Sacramento County
Biographies
GEORGE BELENEY, SR.
GEORGE BELENEY, SR.--From his young
manhood, George Beleney has been a resident of California; and the greater part
of his life since his nineteenth year has been spent in the commission business
in San
Francisco. He was
born in France, August 9, 1855, and in his nineteenth year came to California
and located in San Francisco, where he first worked for wages. Then he went into the wholesale commission
business on Washington Street, and this business has since engaged his
attention. In 1900 he built a home at
Lockspur, near San Rafael, Cal., where he has since made his home; but his
business headquarters are in San Francisco.
In 1903 Mr. Beleney purchased 560 acres on Grand Island, two miles northwest of
Ryde, 100 acres of which in orchard, and 250 acres in asparagus, while the
balance is devoted to beans, beets and general farming.
The
marriage of Mr. Beleney occurred in San Francisco, and united him with
Miss Marie Blanche, also a native of France, who came to California a short time previous
to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Beleney
are the parents of four children.
Blanche is now Mrs. Ussery; Jeanette is deceased; George, Jr., is the
trustee of the ranch on Grand Island which is leased to Lee
Chong; and Marie is Mrs. Strong of Healdsburg.
George
Beleney, Jr., was born in San Francisco, August 13, 1893, and
was educated at the Belmont Academy, where he was graduated
in 1912. After his graduation he entered
the Bank of Italy in San Francisco, and worked his way up from the bottom to the
position of receiving teller. On March
8, 1918, he entered the United States Army and was sent to Camp Lewis in
Company M, 363rd Infantry, of the 91st Division. He sailed for France on June 20, 1918, and
was in all battles which his regiment engaged in. He was amongst the reserves at St. Mihiel,
was wounded by shrapnel, and sustained a severe laceration of his left leg
during the Meuse-Argonne battle and was sent to the hospital at Bordeaux. Following his recovery he rejoined his
regiment just as the armistice was signed.
Returning to the United States with his regiment he was discharged in
April, 1919, at the Presidio. On his
return he resumed his old position as receiving teller in the Bank of Italy,
and continued there until March 19, 1921, when he resigned his position to take
charge as trustee of his father’s ranch at Ryde. He is a member of the American Legion of San
Rafael.
George
Beleney, Sr., is a member of the Masonic order; and both father and son are
active members of the Asparagus Growers’ Association.
Transcribed by Donna L. Becker.
Source:
Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical
Sketches, Pages 735-736.
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.
©
2007 Donna L. Becker.