San
Joaquin County
Biographies
WILLIAM H. MENZEL
An enterprising man of business
affairs is William H. Menzel, who was born in Minnesota, having first seen the
light in Lac qui Parle County, on September 16, 1887 the son of August A. and
Louise Menzel. His father, a native of
Wisconsin, was a farmer and he is still living in Lodi, but his mother,
esteemed and beloved by all who were privileged to know her, died in San
Joaquin County in 1908.
In 1906 Mr. Menzel settled in this
county at Lodi. William had attended the
school of their district in Minnesota; and when eighteen years old he started
to work for himself. He found employment
for a short time in the steam laundry, and after that he clerked in various
stores in Lodi, and in 1915 he returned to the laundry business, as a
driver. He worked in this capacity for
five years, and then he purchased F. R. Polenske’s
business, making the deal for this important establishment in August,
1920. There was another partner, a Mr.
Stevens; and since his death his widow has managed her husband’s affairs, being
the partner now of Mr. Menzel, and contributing much toward the success of the
undertaking.
At Hamburg, Minnesota, on May 12,
1913 Mr. Menzel was married to Miss Helena Buckentin,
the daughter of Fred and Louise Buckentin, pioneer
farmer folks of high standing in Minnesota, in which state she was born. Three children have blessed their union: Ewald A. F.,
Mildred Louise, and Ellen Emma. Mr.
Menzel may well be proud of what he has accomplished for Lodi in his laundry
service. Having begun very modestly he
has today three auto-delivery wagons covering a territory of about twenty
square miles in the Lodi vicinity; and he employs from twenty to twenty-two
persons the year around. He has installed
strictly modern equipment throughout since he purchased the business, including
presses and tumblers, and has left no stone unturned to make his laundry most
sanitary and it is widely known on account of the care taken of all the fine
fabrics committed to its charge.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1608-1609. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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