Kern, John J.

Born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1854, John J. Kern learned the brewing trade in his native country before emigrating to the United States in 1880. After spending six years in Buffalo, New York, he moved to California in 1886, working for the National Brewing Company in San Francisco for nearly a decade. In 1895, Kern relocated to Fresno and established a liquor establishment at 2033 Mariposa Street, operating the business continuously for over twenty years.

In addition to his commercial business in Fresno, Kern acquired a 160-acre land holding west of the city along with several town lots. Married in 1881 to Elizabeth Kaufer, with whom he had five children—including surviving children Ida, Emma L., and Harry L. (who served overseas in World War I)—Kern was active in local fraternal and civic circles, holding memberships in the Foresters of America, Order of Owls, Sons of Herman, and the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.