Yolo
County
Biographies
GOTTLEIB ZIMMERLI
Among
the many natives of Switzerland who have settled in the Sacramento valley and
have here, through persistent industry, good judgment and honorable lives,
attained material success and the respect of their fellowmen, is numbered
Gottleib Zimmerli, whose well improved farm is located in the Willow Oak Park
district of Yolo County. Mr. Zimmerli
was born at Alpnach, Switzerland, on the 20th of November, 1881, and
was there reared and educated. In young
manhood he did much work with horses and received considerable practical
experience in farm work. In 1906, at the
age of twenty-six years, he came alone to the United States, unable to speak a
word of the English language. Coming
direct to California, he located in Monterey County, where many of his
nationality were living and many of whom were pioneers of the Salinas
valley. There he was employed in a dairy
for two years, and then went to Berkeley, Alameda county, where he secured a
job as driver of a milk wagon on a regular route for the Heath dairy. He was ambitious to get into business on his
own account and to this end leased a ranch near Stege, Contra Costa county, where he engaged in raising hogs. Sometime later he sold out to advantage and
conducted a milk delivery route for a while.
In 1913 Mr. Zimmerli located in Woodland and leased forty acres in the
Willow Oak Park district, which land he later bought. Here he has a fine herd of Holstein dairy
cattle, as well as cows and sheep, and has been very successful in the
operation of this place. He is careful,
tireless and painstaking in everything he does, is a good manager, and is
reaping the reward of his years of earnest labor.
In
1911 Mr. Zimmerli was united in marriage to Miss Elisa Kiser, who was born in
Sarnen, Switzerland, and became a resident of California in 1909. They have three children, who are receiving good
educations, namely: John, who is a
graduate of the Woodland high school; Elsie, a student at Holy Rosary Academy,
and Gottlieb, Jr., who is attending the Gem school. Mr. Zimmerli is a member of the William Tell
Lodge of Oakland, a Swiss organization, and his religious connection is with
the Roman Catholic Church, to which he is devoutly loyal. He was made a citizen of the United States in
Woodland in 1925, and has shown a commendable interest in public affairs of his
section of the valley, though he is not in any sense an office seeker. His intelligent and well directed efforts
have earned for him a worthy place in public esteem and he is counted among the
most desirable citizens of his community.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 3, Pages 68-69. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Yolo County Biographies