Monday, September 25, 2006

My Grandfather

Stephen F. Heringer (My Grandfather) was born 1889 and was the second of two sons born to Joseph and Martha. Following graduation from Clarksburg Grammar School, he farmed in the Lisbon district of the Delta with his father and brother John.

Stephen married Mabel in 1912. In 1916, he settled his family into Clarksburg. Following the building of the Delta levees in 1913, he helped reclaim the Holland Reclamation District 999 from the tullies.

This track of highly fertile soils formed the perfect base for the farming partnership of Heringer Brothers between he and his brother John. This farm grew steadily throughout the 1920's to 1,250 acres and then grew dramatically in the 1930's with the purchase of 2,250 acres in the adjacent Pierson district across the Sacramento River below Courtland. The main crops were alfalfa, beans, corn, wheat, barley, sugar beats, tomatoes and pears.

When I was very young, my parents would take our family to my grandparent's house Christmas morning. I have some strong memories of eating breakfast in a long room on the south side of the house with all of the kids. I have two pictures in my mind: huge plates of bacon and my grandfather standing on one side of the room.

Stephen died in 1962 when I was five years old.

Joseph Heringer (My Great Grandfather)

John Heringa (My Great, Great Grandfather)

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