Moller, William

William Moller was born on March 28, 1850, in Kjeremynde, Fyen, Denmark, to parents Christian Moller and Lasina Petersen. After completing an apprenticeship as a baker, he used winnings from a $250 lottery ticket to immigrate to America in 1873 and worked in San Francisco at the Spreckels Sugar Refinery. Moving to Fresno in 1876, he bought twenty acres in Central Colony, became an original stockholder in the Danish Creamery Association, and later developed a raw sixty-acre ranch west of Fresno into a successful vineyard.

While in San Francisco in 1876, Moller married Danish native Louisa Rasmussen, with whom he raised six surviving children, including his son Louis, who served in a machine gun division in France. Active in civic affairs, he supported Republican politics, served as a long-time trustee for the Lutheran Church, and belonged to the Danish Brotherhood. Additionally, Moller promoted local agricultural growth as a dedicated supporter and booster of various California raisin associations.