San Mateo-Los Angeles-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Stead, Wellar A. 1871 - 
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Author: S. J. Clarke (1928)

WELLAR A. STEAD

   Among those who have honored the city of Burlingame by their activities and
well spent lives stands Wellar A. Stead, who for a number of years conducted a
large and successful undertaking business here, but is now retired from active
affairs. He displayed an enterprising and progressive spirit in all of his
affairs and devoted himself tirelessly to the proper discharge of the exacting
duties of his profession, in which he gained a high reputation.

   Mr. Stead was born in New York city on the 10th of June, 1871, and had but
limited educational opportunities, for at the age of nine years he went to work
in a cotton factory at Craigsville, Orange county, New York. At twelve years of
age he was driving mules on the Erie canal and at seventeen he went to work for
the Erie Railroad, later going to the New York & New England Railroad. He worked
on the construction of the West Shore Railroad, following that line of work on
other roads also, and then removed to Jersey City, New Jersey, where he learned
the undertaking business. In 1911 Mr. Stead went to Los Angeles, California, and
established an undertaking parlor at 1911 South Hill street, where he remained
for a time, going from there to Redwood City, San Mateo county, where he became
connected with the Crowe undertaking parlors. Later he located at San Mateo,
where he conducted an undertaking business in partnership with J. G. McCarthy,
but later their association was discontinued and he then became connected with
the N. Gray undertaking business in San Francisco, of which the Burlingame
business was established as a branch, Mr. Stead being appointed resident
manager. After three years he bought it back. He met with gratifying success and
in 1921 built a splendid structure, forty by eighty feet, and two stories high,
ten rooms being on the second floor. Here he made every provision for the proper
handling of the business and devoted himself closely to it until October, 1926,
when he sold out and retired from active affairs.

   Mr. Stead was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Kleir, who was born in
Jersey City, New Jersey, and to them was born a son, Theodore Roosevelt Crowe
Stead, whose birth occurred at Redwood City, December 11, 1912, and who is now a
student in the Burlingame high school. He also has another son, John Simpson
Stead, by a former marriage. Mr. Stead is a stanch republican in his political
adherency and has shown a deep interest in public affairs. In 1913 he was
appointed deputy coroner of San Mateo county, in which capacity he served until
October 26, 1926, a period of thirteen years. He is a member of the Masonic
order, in which he has taken the degrees of both the York and Scottish rites,
and he also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Daughters of
Rebekah and the Sons of St. George. During the years of his residence in
Burlingame he has consistently given his support to all efforts for the
advancement of the material, civic and moral interests of the community, and by
those who know him he is accorded the highest expressions of confidence and
esteem. Mr. Stead's success has come to him as the reward of his indomitable
effort, as he started in life without assistance of any kind and his record
stands in evidence of his strength of character, his innate ability and his
energetic methods.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY
OF
SAN MATEO
COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO, ILL. 
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1928


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