Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 4 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 34

An enterprising and popular citizen, and the son of a prominent early settler who had the distinction of first advocating irrigation for the Helm district and of planting some of the first alfalfa there, and who was therefore a true up-builder of Central California, was Bunnie Lawrence Wyllie, a man of affairs wisely following in his father's footsteps. He was born at Fresno, on June 18, 1887, the son of Franklin Pierce Wyllie, a native of Missouri who was reared there. Grandfather Wyllie was born in Scotland, so that the family may be well-satisfied with its Scotch-American origin and blood. F. P. Wyllie was a farmer who came out to California about the middle eighties, and settling at Fresno, became a horticulturist and viticulturist. Later he moved to Burrel, Fresno County, and leased the Burrel Estate, where he raised grain until 1900, when he bought a ranch at Helm, which he improved, planting alfalfa. He had 160 acres, and he was the first to demonstrate that this section was well adapted to the growing of alfalfa. He was prominent in the projects to irrigate Helm and the surrounding country, and built both the weir that dammed the slough and the head-gate of the Stinson canal. He died there in 1910. He had married Elizabeth Harris, a native of Missouri., the ceremony taking place at Sedalia, and she now resides in San Francisco.

Seven children were born to this pioneer couple. Hattie is Mrs. Sudden of the Bay metropolis; Delta, who became Mrs. Brawner, died in Texas; Bertha is Mrs. Keep, of Ogden, Utah; Bunnie Lawrence is the subject of this sketch; Clarence, is deceased; Ruth is Mrs. Rodgers of Arizona; and Hazel is Mrs. Miller of San Francisco.

Dannie Lawrence was brought up in Fresno County, and attended the public schools at both Burrel and Helm, and finally graduated from the Fresno High School, being a member of the Class of '08. After graduation, he entered the Bank of Coalinga as bookkeeper, and continued there for five years. He was receiving teller and in 1914 was promoted to be assistant cashier; and when the two banks were consolidated, he continued with the First National Bank about six months, when he resigned, to engage in ranching.

In April, 1916, he leased the old house on the home place and the land adjoining and started to raise hogs; later became a wheat farmer operating on modern lines. In January, 1917, Mr. Wyllie bought an interest in Spear Bros., the Dodge motor agency; but in March, 1918, he sold out to his partners. With Mr. Diltz he then bought out the Kratzer Service Station on E Street, which also has a fine garage in connection.

On November 29, 1911, Mr. Wyllie was married at Fresno to Miss Stella Jenkins, a native of Salinas, Cal.. and the daughter of Louis B. Jenkins, a native son of the state, who was born at Hanford. Grandfather Jenkins came from Kentucky, and was a pioneer who settled at Stockton, where he was an attorney and a justice of the peace. L. B. Jenkins popularly known as Judge Jenkins, engaged in farming at Salinas, and was also an attorney and justice of the peace. He died at Salinas. He had married Carrie Pursell, a native daughter, whose father was James Pursell; he was born in Iowa and crossed the plains to California in 1852, and later he made several trips back and forth across the continent, and he also traveled widely over the state. Mrs. Jenkins, who remarried and is now Mrs. Barber, resides at Chico. She was the mother of four children, three of whom are living: and of these Mrs. Wyllie is the oldest. She is a graduate of the Hanford high school and of the San Jose State Normal, where she was a member of the Class of 1910; and later she taught school at Coalinga.

Mr. Wyllie served for two terms as city treasurer of Coalinga, and his administration of that office was such as to reflect creditably both on himself and the constituency that placed him there. Mr. Wyllie died January 5, 1919, of influenza and was mourned by his family and many friends who admired him for his manliness and worth as a citizen.