San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN SEMENZA
At the age of seventeen John Semenza
came alone to the United States, a stranger in a strange land, with a very
meager knowledge of the English language, so that his industry has brought his
present prosperity. He resides on his
thirteen-acre orchard six miles northeast of Stockton, which is devoted to
fruit raising.
He was born near Chiavari in the province of
Genoa, Italy, April 1, 1867, a son of Bernardo and Maria (Filipelli)
Semenza, farmer folk who lived and died in their
native land of Italy, the father passing away at the age of sixty-six and the
mother at the age of forty. They were
the parents of six children: William and
Loren are residents of Oregon; John, the subject of this sketch; Kati, Mrs. Simaroli, resides in Alameda; Victor, and the sixth child
died in infancy. After the death of his
first wife, Bernardo Semenza married the second time and two children were born
to this marriage, Maria and Jennie; both of them as well as their mother died
in Alameda. John Semenza had two years’
schooling in Italy, leaving home March 25, 1884, when seventeen years old, and
came alone to the United States, arriving in San Francisco with one pound
sterling. Stopping first at San
Francisco he worked for wages for one year, then went to Victoria, B. C., working
on railroad construction, going from there to Portland, Oregon, and working
with his brother for four years; then he returned to San Francisco for a short
time, then went to Cloverdale, California. There he worked for two years for the Italian
Swiss Winery, after which with two partners he had a vegetable ranch at
Cloverdale and for eight years he carried on this business, then he returned to
Portland, Oregon, where he ran a vegetable garden for three years and then for
one year ran a French bakery on Sixth and Harrison streets. During the next six years he divided his time
between Stockton and San Francisco, then went to
Sonora, where he worked for the Standard Lumber Company and later for the Union
Construction Company at Vallicita.
Fourteen years ago he came to Stockton and purchased his present ranch of
thirteen acres six miles northeast of Stockton, which he has planted to
different kinds of fruits, peaches, plums, walnuts, chestnuts, figs and
apricots, the ranch being well irrigated.
He is a Democrat in politics and fraternally is a member of Roma Lodge
No. 147, K. P.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1634. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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