San
Joaquin County
Biographies
FERNANDO CHRISTESEN
A citizen of more than usual
importance is Fernando Christesen, marshal and superintendent of the streets of
Lodi. His official service is always
faithfully and promptly performed, and he is as loyal to the welfare of his
community as he is to his private business interests. He is a native of Franklin, California, where
he was born March 30, 1874, a son of Robert and Lena Christesen. His father,
Robert Christesen, was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and in 1868 arrived
in California on a sailing vessel. He
settled in Sacramento County and farmed a large acreage to grain. Mr. and Mrs. Christesen had eight
children: Louis A., of Galt; Mrs. Lena Walthers; Fernando; Mrs. Mary Meihl;
Mrs. Tessie Krumb; Mrs. Emma Ehardt;
Robert, of Bruceville; and Henry. The father died at the age of sixty-seven and
the mother at seventy years of age, she passing away at Lodi.
Fernando Christesen attended the
common school and the Sacramento Institute and worked with his father on the
ranch until he was eighteen, then struck out for himself and was variously
employed in different places until 1897, when he was employed on the ranch of
Mrs. Anna Powers. The following year he
was in eastern Oregon and in 1899 came back to California and started to learn
the trade of machinist with the Holt Manufacturing Company, but he did not stay
long as he entered the employ of the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley
Railroad (now the Santa Fe). In 1901 he
formed a partnership with Ed Powers to engage in the vineyard business near
Lodi, where they also raised melons; later they extended their operations to
Manteca where they continued the melon industry. This partnership continued until 1912. In the meantime, Mr. Christesen had bought
thirty acres of land, part of a stubble field, located on Terminus Road about
three and one-half miles from Lodi, which he set to vines and where he erected
a suitable home and installed a pumping plant.
He made this his home until 1920, when he sold out and moved into
Lodi. In 1904 he had purchased 240 acres
of his father’s ranch at Bruceville, leasing it for
grain raising; later he sold off eighty acres and in
1920 disposed of the balance. On April
15, 1922, Mr. Christesen was appointed city marshal and superintendent of
streets of Lodi, and how well he has administered his official duties is well
known to the citizens of that thriving city.
On August 28, 1902, at Lodi occurred
the marriage that united Mr. Christesen with Miss Estelle Powers, born in Lodi,
daughter of John and Anna Powers, of Missouri and California,
respectively. Of this union of Mr. and
Mrs. Christesen three children have been born:
Madeline Fern, Edna Mae and Leland Fernando. In politics Mr. Christesen supports the best
men and measures that he believes will be best suited to the public good. He served as a trustee of the Henderson
school while living on his ranch and was a deputy assessor under Cy Moreing four years. Fraternally, he is a member of the Woodmen of
the World and of the Lodi Aerie of Eagles, No. 848.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1523. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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