Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 6 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 39

A business man who now presides over large affairs and who has been successful since he cast his lines in Fresno and who is deeply interested in the growth and development of the county, is H. P. Steitz, Jr., who was born at Skadofsky, Samara, Russia, on June 29, 1875, the son of H. P. Steitz, who was a farmer there, who married Catherine Elizabeth Doos, and brought his wife and four children to Fresno in 1891. For some years he followed a business career and is now Deputy County Assessor. He is also engaged in the real estate business, and his wife enjoys life with him at their Lilly Avenue home.

H. P. Steitz, Jr., is the oldest of the family, and was so well educated at the public and higher schools in his native land that he studied English at Saratov. This quickened his interest in the New World, and he was quite wide-awake when he arrived in Fresno on December 12, 1891. He attended night school for a time and then leased, with his father as partner, the Dr. Mukes vineyard. Later he worked for wages at viticulture, and next went to Del Rev and set out a vineyard for Mr. Nutting, receiving for his labor the title to twenty acres. He is a stockholder in the California Associated Raisin Company.

On July 1, 1895, Mr. Steitz was married to Miss Eliza Schwabenland, also a native of Russia. He owns a comfortable residence at 2030 California Avenue as well as other valuable city property; and eight children enjoy with their devoted parents the blessings of an American home. They are Edward, Leo. 'William, and Ida, all of whom assist the father in business, and Meda, Albert, Elma, and Allen.

After devoting himself to viticulture for many years, Mr. Steitz on December 24, 1909, began his mercantile career, opening a general merchandise business on South F Street under the firm name of Kinzel & Steitz. In January, 1919, however, he sold out his interest to his partner and later built his new store at 2038 California Avenue. He has a floor space 66 x 100 feet in size, and the firm is known as H. P. Steitz & Sons, his three sons now sharing the partnership.

Mr. Steitz is a member of the Free Cross Lutheran Church of Fresno, in which he has been a trustee. He is a member of the Eagles.