San
Joaquin County
Biographies
MASSIMENO PARDINI
A native of sunny Italy who has been
successful in California and who, therefore, having cast his lot here has no
need of regrets, is Massimeno Pardini, a native of Lucca, who has a fine delta
farm of 390 acres in the Middle Division of Roberts Island, eight miles to the
southwest of Stockton, and he has enviably identified himself with that region.
He was born on July 1, 1864, the son
of Lorenzo and Maria (Poppini) Pardini,
the former a well-to-do merchant and landowner, the parent of thirteen
children, only three of whom are living, among them our subject is the
youngest. An elder brother, Luigo, came
out to America in 1877 and established himself as a wheelwright at San
Francisco, and there he conducted a shop of his own until his death in
1898. When seventeen years of age,
Massimeno left home, crossed the ocean and the American continent, and arrived
at San Francisco on June 1, 1882; and after remaining there for six months, he
came on into San Joaquin County, where for over seven years he drove an
eight-mule team on the Due Ranch, near Atlanta,
receiving as a wage just twenty dollars per month. He also followed general farm work, for seven
and one-half years, at the John Minges ranch, on the
French Camp Road.
In 1898 he made a start on his own
account, coming to the new reclamation on Union Island, and there he put in the
first bean crop in the peat lands of that section, attaining such surprising
results that he produced the first season twenty-five sacks to the acre, a
bountiful crop. He then moved to the
middle division of Roberts Island and leased land from Woods brothers, raising
beans and potatoes, continuing until in 1911, when he bought 390 acres of the
Woods’ land and has since developed a model farm, improved with a desirable
residence and complete, modern equipment of every sort. Since 1907, too, he has also owned a fine residence
in Stockton, at 906 South Center Street, where he and his family are still
residing. In 1884 he had citizenship in
the United States conferred upon him at Stockton, and since then he has marched
with the Democratic Party.
On January 19, 1890, Mr. Pardini was
married to Miss Giovanna Allegretti, a native of Stockton, where she was born
on April 27, 1873, the daughter of John and Catherine (Gianelli) Allegretti;
her father was a pioneer of San Joaquin County and is now the superintendent of
gardens at the San Joaquin General Hospital at French Camp; her mother died in
October, 1884; three children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Pardini, only
two of whom grew up and are living. George
J. H., who was born on March 10, 1894, is a graduate of Heald’s Business College,
and is at present cashier of the American Express Company at Stockton. He was married to Miss Vera Camozzi in January, 1922.
Leonilda, who first saw the light on April 24,
1896, became the wife of Ray E. Pulich and the mother
of one son, Warren Marks, and they reside on the Pardini ranch. George J. H. Pardini is an active member of
the Elks, belonging to Stockton Lodge No. 218, and of the Knights of Columbus,
and he also belongs to Stockton Parlor, N. S. G. W.
In 1900 Mr. Pardini made an extended
trip to Europe, accompanied by his father, who remained in Italy and lived to
reach the venerable age of ninety, passing away in 1920, and in 1907, he made a
second visit to his Italian home-place, spending about five months abroad, and
enjoying himself most pleasurably and profitably. On June 24, 1909, Mrs. Pardini, accompanied
by her son and daughter, left for Italy; and they took along with them Miss Beula Minges, the gifted daughter
of George Minges, whose interesting life-sketch also
appears in this history. The presence of
the young people made the outing doubly enjoyable, and Mrs. Pardini declares it
was an experience never to be forgotten.
During their stay in Italy her son and daughter attended school, from
which they also profited greatly. Only
by wise foresight, clever planning, and hard, incessant, honest labor has Mr.
Pardini brought success his way, and his devoted wife has fully shared with him
his responsibilities, and now merits to share his
honors and success. They have never
failed to give the right hand of fellowship to their neighbors and
fellow-workers, and now, in their comfortable retirement, they have many right
hands of friendship extended to them.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
490-495. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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