Sutter-Yuba County Biographies

PERI MONTNA

Transcribed by: Kathy Sedler

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


 
The life record of Peri Montna may well serve as a source of inspiration and 
encouragement to others, showing that success and an honored name may both be 
won simultaneously.  With a limited amount of capital, Mr. Montna made his first 
purchase of land in Sutter County and by strict economy has subsequently 
purchased land until he now owns 130 acres in the Barry district, which he has 
steadily developed to orchard and vineyard.  He was born at Bordeaux, France, 
June 29, 1868, the eldest son of six children born to Peri Montna and Marie 
(Sartou) Montna, both natives of Bordeaux, as were their parents before them.  
Peri Montna, senior, owned thirty acres of vineyard, manufactured and marketed 
choice wines and was a well known and prosperous citizen of his locality.
Peri Montna, Jr., was educated in the public schools of Bordeaux and remained at 
home with his parents until 1884, when he left France for America and came 
direct to San Francisco; from San Francisco he went to San Jose, where he found 
work in a vineyard at one dollar per day, and when he left there six months 
later, he had saved $150 of his wages.  In 1885 he came to Sutter County and 
found employment of the Walton ranch, where he worked for twelve years, a 
portion of this time being foreman of the ranch.  About 1895 Mr. Montna set out 
prune, apricot and peach trees on his present home place and the following year 
built his house.  Mr. Montna set out his first Thompson Seedless grapes about 
twenty years ago.  He employs from forty to sixty men in the heaviest season of 
fruit packing and shipping.  Mr. Montna�s sister, Marie, is now Mrs. Jordon and 
resides at Burlingame; his brother Jean, a successful orchardist of Sutter 
County, passed away in 1922 survived by his widow and five children, who are now 
visiting in Europe.  The mother of our subject died in Bordeaux, France in 1923, 
aged seventy-two years.
On September 8, 1894, Mr. Montna was married to Miss Marie Fonta, a native of 
Southern France, the eldest of five children.  Eight children have been born to 
Mr. and Mr. Montna: Florence is now the wife of Tracy S. Best and they have two 
children; Eugene, an ex-service man, is an orchardist and is superintendent of 
the Boyd farm; Emily is the wife of Dr. Shottenheimer of San Jose and has one 
child; Leona is a trained nurse.  The others are Alice, Alfred, Laverne, and 
Robert.  Mr. Montna has served as trustee of the Barry school district and in 
politics is a Republican; he is a Knights Templar Mason and a member of the 
Sciots at Marysville, and for years he has been a member of Shamrock Camp, 
W.O.W., Yuba City, as well as of the Barry Farm Center.
 
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p 1203