Carl Bernard Visman Jr

Placerville --- Carl Bernard Visman Jr., 95, died peacefully Monday January 21, 2019 at his home surrounded by his family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 71 years Ruth (Mickey), his brother George, his sons Michael, Mark, Brad, with eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

The son of Carl Visman Sr. and Jessie Winkelman Visman, Carl was born and raised in Placerville. Both of Carl’s parents along with family members from the Winkelman and Wygersma families migrated from Holland to the United States and ultimately found their way to Wheatland, Ca where they lived and worked on a small dairy farm. From there they moved to the Mayhew area of Sacramento. After a motorcycle ride up to the Placerville area they soon moved up and found work at the Boa Vista Ranch with owners Mr. and Mrs. Charles Scheppi. Carl Sr. brought a desire to plant this beautiful land with potatoes and experimental varieties of pears, plums and apples. Carl Jr. learned at an early age just how difficult it was to plant, grow and produce these crops. Consistent production was anything but guaranteed and many years unsuccessful. In his early years he grew up on the family farm, Boa Vista Ranch, today known as Boa Vista Orchards, farming was anything but easy.

Not only did Carl enjoy growing up on the farm, he loved to play basketball. Growing up he played on many local school teams. After high school his next stop was up to the University of Oregon to play basketball and study Horticulture. World War II abruptly ended his time at the University of Oregon and Carl was now headed to serve his country in the United States Navy. He served in the U.S. Navy for 2.5 years.

After his service in the Navy ended Carl went back to complete his education and basketball career at UC Davis. Carl was known for being one of the first ever to endorse the one-handed shot first used by Hank Luisetti, a player from Stanford University. In his last year before graduating at UC Davis he was introduced to a young lady from Sacramento, a dental assistant named Ruth Harsch. They fell in love and were married three months later. Who knew they would be married for nearly 72 years.

Carl, “Buzz” his friends and family called him in his early days, loved to hunt and fish. But duck hunting was his favorite of them all. He was a lifelong member of the Mother Lode Duck Club, along with other members: Red Sadler (Poor Red’s), Phil Morton (Contractor/Builder), Louie Brunello (Lindy’s Bar). The club was in duck country just outside the small town of Princeton next to Colusa, Ca. Along with his sons, Carl had many friends over the years that hunted with him as well. The Duck Club was full of a lifetime of great days of hunting, stories of what might have been and the exciting prospect of the next hunt and the anticipated rewards. Carl, his sons and their families will forever enjoy those times spent together.

Carl & Ruth were charter members of Cold Springs Golf & Country Club. Carl just didn’t take a lot of time away from Boa Vista to play golf, but they certainly met many lifelong friends and enjoyed many dinners, dances and events at Cold Springs.

Carl was a long-time member of The Elks Lodge, The Moose Lodge, and American Legion.

Carl was known for being a very determined person; in fact he used to say, “There’s the door, if you don’t like it you can go down the road”. He wasn’t considered a big talker but when he said something, he meant it. Carl’s lifelong work was Boa Vista Orchards, and that’s where he spent all his life.

Long before the Apple Hill area was well-known for its apples; it was a very large growing region of pears and pear growers. During the late 1950’s, Carl and his brother George operated a roadside fruit stand, located in Cedar Grove just above Camino, Ca along old highway 50. They brought their Boa Vista Pears, Apples and Peaches to this fruit stand and started the whole concept of direct marketing.

Carl guided Boa Vista through a very difficult time in El Dorado County with the rise and fall of pear production in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He was a pioneer in growing diversified crops, ranch marketing and creating an open year-round concept and he was part of the group that founded the Apple Hill Growers Association in 1964.

Retirement was not a word in the Visman family that was ever brought up or talked about. Carl worked on the farm and drove the forklift until his early 90’s. Carl never considered retiring. Only the physical aspect of life could finally stop Carl from working every day. Over the last 20 years, retirement was sometimes mentioned to Carl by friends or Boa Vista customers stopping in and asking when he was going to call it quits. And Carl would say, “The fact is there is always work to be done”. That holds true today and that is what is important to the Visman Family.

A Celebration of Carl’s life will be held at Chapel of the Pines in Placerville, on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at 11:00 am.

A reception will be held immediately following for all Friends and Family at the American Legion Hall at 4561 Greenstone Rd. The Family looks forward to seeing you and sharing stories.

The Visman Family wishes to thank the Snowline Hospice folks who provided such Love and Support for Carl during his last days. We will forever be thankful.