Person Page - 296

     Emily Agius was born circa 1999 in Alameda Co., CA, USA.

     Giovanni Agius was born circa 1792 in Malta. He died on 15 March 1896 at Oakland, CA, USA; Death certif: age 104, married, born Malta, cause = heart disease. He was buried at St. Mary's Cemetery.
     First Maltese in America (?) was among the first Maltese in San Francisco, CA born 1792; in Oakland by 1855 in 1792. Giovanni Agius began military service in the War of 1812. Unlear if Giovanni Agius ever immigrated from Malta circa 1841 at Oakland, CA, USA.

Giovanni Agius was mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle on 17 March 1896: LIVED OVER A 100 Giovanni Agius, Oakland’s Oldest Citizen, Dies of Dropsy. Found in poverty.
Taken Care of During His Last Months by Catholic Ladies. Ever true to his rosary.
The Deceased Was a Soldier During the Troublous Times When the Century Opened.
Agius who was known in Oakland for many years as John Rogers is dead, and in his death Alameda County loses her oldest citizen. Giovanni was 104 years old, and as his mother died when he was 4 years of age, he has lived just an even oentary since that event. Agius was in possession of his faculties till a few weeks ago and gave no sign of dying of old age, but several days ago be was attacked with dropsy and soon the old man, passed away. He died at the residence of Mrs. Hannegan, 804 Filbert street.
Giovanni was born at Malta in 1792, and came to this country when he was 7 years of age. In the war of 1812 he was a soldier and remembered till a few months ago all the details of those eventful times. Years ago, in the early fifties, Agios came to California in the ship Thompson, of which be was second mate. He deserted, like thousands of others, and rushed to the gold mines, and although then a comparatively old man he took quite a fortune out of the earth. While in Seattie, twenty years ago, Agius was robbed of what little money he had hoarded and since then he has been a broken-down peddler.
While in the possession of his health up to about a year ago, he made a living by selling fruit, and his face was familiar to thousands of people, especially in the West Oakland neighborhood. Sorne time ago the aged man was found by a Call man in a shanty near tue water front. His old horse shared the barn, and a more miserable place could not be pictured. A sack of rags had been his bed for years, and the neighbors said that even what food he received was first used to feed the old quadruped.
Throughout all his long life Giovanni never forgot the lessons of piety that he learned in early life. For over half a century before his death he wore a rosary around his neck and never failed to make daily use of it.The beads have been so long around bis neck that there is a groove in the old man’s flesh which was made by the beads having been so closely buttoned aroond his neck. Agius used to say that the Archbishop of Malta gave him the rosary more than a lifetime ago.
After the publication of his story and his abject destitution Giovanni was taken in charge by the Catholic Ladies’ Aid Sociaty, and from that time till he breathed his last was probably the most comfortable and devoid of anxiety in all bis long life.
After the Ladies took the old man’s welfare in hand, papers in his possession showed that his real nam was not John Rogers, but Giovanni Agius. Although everything possible was done for him, his vitality was almost gone, and when dropsy appeared it could not be resisted. Agius' appearance, even in death is that of a well-preserved man of about 70 years old. He is a little under six feet in height and he had a good crop of hair to the last. His teeth were perfectly sound, and the man must have lived a very careful and abstemious life to reach such a long score of years. The funeral will be held tomorrow, and tlie Catholic Ladies’ Aid Society, who took charge of him in life will also see to the old man’s burial.
Obituary: : Long Staved off the Last Call. Giovanni Agius at Last Surrenders. Lived a century and more. Remarkable Career of an Old huckster. Saw whole Generations Pass Away
—Lived In Oakland for Fifty-Ore Years.
OAKLAND, March 16.—Giovanni Agius, a native of the Island of Malta, who had been a familiar figure on the streets of Oakland for fifty-five years, passed away yesterday at the home of Mrs. Hannigan, 604 Filbert street, at the age of 104 years.
Agius was the oldest person In Alameda county. He had made a living for an Indefinite number of years by peddling fruit and was Intimately acquainted with all the best families. Little is known of his early life, except that when 4 years old his mother died and he had rounded out a few months over a century since that event.
Documents and letters In the possession of the deceased bore out his claim to having been a centenarian. He was ever mindful of his extreme age and was very talkative before his last Illness In regard to his past life and condition of health. On such occasions his favorite remark was, "Men may come nnd men may go, but I go on forever." Then he would chuckle to himself much pleased.
He stated to those who attended him during his last Illness that since his coming to Oakland he had known children at the time of birth, peddled fruit to their parents when they were children, noted their progress ns students and society lights, furnished oranges for their weddings, and in many Instances drove his ramshackle wagon by their grlef-strlcken honres after death had overtaken them, and watched as they bore the departed on»s to their graves.
Then, as he often opioned, he would go on serving fruits to the children of the generation he had seen live and die. All this and much more were the favorite themes of the old peddler who was of a philosophical turn of mind. His deductions Invariably were, that his own lot. humble though It was, had been a happy one and an enviable one.
Of late years his face had been especially familiar in East Oakland,where he vended his fruits regularly among customers that he had held for the better part of a lifetime. His appearance In death was that of a man of 60 years or thereabouts. His teeth wire sound, and his hair of quite heavy growth. He was five feet ten inches tall and weighed 132 pounds. A year ago he became too feeble to ply his vocation, and was taken in charge by the Catholic Ladles' Aid Society. which cared for him until death overtook him.
The funeral will tqke place tomorrow from the undertaking establishment of Avory & Heaudry, and the Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery.

