George
Sermonet, wholesale and retail grocer, No. 700 Eighth street, Sacramento, is a
native of France, born at Dambach, Alsace, on the 24th of April,
1838, his parents being Joseph (a vineyardist) and Catharine (Schaechtel)
Sermonet. He was reared at his native place and attended school from the age of
six until he was fourteen. Then he worked on his father’s place. When he
reached the age of twenty-one years he entered the army, joining the First
Artillery Regiment at Grenoble. After he had been there nine months he went
with his regiment to Algiers, Africa, where he remained from the 12th
of June, 1860, until November 24, 1864.
There he saw much active service, and was promoted sergeant, and given
charge of the artillery at the fortress of Tiaret. He commanded the guns there
during the Arab rebellion of 1864. He returned to France with his regiment in
the fall of 1864, and was located at Rennes, department Ille-et-Vilaine, the
capital of French Britany. They embarked at Tonlon, November 26, 1864, and
marched to Rennes, reaching there January 20, 1865. He left there August 8,
1865, on partial discharge, and on the 31st received his full
discharge. After remaining home some months he came to America, sailing from
Havre on the 2d of September, 1867, and landing at New York September 21 from
the steamer Bellona. At New York he took a steamer bound for California, and
crossing the Isthmus resumed his sea voyage on the steamer Constitution,
landing at San Francisco October 25, 1867. He came to Sacramento on the 27th
and engaged with L. Krenzberger in his
coffee and spice mills. He was employed there until 1872, when he embarked in
the grocery business on the corner of Tenth and E streets. Two years later he
removed to the corner of Seventh and G streets. In 1877 he commenced the
construction of his present business house at No. 700 Eighth street, and
finished and moved into it on the 27th of April, 1878. He does an
extensive retail business, whilst his wholesale trade is constantly increasing,
and he handles large quantities of California wines. His store is heavily
stocked, giving his customers a large range of goods to select from. Mr.
Sermonet was married in this city July 6, 1872, to Miss Hildebrand, a native of
Germany, who came to this country when a child. They have five children viz.:
Felix, Edward, Annie Frances, Clorinda Grace and Victor Peter. Mr. Sermonet is
a member of the A. O. D., and is treasurer of the Catholic Knights of
America. He is an enterprising,
wide-awake business man.
Transcribed
by: Marla Fitzsimmons
An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California.
By Hon. Win. J. Davis. Lewis Publishing Company 1890. Page 303.
© 2004 Marla Fitzsimmons.