San
Joaquin County
Biographies
MANUEL T. NUNES
An experienced dairy rancher, who
has been on the Harris ranch, one mile east of Clements, since November, 1919,
is Manuel T. Nunes, born at St. George, in the Azores, on May 15, 1888, the son
of Antone and Mary (Santos) Nunes. The
father was a shoemaker by trade, who died at his native home at the age of
sixty-six years. There were six children
in the family: Joseph, Mary, Carry,
Joanna, deceased in 1920, Manuel T., and Antone, the youngest, who was drowned.
After attending schools in his
native district, at the age of sixteen, Manuel T. Nunes came to America. Soon arriving in California, he settled for
awhile at Sonol, in Alameda County, where he attended school and worked for a
living in vacation time. Having finished
his studies, he went to San Mateo, and for three years worked for Frank Brewer
on a dairy. Then taking Antone Silva as
a partner, he established himself in the dairy business, near San Mateo, and
for two years they operated with forty head of milch cows. When they sold their business, Mr. Nunes
helped to organize a creamery, and there, near San Mateo, he worked for a year. He then came into San Joaquin County, and
together with John Home and Joseph Faleso, leased the
Woods ranch of 450 acres on Roberts Island.
They had a dairy of 200 cows, and continued together for four
years. Then with John Silva, Mr. Freitas and Mr. Serpa, he
purchased 300 acres near Manteca, where they had 300 head of milch cows, but
after one year he sold his share to the other partners, and took a mortgage in
return. He then went to work for the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company, at the Alameda Pier, in Oakland, where he
remained for a year. During this time,
additional mortgages on the ranch had been incurred, and the dairy farm went to
the creditors in such a manner that Mr. Nunes lost $11,000. With a partner named Caton,
Mr. Nunes bought back about 100 head of the cattle, and moved the herd to
French Camp, where for a year and a half they leased the E. W. Borges place and
conducted a dairy. Then they sold out
and Mr. Nunes moved to the Ed Harris ranch, one mile to the east of Clements,
and since then he has engaged in dairying in partnership with Ed Harris, of
Stockton, who owns the ranch. The ranch
consists of 150 acres of fine farm land, ninety acres of which is in
alfalfa. They have 150 head of stock,
seventy head of which are Holstein Milch cows.
Mr. Nunes was married at Oakland, on
December 8, 1912, to Miss Mary Freitas, a native of
Flores, in the Azores Islands, and the daughter of Antone
and Mary Freitas.
Four children have blessed their union:
Josephine, Zelma, Manuel and Marie.
Mrs. Nunes’ mother died sixteen years ago in Portugal, but her father is
still living. She was one of six
children: Antone,
Mary Veseusa, John, Joseph and Theresa, the last
three now deceased. Mr. Nunes is a
Democrat. He is a member of the two
Portuguese lodges; the I. D. E. S., of Stockton, and the U P. E. C., of Oakland;
for the former he has served as secretary.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1622. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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