California Biographies

Source: History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches 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 (1919)

History By Paul E. Vandor 
Illustrated, Complete In Two Volumes 
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1919
 
Notes: Missing+page1185-1186

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


JOHN HONGOLA. � Worthy of note among the thrifty and enterpris- 
ing ranchers located near Parlier, Fresno County, Cal., is John Hongola, a 
native of Finland, where he first saw the light of day in 1863. 

John Hongola was reared and educated in his native country and when 
about nineteen years of age immigrated to the United States. In 1882 he 
located in Pennsylvania where he followed various occupations until 1912, 
when he decided to move westward and seek his fortune in the Golden State. 
Upon his arrival in California he located in Fresno County. 

In 1915 he purchased his present ranch of fifty-five acres of highly im- 
proved land which is devoted to the production of grapes, peaches and alfalfa. 
Thirty acres of his ranch are planted to muscat grapes, fifteen are in peaches 
and the balance is being set to vines. 

John Hongola is an industrious rancher and believes in using up-to-date 
methods in the operation and cultivation of his splendid ranch. He has erected 
a fine residence and made many needed improvements on the place since 
purchasing it. 

In 1889. the marriage of John Hongola to Miss Sofia Kolpanen was sol- 
emnized. Miss Kolpanen was born in Finland and immigrated to this country 
in 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Hongola became parents of twelve children. The 
eldest, John Ivar, served in the regular army in Hawaii fourteen months 
during 1913-14; he was a member of the National Guard of California in 1916 
and saw service on the Mexican border, then enlisted in the United States 
Army with his regiment and saw seven months' service overseas, going 
over with the Fortieth Division and being transferred to the Twenty-seventh 
Division: he was discharged on April 11, 1919: he married Lempi Ellen Gus- 
tafson. The other children were: Mary; Hilma; Lydia ; Matt, who joined 
the United States Navy for service in the World War and was on duty aboard 
the U. S. S. Defiance, doing freighter service; he joined April 19, 1918, and 
was discharged March 15. 1919; Jack, who entered the United States Navy 
in 1917 and is still in service, is on the torpedo boat Ericsson and has been 
in foreign service since December, 1917 ; Charlie ; Rose ; Victor ; Eino ; San- 
tra ; and Sulo. Mrs. Hongola died July 10, 1918. aged about fifty years. John 
Hongola is highly esteemed in his community for his honorable traits of 
character and has won recognition as a progressive rancher and public- 
spirited citizen of Fresno County.