San
Joaquin County
Biographies
THEODOR LORENZEN
The youngest of the Lorenzen
brothers, Theodor Lorenzen is the only surviving member of a family of seven
children. The firm of Lorenzen Brothers,
well-known and prominent grain growers and stockraisers of San Joaquin County,
was composed of four brothers, all born in Schleswig. Peter Lorenzen died at Tracy, California,
January 29, 1890, aged forty-five years; Hans Christian Lorenzen born January
26, 1848, died at Tracy, California, December 30, 1919. Henry Lorenzen, born July 14, 1851, died at
Tracy, California, August 11, 1912.
Theodor Lorenzen was born November 28, 1855.
They were the sons of Peter and
Catharine (Sass) Lorenzen, both natives of Schleswig, and all were reared in
their native country. The two older
brothers, Peter and Hans Christian, were the first to come to America in
1873. They worked for a few months in
Iowa, but having heard of Central California, resolved to cast their fortunes
in the Golden State, and therefore came on to San Joaquin County, in November,
1873, where they rented land, and operated on a large scale, becoming unusually
prosperous grain growers. They made
their first land purchase in 1890.
Henry Lorenzen came to America in
1882, landing in New York City where he remained until 1883. He then came out to San Joaquin County,
California, where he joined his two older brothers and entered heartily into
their farming operations. He was an
excellent business head and worked hard and gave his best efforts to their
operations. Theodor Lorenzen grew up in
Schleswig until twenty-four, then joined his three brothers
in San Joaquin County in April, 1880.
All the Lorenzen brothers were over
six feet in height, and some of them six feet four inches, while Peter was
fully six feet six inches tall, and they were all muscular and powerful. They worked together in close cooperation
with great industry and energy, and accumulated about 2,500 acres of excellent
land, and the necessary work-stock and implements and a good reserve in money
besides. Men of fine presence and genial
ways, they won the highest respect and confidence of their neighbors and fellow
men.
Theodor Lorenzen has made his home
continuously in San Joaquin County with the exception of the years between 1895
and 1908, when he was occupied in general farming in Benton County, Iowa. During 1890 he made a visit to his parents’
home in Germany, where he remained for a year and a half, and again in 1911 he
visited his old home. His parents are
since deceased, and he is now the only surviving member of his family. All of the Lorenzen brothers were Democrats,
giving earnest support to the principles of the party. Henry Lorenzen was a member of Sumner Lodge
No. 177, I. O. O. F., at Tracy, and likewise a member of the Tracy Encampment,
No. 49. All the brothers were well known
business men, wide-awake and progressive, readily recognizing and improving
opportunities and so conducting their business affairs as to win most
gratifying and substantial success. Our
subject is now living retired and makes his home on the River ranch near Banta.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1139-1140. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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