FREDERICK C. WILLSON
Bio- Sawyers
Surnames: HADSELL, BENNETT
A successful orchardist of the Morgan Hill
district is Frederick C. Willson, who has given constant attention and
unstinted labor to the development of his holdings since locating here.
Mr. Willson was born at Buffalo Grove, Iowa, June 21, 1872, the son of
John Warner and Lima (Hadsell) Willson, both natives of Burlington,
Mich., and members of worthy pioneer families of that state. John Warner
Willson had a fine record for service in the Civil War, serving as a
non-commissioned officer in Company E, Twelfth Michigan Volunteer
Infantry and after the Civil War he married and located in Iowa, where
Mrs. Wilson died in 1880.
When Frederick C. Willson was seven years old the father and four
children removed from Iowa to Michigan, and in 1885, they located in
western Kansas near Oberlin, and here F. C. graduated from the high
school in 1892. He then went to Sedalia, Mo., and completed a business
course at the Central Business College. Two years later he came on west
to California, and was graduated from Heald's Business College in San
Francisco. He then entered the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad
ferry service and after a short time became cashier and bookkeeper for
the Brigham-Hoppe Company, continuing until 1905. Mr. Wilson then
accepted a position with the Goodyear Rubber Company at San Francisco as
manager of their office department, continuing with them until 1916. It
was in November, 1916, that he and his family arrived at Morgan Hill,
Santa Clara County, and here he purchased the property known as the
Aydellote Rancho, one and one-half miles east of the town. The place is
devoted to prunes, grapes and peaches, and under Mr. Willson's care it
is becoming a valuable property.
At San Francisco, on December 23, 1901, Mr. Willson was married to Miss
Etta May Bennett, who was born at Newton, Iowa, the adopted daughter of
her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. George Bennett, esteemed residents and
pioneers of Iowa, who came to California in 1898, where Mr. Bennett
died. Mrs. Bennett is still living at San Martin. Mr. and Mrs. Willson
are the parents of three children: Mildred L., Fred C., Jr., and J.
Freeman, all attending school.
Transcribed by Joseph Kral, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1528
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