FRED SCHEIDT 1 - A successful business man
who is equally prosperous in his ventures in horticulture and viticulture
is Fred Scheidt, a native of Samara, Stepnoia, Russia, where he was born
on May 22, 1871. His father was George Scheidt, a farmer, who spent
his life there, and there were six children in the family, of whom Fred was
the fifth in order of birth.
He was brought up on a farm and educated in German and
Russian schools, but in December, 1890, he left home for Baltimore where
he arrived on the following New Year Day. At Parkersburg, W. Va., he
remained for seven months, and he removed to Cincinnati, where he lived and
worked for seven years. For six years he was employed by the Cincinnati
Lithograph Company, and then he went to Kansas.
In July 1898, Mr. Scheidt came to Fresno and accepted
employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad. He did not like the
work, however, and after six days he entered the service of the Earl Fruit
Company. At the end of the season he went with the Griffin & Skelly
Fruit Company, and having been with them two years, he took up his residence
in Hamilton and worked for the Sugar Beet Company there. He contracted
with the company to raise sugar-beets, but at the end of the season he came
back to Fresno. He worked for Otto Nestel for six years, and then for
seven years was with George Kaehler.
During 1913, Mr. Scheidt bought out George Christian’s
grocery store at 440 F Street, where he continued the grocery business.
Four years later he bought a ranch of thirty-two and a half acres, two and
a half miles northwest of Clovis, and he now has one of the finest peach
orchards and vineyards of Thompson seedless and malaga grapes, all developed
under his personal supervision. He makes his residence with his family
on the place. Such was his exceptional success, that he was sought
by both the California Associated Raisin Company and the California Peach
Growers, Inc.
While in Cincinnati, Mr. Scheidt was married to Miss Margaret
2 Walter, a native of Madison,
Ind., whose parents settled in Indiana in 1848. Ten of their children
are living. Matilda is the wife of C. Hunton of Fresno, a volunteer
in the United States Army, serving in France; George 3
is also in the United States Army; Anna, Eduard, William, Emma, Alfred,
Elsie 4 , Gussie and Arthur are at home.
Mr. Scheidt is a welcome member of the Eagles.
(from: History of Fresno County, pages 2067-2068.
Corrections to the above text:
1 - Fred Scheidt's correct name was Gottfried Scheidt.
2 - Fred's wife's correct name was Margareitha.
3 - George was a corporal in the Marines 2nd Division, not the U.S. Army.
4 - Elsie's correct name was Elsa Margareitha Scheidt.
Additions:
1 - Gottfried Scheidt and his brothers often left the "t" off of
Scheidt when giving their name.
2 - Gottfried Scheidt's son, Corporal George J. Scheidt, was reported Missing
in Action and presumed dead by the United States Marine Corps while participating
in the attack on the Tarawa atoll during World War II.