Merced County
Biographies
CASPAR H. DETLEFSEN
A successful rancher and dairyman is found in the person of Caspar H. Detlefsen, a native son of California, born in the Pajaro Valley, Santa Cruz County, January 8, 1872. His parents were Andrew and Sena Detlefsen, natives of Denmark, who sought the more prosperous country of America in which to succeed in the battle of life. Andrew Detlefsen came to California in the sixties and engaged in ranching in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. He died in 1921, aged seventy-seven years, nine months and nine days; his good wife died when she was sixty-nine. They had seven children: Nis; Annie, Mrs. W. H. Rhodes; Caspar H.; James; Andrew; Elsie, Mrs. Ben Cruse; and Lillie, Mrs. George Rohrback.
The third in order of birth in his parents family of children, Caspar was educated in the schools of Santa Cruz County and from boyhood was brought up to work on the home farm. In 1889 he came to the West Side in Merced County and was employed on the Sturgeon ranch, after which he began for himself by purchasing twenty acres of the Crittenden place, raising alfalfa. The ranch was under the San Joaquin-Kings River ditch; he sold this place in 1923.
In 1907, in Oakland, Cal., Mr. Detlefsen was married to May L. Sparks, born on the old Sparks ranch near Newman, the daughter of J. S. Sparks, of whom mention is made on another page of this history. After their marriage the young folks rented one section of the Sparks ranch and farmed to grain. In 1917 Mr. Detlefsen purchased 280 acres, part of the Eachus ranch, and farmed successfully. He now leases 200 acres of his land and on the balance conducts a dairy of about thirty head of cows. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and both himself and wife belong to the Pythian Sisters at Newman. Politically he is a Democrat. In all that he has undertaken, Mr. Detlefsen has been fairly successful and he takes a helpful interest in all matters of public import.
History of Merced County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1925
page 492-493
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
DANIEL HALTERMAN
The oldest permanent settler in point of residence in the Atwater district between Merced and the Merced River and between the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads is Daniel Halterman, residing on his ranch on the Atwater-Winton highway between the two towns. The sixth child in a family of twelve children, he was born a Native Son in Pope Valley, Napa County, on October 30, 1859. His father, Joseph Halterman, was a native of Ohio, in which state he was united in marriage with Abigail Barnett, likewise born in the Buckeye State. They came across the plains to California with ox-teams in 1852 and settled in Pope Valley, Napa County, where Mr. Halterman followed ranching. In 1873 the family moved to Merced County and for a year lived on the G. H. Fancher ranch, after which they located on the Hamlin ranch near Snelling. Besides carrying on farming pursuits, Joseph Halterman did teaming, hauling goods and produce to the mountain towns. It was while engaged in the latter occupation that he was killed when his team ran away and he died on November 22, 1877, at the Frank Lewis ranch. In 1878 Mrs. Halterman and her family moved to Hopeton and she managed the ranching affairs for the next three years; at that time the older sons assumed the care of the family and the mother thereafter made her home with her children. She died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. L. L. Short, in Napa County, when she was eighty-three years old.
Daniel Halterman attended the public schools in the Plainsburg and Eden districts in Merced County. Having been reared on a ranch it was but natural that he should continue that as his life work and he assisted on the home place until 1880. From 1882 to 1884 he leased the Toal farm; from 1886 to 1888 he was farming part of the George H. Fancher ranch at Tuttle to grain. In 1891 he came to the Reynolds ranch, a part of the J. W. Mitchell holdings, and with J. M. Bell leased 2200 acres and farmed to grain. In 1904 he bought fifteen acres in the Gertrude Colony and soon established his home here. In the meantime he started a vineyard and orchard, and while these were maturing he did considerable contract team work during the building of the Yosemite Valley Railway to a point nine miles from El Portal, since which time he has given his time to the conduct of his place and has brought it to a high state of productiveness. He has been active in the community life of Atwater.
On December 27, 1886, occurred the marriage of Daniel Halterman and Miss Ellen Weston, born in Mariposa County, the daughter of the late Louis Weston, a pioneer miner and a well-known and honored citizen of this part of the San Joaquin Valley. There were five children born of this union: Mary E., Mrs. J. E. Stanfield, now living in Atwater and the mother of a son, Eugene; Verl L., a machinist at Snelling; Florence, Mrs. H. K. Potter, of Sacramento and the mother of two children, Harry J. R. and Bernice; Donald Joseph, of Atwater is the fourth; and Helen I., a pupil in the local school. Mr. Halterman is a Republican in his political belief and he is a firm believer in co-operative marketing and is a member of the Atwater Fruit Exchange, the Merced-Stanislaus Sweet Potato Association and the Milk Producers' Association of Central California.
History of Merced County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1925
page 493-494
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
WILLIAM E. BUNKER
The Bunker family, represented in Merced County by William E. Bunker, extensive agriculturist, were citizens of New England for many years. The father of our subject, Nathaniel Emmons Bunker, left Massachusetts to seek a new location and settled in Minnesota where he took up government land, on which he farmed. After a few years he came farther west to Nevada and became a pioneer of that State and for several years served as a member of the State legislature. He married Miss Elizabeth B. Dunning, also of New England birth, and by this union six children were born, namely: Minnie E., deceased; Charles E., lives in San Francisco; William E., the subject of this review; Fred E.; Sadie, the wife of J. St. Clair ; and David T. In 1868 the parents came to the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley settling in the Cottonwood district; from time to time land was purchased until they farmed 3000 acres of deeded and rented land besides range lands. Here large bands of sheep, hundreds of cattle and great quantities of grain were raised. A few years prior to his death the father moved to Oakland, and there he passed away at the age of seventy-six years; the mother passed away at Modesto, in December 1924, at the age of seventy-seven.
William E. Bunker was born on October 14, 1873, in the Cottonwood district of Merced County and at the district school adjacent to his father's ranch he first attended school; later when the family removed to Oakland he also attended school there. In young manhood he became associated with his father in farming and after his father's death the estate was divided among the heirs and Mr. Bunker farms his share consisting of about 500 acres, a portion of which lies in the Cottonwood district. Of recent years he has leased a part of his ranch for dairy purposes, retaining an interest in the business, his share of the dairy herd being about 120 head. His herd sire came from the Bridgeford Holstein Farm at Patterson and Mr. Bunker is gradually bringing his stock to a registered herd. Mr. Bunker has a walnut orchard of five acres on the home place, and walnut trees have been contracted for to set out 100 acres more; he has an orchard of fifty acres of black Mission figs and fifteen acres in walnuts on a ranch at the south edge of the Cottonwood district.
September 2, 1903, in the Cottonwood district of Merced County, Mr. Bunker was married to Miss Rose T. Pfitzer, born at San Felipe, Cal., daughter of Anthony and Theresa (Mayr ), both natives of Germany. They were pioneers of California and came to the San Luis district of Merced County in 1868 where he owned extensive range lands and engaged extensively in the sheep business. There are nine children in this family: Frank; Joseph; Mary, Mrs. Domengine; Julia, Mrs. McCabe; Anthony; Rose T., the wife of our subject; William ; Clarice; and Louis. Mr. and Mrs. Bunker have three children, Edwin, Jack, and Elizabeth. Upon the death of Geo. H. Whitworth, Mr. Bunker was appointed by Governor Richardson to fill the unexpired term of two years as supervisor of the Fourth District of Merced County. During the World War, Mr. Bunker leased his ranch and removed to Merced and for two years served on the exemption board. He is a member of the Walnut Growers' Association and a director in the Bank of Gustine. Since 1913 Mr. Bunker has served as clerk of the Gustine High School board and is also a trustee of the Gustine Grammar School; since 1919 he has been the president of the Chamber of Commerce. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bunker are Republicans. Fraternally, Mr. Bunker is a member of Hills Ferry Lodge, No. 236, F. & A. M., at Newman ; Modesto Chapter No. 49, R. A. M.; Modesto Commandery No. 57, K. T., and Aahmes Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Oakland.
History of Merced County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1925
page 494-495
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler