Placer
County
Biographies
LAUSITZ PETER A. SONNE
L. P. A. Sonne,
a well-to-do and highly intelligent citizen of Rocklin, is from the little
kingdom of Denmark, where on the 24th of November, 1836, he first
opened his eyes to the light of day. His
parents, Peter and Kate Sonne, were also natives of
that country and were farming people of sterling worth who, in the faith of the
Lutheran Church of which they were members, reared their family of four
children. The father departed life in
the sixty-fifth year of his age, and the mother died in her seventy-fifth
year. Three of the children survive, two
in California, Andrew, of Sacramento, and L. P. A.
The subject of this review was
educated in his native land and in early life went to sea. A life on the ocean wave was his lot for nine
years. He has visited many ports
throughout the world, but sailed principally to Europe and South America. In his voyages he gained a wide knowledge of
the countries which cover the face of the globe and the people which inhabit
them, knowledge that can be obtained so well in no other way. During the last Schleswig-Holstein War he
served as a sailor on the frigate Jylland and took
part in the engagement at Heligoland on the 9th
of May, 1864.
After the war was over, on deciding
to make his home in America, he took up in abode in Illinois in 1865, and three
years later came to California, making his way across the Isthmus. He established his home here with the hope
that its mild climate would prove beneficial to his health. In the meantime he had spent nearly all of
his money in paying physicians’ bills.
He located in Stanislaus, making his home with a physician in order to
have his care. Subsequently, however, he
removed to Loomis and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he
improved and cultivated successfully, thus demonstrating to the people of
Placer County that crops might be raised in this portion of the state. After residing upon his farm for eleven years
he sold the property for five thousand dollars, and in 1883 took up his abode
in Rocklin, where he became a dealer in real estate, principally town
lots. He is not only the owner of many
desirable lots but also has come into possession of ten dwelling houses, which
he rents, his income being thus materially increased. His home is a comfortable cottage which is
also one of his realty possessions.
Mr. Somme’s study of the political
issues and questions has led him to give his allegiance to the Republican
Party. Although baptized and confirmed
in the Lutheran Church, he now attends the Congregational Church in
Rocklin. He owes his success in life to
his well-directed efforts, his willing hands being directed by sound judgment,
his indefatigable energy being supplemented by keen sagacity. He has never interfered with other people,
but has attended closely to his own business and is now the possessor of a
comfortable competence which earnest toil has brought to him.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 596-597. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.