El
Dorado County
Biographies
AGNOSTE J. ORELLI
One of Placerville’s most highly
respected citizens is Agostine J. Orelli, who is serving as county coroner and
public administrator of El Dorado County.
He is one of his community’s best men and has proved worthy of the
confidence which is placed in him. He
was born in Georgetown, El Dorado County, on the 14th of March,
1883, and is a son of Agostine and Mary (Orelli) Orelli, who, though of the
same family name, were not related. The
father first came to California by way of the Isthmus of Panama in 1852, having
spent a number of months in making the voyage by sailing vessel. He made three trips back to his homeland, on
one of which he was married and brought his bride back with him. For a time he conducted a dairy at
Foresthill, the remnants of his old barn there still being visible. Later he located in Georgetown, where he
engaged in the undertaking business. He
also had a hotel, which he conducted for many years, becoming well known to the
traveling public. He was always keenly
interested in civic affairs and was very public-spirited. The last years of his life were spent at Long
Beach, this state, but always his heart was in El Dorado County. He died January 20, 1910, and his widow
passed away several years later. They
were the parents of eight children, of whom five survive.
Agostine J. Orelli pursued his
education in the public schools of Georgetown and subsequently became a student
at Meyers College of Embalming, then at San Francisco, California, after which
he entered the service of the undertaking firm of Walsh & Keena at Auburn, where he was employed for four years. On the expiration of that period, in order to
be near his father, he went to Long Beach, where he was connected with the
undertaking business for seven years.
After his father’s death he returned to El Dorado County, locating in
Placerville, where his son Christopher is engaged in the electrical contracting
business. He assists his son, is
conducting a successful undertaking business, and is also giving due attention
to the discharge of his official duties as coroner and administrator.
Mr. Orelli was united in marriage to
Miss Mary McCarty, a native of Nevada County, California, and of early pioneer
stock. Her uncle, Chris Miller, served
for many years as a member of the county board of supervisors. Mr. Orelli is a strong Democrat in his
political views and takes a good citizen’s interest in matters affecting the
general welfare of his community. He is
a member of the Loyal Order of Moose and the Native Sons of the Golden West,
and was a member of the old volunteer fire department. He is fond of hunting, in which he is
generally successful, and is a genial and agreeable companion.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 3, Pages 372-375. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden
Nugget Library's El Dorado County Biographies