Orange
County
Biographies
HENRY VAN DER LECK
Henry van der
Leck, an honored native son and lifelong resident of
southern California, has made his home in San Juan Capistrano since 1910 and is
widely known as one of the prominent and influential citizens here. He was born in Los Angeles, California,
December 14, 1859, his parents being Lorenzo and Frederica van der Leck, the father a native of
Schleswig-Holstein. Lorenzo van de Leck went to South America in the early days and eventually
came to Los Angeles from Chile where he became a successful merchant and owner
of extensive vineyards. He passed away
at Los Angeles in the year 1883. To Mr.
and Mrs. Lorenzo van der Leck
were born two children: Henry and Mrs. Caroline Lenz, the latter a resident of
Los Angeles.
Henry van der
Leck acquired his education in public and private
schools of his native city and graduated with the first class from the Los
Angeles high school in 1875. He
graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1879, and
subsequently read law in San Francisco for a few years. However, because of failing eyesight, he had
to put aside his books and worked in the hardware business for some time. He was successfully engaged in this field in
Los Angeles for eighteen years and on the expiration of that period turned his
attention to the insurance field. It was
in 1910 that he took up his abode in San Juan Capistrano, where he still
supervises the cultivation of a few acres of citrus trees. He is very fond of gardening. He resides in a beautiful old Spanish adobe
on Main Street that was built more than a century ago and is one of the
historical landmarks of the community.
Mr. van der Leck has
acceptably filled several public offices in San Juan Capistrano, is now
secretary of both water companies and is also secretary and manager of the
Walnut Growers Association. Fraternally
he is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
In 1888 Mr. van der
Leck was united in marriage to Miss Georgie Mott, who
represents honored pioneer families of California, being a daughter of Thomas
D. Mott and a granddaughter of Jose Sepulveda.
Mr. and Mrs. van der Leck
are the parents of four children, the eldest being Lawrence, who married Miss
Dorothy Daniels and is a resident of Altadena, Los Angeles County. Chonita is the wife
of Dr. H. P. O’Neill and the mother of two children, Frank and Hugh Henry. Dr. and Mrs. O’Neill reside at St. Andrews,
New Brunswick, Canada, where the O’Neill family has been represented for nearly
two centuries. Viola van der Leck became the wife of
William S. Lentz, of Detroit, Michigan, and they are the parents of a daughter,
Chonita. Hallock van der Leck married Miss Agnes Harrison, of San Francisco, and to
them has been born two children, Hallock and Mary Georgie
van der Leck.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 437-438, Clarke Publ.,
Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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NUGGET'S ORANGE COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES