Sierra County

Biographies


 

 

 

MRS. CLAUDINA DOTTA

 

 

            Mrs. Claudina Dotta, a widow of the late Lodovico Dotta, is still living on the home ranch of seventeen hundred acres near Vinton and has managed the property in a very capable and judicious manner.  Her late husband was born in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, March 19, 1844, and in 1864 came to the United States, settling in El Dorado County, this state.  He was employed in the mines for thirteen years and during that period also developed a good apple orchard and became interested in livestock, having a fine herd of cattle and a large drove of hogs.  In 1879, however, his health became impaired and he moved to the Sierra Valley.  For awhile he worked for wages but was not satisfied with that and bought his present place, forming a partnership with the late Emilio Romalli, under the firm name of Dotta & Romalli, an association which lasted for thirteen and a half years.  In addition to the ranch of seventeen hundred acres, they bought another of like size.  On the dissolution of their partnership in 1896, they divided the property, each taking one of the seventeen hundred-acre ranches.  Mr. Dotta gave close attention to the management of his ranch to the time of his death, December 9, 1920, and was notably successful as a farmer and stock raiser.  He was a man of excellent qualities, and had a host of warm friends throughout his community.

            On April 14, 1898, Mr. Dotta was united in marriage to Miss Claudina Ponci, who was born in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, June 23, 1875, a daughter of Louis and Candida (Mari) Ponci and a sister of Vincent Ponci, a sketch of whom appears on other pages of this work.  To her parents were born nine children, as follows:  Claudina May; Josephine, the wife of Pete Mongoni, of Denver, Colorado; Louise, who was married and died in Switzerland, leaving three children; Vincent; Madeline, who died in Switzerland, leaving three children; Columbine, the wife of Louis D. Madlina, a rancher at Beckwith, California; Samuel, who died in Denver, Colorado; Caroline, the wife of Louis Gambetti, a rancher at Redwood City, California; and Joseph, who was injured while serving in the navy during the late war and is now in the United States Veterans Hospital at Washington Lake, Washington.  Claudina Ponci was employed in a hotel at Vinton for sixteen months and ten days prior to her marriage to Mr. Dotta.  They are the parents of seven children:  Josephine, who is the wife of Albert Roberti, a rancher in the Sierra Valley, and they have two children, Elia and Elmer; Rinaldo, who died when fourteen years of age; Anita, who is the wife of Alfred Larson, driver of the mail stage between Chilcoot and Sierraville, and who by her former marriage became the mother of six children, three of whom died in infancy and three are living, Atillio, Walter and Enna, who are at home with their mother; Lodovico, of Reno, Nevada; Eva, the wife of Janson Langdon, of Merced Falls, this state; Frank V., who assists his mother in the management of the home ranch; and Thelma C., who is in the grammar school.  Mrs. Dotta gives her attention largely to raising beef cattle, also maintains a good dairy, and cuts a large amount of excellent hay in the fall.  She supports the Democratic Party, but cares little for public affairs.  She is well known for her kindliness and hospitality and merits the high place which she holds in the esteem of those who know her.

 

 

Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.

Source: Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley California, Vol. 3 Pages 401-402. Pioneer Historical Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.


 © 2010  Gerald Iaquinta.

 

  

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