San
Joaquin County
Biographies
CHARLES O. BECHTOLD
Prominent among the experienced and
successful vineyardists who have done much to help place San Joaquin County in
the front rank with respect to agriculture, is undoubtedly Charles O. Bechtold,
who was born at Milltown, South Dakota, on December 12, 1895 the son of George
and Louise (Reimche) Bechtold,
the former a native of Russia, from which country he came to South Dakota when
he was twelve years old, arriving there in the pioneer days when only those
with heroic courage and manhood could hope to survive and succeed. He homesteaded 160 acres of government land
in South Dakota, but when Charles was six months old removed with his family to
North Dakota and settled at Harvey, in Wells County. There he purchased a half section of land and
engaged in grain raising. Little by little he added to his original
holding, until he came to possess two sections of land. Charles attended the common school at Harvey. When he was thirteen years old, he
accompanied his parents to California and to Woodbridge in 1908, where he
father had bought twenty-four acres of vineyard. This vineyard was set out to Black Prince and
Tokay grapes, and was well irrigated.
George Bechtold died at Woodbridge, highly respected by all who knew
him, the father of a family of nine children:
Louise, Mrs. Bich; George, of Woodbridge; Charles;
Emma, Mrs. Dahl; Martha, Mrs. Northrop, of Lodi; and Bertha, Ruby, Albert and
Mabel. The last four are living at home
with their mother.
Charles O. Bechtold finished his
schooling in Woodbridge, after which he followed farming. On September 19, 1917 he entered the United
States service in the World War, as a member of Company L, 363rd
Infantry, 91st Division, and for six months trained at Camp
Lewis. He was then transferred to the
first replacement division of engineers, to be sent to France; but instead they
were sent to Washington, D. C., and he there matriculated in the engineering
school at the American University. He
was then sent to Camp Humphrey, Virginia, and was promoted to first sergeant of
Company E, 1st Regiment of Replacement Engineers. He remained there for the duration of the
war. On February 11, 1919 he was
honorably discharged from the service at the Presidio in San Francisco as 1st
sergeant, after which he returned to his home in Woodbridge. He is a member of Lodi Post No. 22, American
Legion, and his wife belongs to the Auxiliary of the American Legion. After returning from the war he began
viticulture, purchasing ten acres of full-bearing vineyard of the Bechtold
ranch from his mother, and also leases another vineyard.
At Stockton, on November 22, 1920
Mr. Bechtold was married to Miss Emeline Campodonico, a native of Hornitos, in Mariposa County, and
the daughter of E. and Pasquala (Valverde)
Campodonico, both born at Hornitos. Her father, who is still living, was a miner,
and she attended school at Hornitos, Fresno, Lodi and Stockton. Mr. and Mrs. Bechtold have one daughter,
Louise Marie.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1308. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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