Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-14
A PIONEERS DEATH.
VIM. F. White, Father of Hon. S. M.
White, Passes Away Quietly.

VIM. f. White died in this city yester-
day morning, after brief illness, at the
age of "a years, at the residence OF his
son, Hon. S. M. White, on South Main
street. The remains were prepared and
shipped by M. Hopkins & Co., to his
late home in the Pajaro valley, near
Watsonville, and the funeral services
will be held ON Thursday, in a little
church built by the deceased many years
ago.
Some four months ago the deceased
had stroke of apoplexy, from the effects
OF which he never recovered. About
four weeks ago Mr.. White persuaded his
father to come to Los Angeles, and
under careful nursing the deceased had
appeared to be gaining daily, and up to
last Tuesday was considered to be out OF
danger. On that day, however, he was
taken with relapse and gradually grew
worse until he expired yesterday morn
ing at s :45 o'clock.
William Francis White was born in
1916 in Limerick, Ireland. His mother
was sister of Gerald Griffin, the Irish
poet, dramatist and novelist.
Mr.. White, the elder, came to the
United States with his family four or
five years after the birth of William F.,
and settled in Susquehanna county,
Pennsylvania. The family was large,
and none of them is now living, with
the exception of one daughter, who has,
for many years, been nun in George
town convent. There were three sons
besides the deceased, all of whom are
now dead. One Of them, James w.
White, was prominent member of the
New York bar, and for some time one OF
the superior judges of New York city.
VIM. f. married in 1S4S, and, with his
wife, came to California, via Cape Horn,
in lS49. Upon reaching San Francisco,
he engaged in the mercantile business
with John A. McGlynn and D. j. Oliver,
both of whom are dead. The great fires
OF 1850 and 1852 consumed the entire
stock in trade of the firm, and Mr. White,
becoming desirous of change, went to
Pajaro valley, Santa Cruz county, where
he purchased an interest in ranch. He
moved his family there in 1858, and con-
tinuously resided at the same place until
short time after he was appointed bank
commissioner by Governor Irwin, when
he moved to the city of Santa Cruz and
afterwards to East Oakland, where his
family now reside.
Mr.. White was prominently identified
with the politics of this state until within
the last few years. He was one of the
democratic candidates for presidential
elector at the time when Mcclellan was
the presidential nominee of that party.
He was a member of the convention
which framed the present constitu-
ton, having been elected to represent
the district composed of Santa Cruz,
Monterey and San Benito counties. In
the exciting campaign which followed
the adoption of this instrument, he was
the nominee of the workingmen's party
for governor, and, although defeated,
he ran very largely ahead of his ticket.
AS has already been said, he was ap-
pointed by Governor Irwin to the posi-
tlon Of bank commissioner. He was re-
appointed by Governor Stoneman, his
term expiring shortly after Governor
Waterman took office.
mir. White leaves a widow, two sons,
Edward White, prominent farmer and
lumberman OF Santa Cruz county,
Stephen M. White, of this city, and six
daughters to mourn his loss.
He was widely known throughout
California, and was especially esteemed
by the old-timers, with many of whom
he was on terms of closest intimacy.