of milch cows, but after one year he sold his share to the other partners, and took a mortgage in return. He then went to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, at the Alameda Pier, in Oakland, where he remained for a year. During this time, additional mortgages on the ranch had been incurred, and the dairy farm went to the creditors in such a manner that Mr. Nunes lost $11,000. With a partner, named Caton, Mr. Nunes bought back about 100 head of the cattle, and moved the herd to French Camp, where for a year and a half they leased the E. W. Borges place and conducted a dairy. Then they sold out and Mr. Nunes moved to the Ed Harris ranch, one mile to the east of Clements, and since then he has engaged in dairying in partnership with Ed Harris, of Stock- ton, who owns the ranch. The ranch consists of 150 acres of fine farm land, ninety acres of which is in alfalfa. They have 150 head of stock, seventy head of which are Holstein milch cows.

Mr. Nunes was married at Oakland, on December 8, 1912, to Miss Mary Freitas, a native of Flores, in the Azores Islands, and the daughter of Antone and Mary Freitas. Four children have blessed their union: Josephine, Zelma, Manuel and Marie. Mrs. Nunes' mother died sixteen years ago in Portugal, but her father is still living. She was one of six children: Antone, Mary, Veseusa, John, Joseph and Theresa, the last three now deceased. Mr. Nunes is a Demo- crat. He is a member of the two Portuguese lodges; the I. D. E. S., of Stockton, and the U. P. E. C., of Oakland; for the former he has served as secretary.

JOSE OYARBIDE .- A representative of the sheep growing industry who is now living retired from act- ive business cares, Jose Oyarbide was for more than a third of a century engaged in that business and the success he attained was due to his good management and hard work. He came to Stockton from his native country with nothing but a willingness to work and a determination to succeed, which has never been lost sight of during the forty-three years of his residence in California. He was born in Basses-Pyrenees, in Southern France, July 1, 1850. His parents, Sebastian and Antoinette Oyarbide, were farmers and Jose spent his childhood on the farm and attended the local schools. He assisted his father on the farm until twenty-four years of age, when he went to sea, which he followed for a livelihood. Arriving in California from his native land in 1880, his first job was herding sheep for Messrs. Domingo and Peter Gastarubide, prominent sheepmen of Los Banos. He worked for them six years and saved his money and invested in a band of sheep of his own and began raising sheep near Los Banos, beginning with about 1000 head. He rented grazing land and at one time had as many as 2500 head of sheep, making his home in Los Banos until 1907, when he removed to Stockton, continuing his business until 1915, when he retired. In 1920 he purchased a residence at 615 North Commerce Street. He also owns a half interest in the Royal Hotel at Sonora and South Hunter streets, Stockton.

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History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 248

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849 Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1660

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1660