San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN EDMUND MORAN
A native son of California who was
identified in a practical and successful manner with agricultural pursuits all
his active career, was the late John Edmund Moran. He was born on his father’s ranch near
Bethany, California, November 13, 1873, a son of William and Hannah Moran, both
natives of Ireland, the parents of eleven children, eight of whom are living;
they are now residents of Oakland, the father being ninety years old. He came to San Joaquin County in the early
‘60s, where he followed farming and sheep raising on the West Side for many
years.
John Edmund Moran received his
education in the Tracy schools and meantime helped his father on the home
place; when he grew older he engaged in farming on his own account and for
twenty years was a prominent and successful grain farmer in the Delta district of San Joaquin County. His holdings on Union Island, a part of the
old Williams properties, consisted of over 1,000 acres; he also leased land in
the Bixler tract for many years. In partnership with Harry Martin, he operated
about 5400 acres in the Clifton Court tract in Contra Costa County. He was also in partnership with his brother,
E. A. Moran, for five years and the latter, with Mr. Moran’s son Sherid, will continue the farming operations. Mr. Moran was always loyal to the county of
his birth and was active in all affairs of the development of the West Side,
and took an active part in the establishment of the irrigation district for the
development of the Delta lands of the county.
The marriage of Mr. Moran occurred
at the home of the bride in San Joaquin County and united him with Miss
Caroline A. Pagel, also born in San Joaquin County, a
boyhood friend. She is the daughter of Frank
and Elizabeth (Kraus) Pagel, the former a native of
Germany and the latter of Alsace Lorraine.
There were five children in the family, three of whom are living: Mrs. Moran, Fred and A. J. Pagel, who are ranching in the county. The father was an early settler on the West
Side of the county where he took up Government land and farmed until his
death. The mother, too, is
deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Moran were the
parents of four children: Sherid, Helen T., and George E.; Edward, the eldest child,
died aged ten months. Mr. Moran passed
away April 20, 1922, mourned by his devoted family and a host of friends. Fraternally he was a member of the Odd
Fellows, Tracy Parlor, N. S. G. W., and Stockton Lodge, No. 218, B. P. O.
E. For many years he served as a school
trustee in his district. He was a
thorough and practical agriculturist, and his sterling characteristics and
honorable business methods won for him the respect and esteem of all with whom
he had business or social relations.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
662. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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