Tobiasen, Bendiks

Bendiks Tobiasen was born in Ribe, Denmark, on February 27, 1874, to Tobias Hansen and Kirsten Sorensen. He attended the public schools and the Latin School in Ribe before immigrating to the United States aboard the steamship St. Louis in May 1900. Upon arriving in California, he settled in Selma, Fresno County, where he initially worked on local farms to establish himself.

In 1903, Bendiks married Inger Paulsen, a native of Ribe, and together they raised four children: Tobias, Marius, Oscar, and Christian. He purchased a twenty-acre tract in the Ross School District south of Parlier, developing the former stubble field into a thriving vineyard. An active community member, he served as treasurer of the Danish Lutheran Church in Selma and joined both the California Peach Growers, Inc. and the California Raisin Growers’ Association.