Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Francis Gerard Oneto...Cattle Rancher

      Francis Gerard Oneto passed away on Saturday, June 8, 2013 in San Andreas
after a short illness. He was 91.

   Mr. Oneto was born February 7, 1922 in Melones, to Frank and Annie (Cuneo) Oneto, and was raised on the Oneto Ranch at Dry Creek, near San Andreas.

   He was a 4th generation life-long resident of Calaveras County, and a direct descendent of the pioneering Oneto, Cuneo and Gomes families, who came to the county in the early 1850's.

   Mr. Oneto attended Willow Creek Grammar School and Calaveras High School, graduating in 1939.

  After high school, he went to work for Calaveras Cement. He was very athletic, playing football, baseball, and track shot-put in high school.

   Later he played baseball in the army, and solftball on the cement plant team.

    In June 1942 he married Florence Maneely, and shortly after, he joined the Army Air Corp.  He trained at Stockton Airfield, San Diego and Chicago.

   He was stationed at Marfa Airfield in Alpine, Texas, where he was an airplane mechanic for many different types of aircraft, including B-52's.

    After the war he returned to the cement plant where he was an equipment operator. In 1958, upon the death of his father, he left the cement plant to join his uncle full time in running the Oneto Ranch.  Over the years he also worked for Keith Tallia.

       He is survived by his wife Florence, his daughter Sandra Rader, and his son Lance Oneto, all of San Andreas.  He also leaves four grandchildren; Lane Rader, Libby Rader-Kassik, and Gina Kathan, all of San Andreas, Glen Oneto of Modesto and 7 great-grandchildren.

   In accordance with his wishes there will be no services.

   San Andreas Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.
  

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