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


OLOF PEARSON. � A Swedish-American gentleman who. having emi- 
grated to America, is participating in the developing and upbuilding of the 
new commonwealth of California, is Olof Pearson, head of the firm of Pearson 
& Rosander, at Kingsburg. He was born at Carlshamn, Sweden, a city of seven 
thousand population, on the Baltic Sea, the son of Per Olson, a well-to-do 
farmer and landholder, who died when Olof was five years of age ; he had 
married Hannah Johnson, and she passed away when the child was only 
three. He was thus left orphaned, with two sisters, both now married and 
in Sweden. 

When the father died, the children were taken into the home of an aunt, 
a sister of Olof's mother, Cecilia Degerlund, whose husband conducted a shoe- 
maker's shop in the same city, Olof served an apprenticeship with him for 
five years, and became a competent shoemaker. At the same time, he attended 
the common schools. He was brought up in the Lutheran Church, and con- 
firmed at the age of fourteen. 

At nineteen, Mr. Pearson came to America, sailing from Carlshamn. 
Sweden, on July 18. 1886, on the steamship Wisconsin of the Guion line, and 
landed at New York on August 22. 1886, after which he went to Minden. in 
Kearney County. Nebr.. where he happened to have some acquaintances in 
the county seat. He worked at his trade for the first five or six months, and 
did not like it. fur the great out-doors appealed to him more: so he engaged 
with the B. & M. in Nebraska for a short time, and then became a clerk in 
the general merchandise store at Minden. He remained in Kearney County, 
Nebr., for twenty-six years, mastering American ways, founding his own for- 
tune and making many friends. 

He was married at Keene, in that state on August 3. 1892, to Miss Mary 
Anderson, daughter of Charles F. Anderson. Mr. and Mrs. Pearson are the 
parents of three children: Pearl is now Mrs. Paul Paulson, and is employed 
in her father's store, while she resides at Kingsburg: Chester, who is also a 
clerk in that well-known establishment, was in the United States Army at 
Portland, Ore. ; and Carl is in the United States Navy, which he joined in 
March, 1918, on the United States steamship "Matsonia." 

In 1913 Mr. Pearson made his first visit to Patterson, Stanislaus County, 
having some land there ; but after he had looked over the territory, he dis- 
posed of his holding and then came down to Fresno County, which appealed 
to him more. In the autumn he brought his family out to Kingsburg ; and 
in the spring of 1914 he started in business, opening a general merchandise 
stock. After a year and a half, he sold out and went to Selma, where he 
entered the employ of S. H. Gill & Co., and took charge of the shoe depart- 
ment and gents' furnishings ; and his successful management of that branch 
of the business added materially to the volume of trade and the number of 
friendly patrons of the house. 

On March 5. 1919, Mr. Pearson bought out the business of Messrs. Brolin 
& Rosman. dealers in general merchandise, at Kingsburg, and at the same 
time took in R. A. Rosander as a partner. His wide experience and his equally 
fortunate knowledge of human nature and American commercial affairs, have 
enabled Mr. Pearson to make this concern one of the commercial bulwarks 
of Kingsburg. He also owns 160 acres in Furness County, Nebr. 

Mr. and Mrs. Pearson and family are members of the Free Mission 
Church at Kingsburg, and for two years Mr. Pearson has been superintend- 
ent of the Sunday School. In national politics he is a Republican ; but his 
Republicanism stands first, last and all the time for the best of America for 
Americans, above party lines, and for the triumph of Prohibition and the 
outlawing of the liquor traffic.