Heerman, Lee W.

Born in York, Nebraska, in 1894, Lee W. Heerman moved to California with his Swedish-born parents, M. N. and Hulda (Carlson) Heerman. He attended public schools in Kingsburg before pursuing higher coursework in accounting and violin studies in Los Angeles. Choosing an outdoor agricultural career over office work, Heerman leased his father’s forty-acre ranch six miles south of Selma, ultimately purchasing the property in December 1918.

Under his management, the ranch flourished into a productive fruit and viticultural estate featuring Muir peaches, Muscat and Thompson Seedless grapes, and alfalfa. In December 1918, Heerman married Frances Swanson, the daughter of long-time Kingsburg rancher C. E. Swanson. Active in civic life and a strong supporter of national and local war-effort initiatives during World War I, Heerman established himself as an enterprising and successful young rancher in Fresno County.