George Studer

George Studer (1832-1910) was Rollin's great grandfather. His fourth daughter, Ida, married George Pickford. Born in Berne, Switzerland, George Studer was a tailor living in Far Rockaway, NY, when his wife, Mary Magdalen Bennet Studer, died in 1872 after a long, debilitating disease. While caring for her, Studer was forced to neglect his business, which caused it to decline. Seeking a fresh start, Studer and his five younger children sailed for Panama, walked the Isthmus to the Pacific Ocean, then sailed to San Francisco. From there, the family traveled by rail to the San Joaquin Valley. The Studers first lived in rural Madera County, where George's brother was working as a shepherd. Dissatisfied with the lack of amenities, especially the lack of schools for his children, Studer moved his family to Fresno and opened a tailor shop at Mariposa and Fulton in 1876. In 1884 he married Laura Frost and had five more children.