Merced County
Biographies
RUDOLPH HENRY BAMBAUER
Numbered among the successful farmers of Merced County is Rudolph Henry Bambauer, who located on his present home place of fifty-seven acres in 1896. This farm he developed to alfalfa, fruit and walnuts, also improved it with a comfortable residence and other necessary farm buildings, and for many years he has conducted a dairy with increasing profits each year. He was born in Columbia, Tuolumne County, Cal., December 16, 1859, a son of Charles and Adaline Bambauer, the former a native of Baden and the latter of Bavaria, Germany. Charles Bambauer came around the Horn to California in 1849 and engaged in mining in Tuolumne County; he married into a family who were pioneers of the Golden State and by this union there were eight children; Carrie, now the wife of C. A. Mills, of Berkeley; Rudolph Henry, the subject of this sketch; George S., deceased; Charles D., of Santa Clara County; Louise, Frank, and Edward are deceased; and Louis of Pacific Grove. The father spent a few years in teaming from Stockton to the mountains; then removed to Paradise district of Stanislaus County, where he farmed. He next removed to Calaveras County and again engaged in freighting, and in 1871 the family came to Merced County, where the father took up a quarter-section of land in the Charleston district on the West Side south of Los Banos. The father removed to the Cottonwood district of the county, where he passed away at the age of sixty-three years; the mother lived to be seventy-seven years old.
Rudolph Henry Bambauer attended the Altaville district school in Tuolumne County, walking four miles to school each day during the school term; at the age of eleven years he began working on farms earning his own living. In San Francisco he learned the butcher trade, which he followed for a year and a half with Miller & Lux. He then came to Merced and learned the blacksmith trade, which he followed for about eight years. He settled on the West Side and dry farmed for about twelve years, having 2280 acres in grain each season. He also worked on the first canal in 1877.
On October 18, 1896, Mr. Bambauer was married to Miss Ella Stahlman, a native of Indiana, and by this union five children have been born; Fred, deceased; Fulton R., associated with his father; Marvel E.; Adaline E.; and R. H. Jr. Mr. Bambauer generally prefers the principles of the Democratic party. He has served as an officer in Orestimba Lodge of Odd Fellows, but transferred to Romero Lodge at Gustine. He is also a member of the Encampment and with his wife belongs to the Rebekahs of Gustine. For about fourteen years Mr. Bambauer has served as deputy registration clerk in Merced County.
History of Merced County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1925
page 534-535
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
WILLIAM CARL JENSEN
A citizen of much worth and character, who is widely esteemed by all who know him, is William Carl Jensen whose residence in Merced County really dates from 1897. He has made his influence felt for the best interests of the county and has won a position of prominence among the successful stock-raisers in the vicinity of Gustine. He was born on the Island of Foehr, in the province of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, on October 29, 1881, a son of William H. and Caroline Julia (Paulsen) Jensen. The father was first mate on a sailing vessel and spent his entire lifetime as a seaman. There were six children in this family: Oluf W. was also a seafaring man and was reported lost at sea off the coast of South America; Catherine M., still lives at Foehr; Meta C., now Mrs. Hinrichsen lives at Foehr; John D., resides at Gustine, Cal.; Nahmen, deceased; and William Carl, the subject of this review. The father lived to a ripe old age; the mother passed away in 1922. William Carl Jensen attended school in his native province until 1897, when he came to the United States and direct to Newman, Cal., and worked for Peter Miller on a ranch in Stanislaus County in the hills west of what is now the townsite of Gustine. Mr. Jensen attended school in the Cleveland district school in Stanislaus County and worked on Mr. Miller's ranch for several years. He then made a trip back to Germany and spent about six months visiting his home folks.
On August 29, 1905, at Newman, Cal., Mr. Jensen was married to Miss Gertie J. Miller, a native of Germany, who was brought to California when an infant by John H. and Johanna ( Maas) Miller, her parents. Her father was a brother of Peter Miller, who settled seven miles southwest of Newman and acquired a section of land there. Mrs. Jensen was the only child born to her parents. The father passed away at the age of forty-two years and the mother was forty-five years old when she died. After his marriage Mr. Jensen leased the J. H. Miller ranch until Mrs. Miller died, when Mrs. Jensen fell heir to the property. They lived there until 1913; he still runs this section of land and leases besides 260 acres, making a total of 900 acres of hill land where he conducts an extensive stock business. In 1911 Mr. Jensen purchased fifty acres at the northwest corner of Gustine where he conducts a dairy varying from twenty to forty head of stock, and has about 1000 laying hens, and also about fifty head of Poland China hogs. Ever since 1914 Mr. Jensen has tested his cows for production, at first by a private company, but for several years the testing has been carried on under the auspices of the Merced County Farm Bureau, Mr. Jensen being a member of the Cottonwood Center of that body.
When the Cleveland school, of which Mr. Jensen served as a trustee, was discontinued, he purchased the school house and remodeled it into a comfortable farm house. He has been a member of the Newman Lutheran Church since coming to California and is now secretary-treasurer of the congregation. Politically, he is a Republican. Six children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Jensen; Caroline Julia, John H., William H., Alma M., Oluf N., and May Catherine.
History of Merced County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1925
page 535-536
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler