Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMS: BAKER, HART, CONROTTO,
A successful rancher of Santa Clara County is found in Mrs. Cattherina Geraud Matteis, who owns and controls 364 acres of land on the Croy Road, nine miles from Morgan Hill. She was born on August 5, 1859 near the village of Moncucco, Italy, and grew to young womanhood in her native village. On April 2, 1882, she was married to Ernest Matteis, who was born in Moriondo, Province of Turino, on June 5, 1858 and was reared and schooled in his native town. Their first child was born on January 15, 1884 and died in infancy. On April 5, 1885, Joseph A. was born near the place where his father first saw the light of day. During that same year the young people started for their new home in America and California, and arrived in San Jose in October, 1885. During the following twelve years Mr. Matteis was occupied steadily as chief chef at the La Molle House in San Jose; later at the Overland Club and the California Restaurant altogether for about twelve years. In 1897 the family removed from San Jose to the Uvas district where Mr. Matteis had purchased 194 acres of forest lands, which has been gradually brought under cultivation and set to orchard and vineyard. The ranch is about nine miles from Morgan Hill.
Joseph A. was married in 1909 to Miss Irene J. Baker, a daughter of the late pioneer, Reuben J. Baker, who settled near Almaden in the early '50s, and married Miss Winifred Hart, now living in San Jose, Mr. Baker having passed away August 6, 1918. Miss Irene Baker was born in Hollister and attended the Notre Dame Convent in San Jose and later the San Jose State Normal School from which she graduated in 1905. She taught for five years in the schools of Stanislaus, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. They have three children: Ernest J., Richard W., and Luceil I. Joseph Matteis is a member of the Eagles' Aerie No. 8 of San Jose, and in politics is a Republican. He has served as a trustee of the Uvas district school for nine years; for fourteen years he was road master of the district and superintended the construction of many new bridges and roads; he is now manager of his mother's ranch; Michael C., born at San Jose, November 15, 1886, served in the U. S. Army in the One Hundred Forty-fourth Field Artillery and was five months overseas with the Grizzlies; he was eighteen months in the service and was discharged January 28, 1919, and is now home working on the ranch; Teresa M. was born June 15, 1887, and is the wife of Giacinto Conrotto and they are the parents of two children, Catherine M., and Michael B. Mr. Matteis lived to be fifty years old and passed away July 14, 1908. The work of clearing and preparing the land for vineyard was no easy task, but they have a fine vineyard of seventy-five acres; choice California wines were made and shipped from the ranch until 1918 and since that time the good prices paid for green grapes are so attractive that all the vineyardists sell their grapes in this way for shipment throughout the country. Mrs. Matteis is a typical home-body, highly esteemed by her many devoted friends, and is a worthy mother of a fine family of children who are respected throughout the community in which they reside.
From Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1160
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT