San
Joaquin County
Biographies
HENRY BECHTHOLD
A native of the Isle of Krem in the Black Sea, Henry Bechthold has nevertheless
been an American, to all intents and purposes, during his life, for he was but
sixteen years old when brought by his parents to the United States. He was born on September 5, 1860, a son of
Henry and Lottie (Baumbach) Bechthold,
also natives of southern Russia, where they were farmers. In 1876 when but sixteen years old, Henry
Bechthold made the journey with his parents from Russia to Hutchinson County,
South Dakota, where his father took up a homestead and timber claim. Henry is one of a family of eleven children,
namely: Henry, George, Colena, Lottie, Elizabeth, Marian, Katherine, Abraham,
John, Deph (deceased), and Louisa. The father died at
the age of fifty-six, and the mother at the age of forty.
Henry Bechthold had no educational
privileges, but his years of wide experience and observation have served to
make him a well-informed man. He
remained at home with his parents until his marriage on June 25, 1880, which
united him with Miss Wilhelmina Klauss, also a native of southern Russia, a
daughter of Lewis and Wilhelmina (Haus) Klauss.
Her father, Lewis Klauss, brought his family to America and homesteaded
a tract of land in Hutchinson County, South Dakota. After their marriage, the young people
remained on a farm until 1903, when they sold out and came to California. They settled in Lodi, and Mr. Bechthold
purchased fifteen acres just north of Lodi on the Cherokee Lane, the Mokelumne
River bounding his land on the south; later he added twenty-six acres, making
in all forty-one acres. Two years ago he
sold two acres of bottom land; and on the remaining thirty-nine acres he erected
a house, where he has since resided with his family. He first planted five acres to vineyard and
ten acres to peaches, but later pulled out the peach trees and planted the ten
acres also to vineyard; and his fifteen-acre vineyard is now the finest in the
Lodi section. His land is irrigated by
water pumped directly from the Mokelumne River.
Mr. Bechthold has recently built a gasoline and oil service station,
costing about $2,000, on one corner of his ranch; and he is engaged in running
this business, while his sons lease the home place. Mr. and Mrs. Bechthold are the parents of
twelve children: Adolph, Lottie (now
Mrs. Fritz, of Fresno), Malvina (Mrs. M. Gatzer, of
Lodi), Lida (Mrs. J. D. Christner,
of Lodi), Fred, Robert, Christ, Henry, Jr., William, Emily, Edwin and
Benjamin. The last three still reside at
home. Mr. Bechthold is a
Republican. He and his family are
members of the Baptist Church of Lodi.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1119. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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