San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOSEPH LEAL
The proprietor of a men’s furnishing
store in Tracy, Joseph Leal is a native son of the Golden State, born at San
Jose, California, on September 28, 1896, a son of Jesse and Annie (Spangler)
Leal, the former a native of the Isle of Pico, Azores, the
latter of San Jose, California. The
father, Jesse Leal, came to California in 1890 and located in San Jose, where
he married Miss Spangler, a daughter of the late James Spangler, who was a
prominent pioneer of Saratoga, California, and who became a well-to-do rancher. The property which he acquired in 1850 has,
since his death, been divided among his heirs.
The senior Leal has followed the merchandise business most of his
lifetime and has conducted a men’s furnishing store at No. 34 North Market
Street, San Jose, since 1895.
Joseph Leal was reared and educated
in the San Jose schools, and later was graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy at
San Jose. Upon leaving school he entered
the Adler Shop on South First Street and his position covered a period of five
years; then in 1916 he entered the employ of the Koehbler,
Holman Tobacco Company as traveling salesman, and was thus employed at the time
of his enlistment on June 28, 1917, in the 115th Ammunition Train,
Headquarters Company. He was sent
overseas, where he served as a first-class private for fourteen months. Returning to the United States, he received
his honorable discharge at the Presidio, San Francisco, on May 17, 1919. He then returned to San Jose and entered his
father’s store, remaining there until February, 1921, when he decided to enter
business for himself. Removing to Tracy,
he opened up a first-class shop, and as his business has grown, his stock has
been increased until he now carries a full and complete line of the very best
furnishing goods.
The marriage of Mr. Leal occurred on
October 17, 1921, and united him with Miss Cecelia Mendia,
a native Californian born at Watsonville, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raphael Mendia, now residing in San Jose. Mr. Leal is a member of the Native Sons of
the Golden West, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of San
Jose.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1383. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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