     John Agius died on 30 April 1957.

     Florence Anne Allen was born circa 1941. She married Lawrence C. Agius, son of John Agius and Julia Borg.
     Her married name was Agius.
Florence Anne Allen Last 3 children: CA Birth Index gives mother's maiden name as Murad. She was living in 2021 in Burlingame, CA, USA.

     Patricia Elaine Agius was born circa 1964 in San Mateo Co., CA, USA. She married (?) Hale.
     Her married name was Hale.

     (?) Hale married Patricia Elaine Agius, daughter of Lawrence C. Agius and Florence Anne Allen.

     Adriana Garrett was born.

     Julian Garrett was born.

     Cameron Garrett was born.

     Rosanna (?) married Francesco Agius.
     Her married name was Agius.

     Joseph Agius was born in Malta.

     Michele Aquilina married Giovanna Grima.

     Lawrence Aquilina was born.

     Steven Rogino was born.

     Karen Rogino was born.

     Carmello Aquilina was born in Malta. He died in April 1928 at San Francisco, CA, USA.
      Obituary: on 4 April 1928: AQUILINA—In this city. Carmcllo Aquilina a native ot Malta. He and Charles Aquilina were possibly the same person.

     (?) Attard was born.

     Mary Attard was born. She married (?) Said.
     Her married name was Said. Mary Attard was living in 1970.

     (?) Said married Mary Attard, daughter of (?) Attard.

     Carmen Attard was born.

     Emmuela Attard was born. She married (?) Tanti.
     Her married name was Tanti.

     (?) Tanti married Emmuela Attard, daughter of (?) Attard.

     Asunta Xuereb was born.
     She was living in 1966.

     James Attard was born.
     He was living in 1974 in San Francisco, CA, USA. He and James Attard were possibly the same person.

     Guiseppe Vassallo was born in 1845. He married Maria Schembri. Guiseppe Vassallo died in 1925.

     Maria Schembri was born circa 1847. She married Guiseppe Vassallo.
     Her married name was Vassallo.

     Research: Malta Protective Association (?).
Malta Protective Association (?) Mona Vella Nicholas: The Maltese Protective Association was a precursor of the Maltese Club. It was established to help Maltese immigrants who might run into financial difficulties. This may have been restricted to difficulties due to health, but I am not sure. It seems from the obit. that funeral expenses were covered as well. Anyway, it was basically a form of insurance. If one member needed assistance the other members would step in to help. I am not sure if money was accrued from dues or if money was collected on a needs basis. The banner of the Association still exists and is encased in a shadow box at the Club. There was nothing anti-Catholic about the organization. in 2020.

     Gio Marie Dimech was born in Malta. He married Maria Gauci.

     Maria Gauci married Gio Marie Dimech.
     Her married name was Dimech.