San Joaquin County Biographies
Ref: Page 812
Transcribed by: Linda Diane Jackson 1/30/2010
PAUL WILLIAM HARDER
A practical and scientific rancher, who draws upon his own valuable experience, and who has the confidence of his associates, because of his conservatively progressive methods, is Paul William Harder. He was born in Germany on November 7, 1865, and when six years old accompanied his parents, John and Magdalena M. (Peters) Harder to America, arriving in July of 1873; the following September his father, John Harder, passed away. The mother, with three sons, of which our subject is the eldest, the second being August, now residing near Byron, and Richard, who died en route to the Klondike on March 8, 1896, resided in San Joaquin County until 1883, when she removed to Marsh Creek, and in October, 1907, she settled in Fruitvale, Cal., where she passed away on March 16, 1912. When Paul William reached the age of fourteen he went to work on the M. Lammers ranch for ten dollars per month and was thus occupied until he started for himself; in 1888 he leased a part of the ranch belonging to Philip Fabian near Tracy, paying for same with a portion of the money from the wheat crop.
On November 23, 1889, Mr. Harder was united in marriage with Miss Minnie Collins, the youngest daughter of the late John W. and Anna (Pruser) Collins. Mrs. Collins was a native of Germany, born at Elmshorn, and was a resident of California for about forty years. William Pruser, a brother, John Collins, a son, and two daughters, Mrs. Annie Linnie and Mrs. Harder, all residing in the vicinity of Tracy, survive her. Mr. Collins passed away in 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Harder are the parents of two children: Anna M. is the wife of Austin K. Felt, a prominent merchant of Sacramento; Paul W., Jr., enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on June 4, 1917, as commander's orderly and served at Bremerton, Wash., for seven months, receiving his discharge in 1919. He was married on November 2, 1918, at Seattle, Wash., to Miss Lucile F. Baker, and they now reside in Tracy. Since 1915, Mr. Harder has farmed his present home place; the Western Pacific Railroad has a right-of-way through a portion of it and the shipping point called Belpico affords a convenient loading station for his produce. Mr. Harder is a member of the local Farm Bureau and the Federation of American Farmers. At Stockton in 1883 he received his U.S. citizenship papers and has been a most loyal supporter of the principles of the Republican party ever since. Mr. Harder and his family are members of the Lutheran Church of Tracy.
History of
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
With A
Biographical Review
of
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been
Identified with Its Growth and Development
from the Early Days to the Present
HISTORY BY
George H. Tinkham
HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
1923
San Joaquin County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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