Butte
County
Biographies
M. H. OLDEMEYER
After
many years of close connection with the sugar beet industry in various parts of
the country, M. H. Oldemeyer came to Chico and is well known to local motorists
as the proprietor of the Richfield Service Station, which he has operated
successfully for three years. Born in
Morgan County, Colorado, July 6, 1889, he is a son of Heine and Margaret
(Peter) Oldemeyer, the former a native of Michigan. The family was living in Chicago at the time
of the memorable Chicago Fire, which destroyed all of their possessions. Subsequently they journeyed westward to
Colorado and with the passing years Heine Oldemeyer acquired thousands of head
of cattle, becoming one of the foremost stockmen of that state. Animated by the true spirit of the pioneer,
he was active in the work of irrigation and development and reclaimed a large
tract of arid land on the South Platte River, thus providing grazing grounds
for his herds. His death occurred in
1893, resulting from injuries sustained from a fall from a haystack, but his
widow is still living in Colorado, making her home at Brush. Six children were born to them: Ben, who resides at Mercedes, in the Rio
Grande valley of Texas; John, who has remained in Brush, Colorado; Herman, of
Sioux City, Iowa; M. H.; Alice, the wife of Adolph Hansen, who is employed as a
mechanic in Oakland, California; and Clarence, who owns and operates a ranch
near Fort Morgan, Colorado.
In the acquirement of his education M. H.
Oldemeyer attended a rural school near his home and the high school at Brush,
after which he assisted his mother in the management of the large ranch left by
his father, devoting two years to that work.
When a young man of twenty-four he started out for
himself and in 1913 entered the employ of the San Joaquin Sugar Beet Company at
Visalia, California, where he spent eight years. During 1921 he was engaged in experimental
work in Arizona for another organization of a similar character and for a year
thereafter was with the Midwest Sugar Beet Company, making his headquarters in
Raton, New Mexico, but was unable to make a living there. He next went to Klamath Falls, Oregon, for
the Sacramento Sugar Company, which he represented until 1927, when he allied
his interests with of those Chico, and has since been the owner of the Oaks
Service Station which is advantageously located next to the Oaks Hotel,
generally regarded as the best hostelry in northern California. He has a large garage with ample space for
the care and storage of cars in addition to the sale of oil and gas renders to
his customers expert service in tire repairing, greasing, etc. He handles Richfield products. His equipment is thoroughly modern and under
his capable and progressive management the business has enjoyed a steady
growth.
Mr.
Oldemeyer was united in marriage to Miss Ada Camerzell, a daughter of
Henry and Mary (Bowers) Camerzell, the former of
European nationality and now numbered among prosperous ranchers of South
Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Oldemeyer have two
children: Ennis, aged seventeen years, a
student in the Junior College at Chico; and Virgil, who is attending high
school. Fraternally Mr. Oldemeyer has
connection with the Moose Lodge at Chico and his favorite sports are baseball
and basketball. He votes with the republican party and conscientiously discharges his
obligations as a citizen but has neither sought nor held public office. His has been an industrious and purposeful
life of quiet devotion to duty and commercial enterprise and sagacity are
bringing him rapidly to the fore in his line of business, while his personal
traits are such as make for esteem and friendship.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 2 Pages 205-206. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies