Pretzer, Henry, Sr.

Henry Pretzer, Sr., was born in the province of Samara, Russia, on November 18, 1859, to parents William Pretzer and Katie Helmuth. Raised on his family farm, he married Katie Webber before emigrating in 1888 to Yankton County, South Dakota, and subsequently settling in Fresno County, California, in 1889. After working and farming short terms near Kerman, Kingsburg, and North Avenue, he leased property on California Avenue for seven years.

In 1903, Henry purchased an eighty-acre tract on Blythe Avenue between California and Church Avenues, which he developed into a prosperous alfalfa and dairy ranch. Alongside his home property, he also partnered with Mr. Erie to lease 1,280 acres for grain farming at Helm. The father of seven children—Henry, Jr., August, Gotlieb, Mary, Lizzie, Mollie, and Katie—he remained a dedicated member of the Methodist Church and a supporter of local community development.