PIONEER CALIFORNIAN DIES
Mrs. Adelaide Alexander Came to State in 1834. Father Homesteaded Palos Verdes Estate
One of the earliest Southern California settlers, Mrs. Adelaide Alexander, died early yesterday at her home, 125 South Beaudry Avenue. Mrs. Alexander was 93 years old.
To the last throb Mrs. Alexander maintained the heritage of tradition of her English sea captain father, who transplanted his native customs to the adobe homestead on San Pedro bluff, acquired in 1834 in his purchase from Diego Sepulveda of one-third of the Palos Verdes Rancho. Although bedridden for the last few weeks, Mrs. Alexander who had never known illness throughout her long life, endured her illness with stoic stoutness.
Death was natural according to her physician. Mrs. Alexander, he said, had lived her span and was beyond the aid of medical resources. Mrs. Alexander had survived her two husbands, both of whom were leaders in the social, commercial and political life of Southern California. This prestige has been obtained since by marriage with some of the first families of the city, including the Bannings and Hodges.
Mrs. Alexander was born in Guaymas, Mex., in 1830. Her father was Capt. James Johnson, an English shipmaster, who settled first in Guaymas, but coming to San Pedro on a voyage, returned to Mexico, sold his ship and brought his family to California.
OBTAINED HOMESTEAD
Adelaide Johnson was 3 years old when her father brought his family here and settled on the 33,000 acres of the Palos Verdes Ranch he bought. The forty-nine acres surrounding San Pedro Bluff he homesteaded, a fortunate act, as the Mexican government subsequently took the rest of his landed possessions. On this bluff he built his adobe dwelling and lived after the manner of his former English custom. On his death the homestead was entailed as a family estate in perpetuity. In 1848 Capt. Johnson's daughter married Francis H. Mellus, a descendant of Mayflower stock, through the Ann Robinson branch. Mellus had come here from New England to assume charge of the buying and shipping of hides and tallow, which constituted then the chief products of Los Angeles commerce, and which were carried around the Horn in Yankee ships for New England manufactures. It was just about the time California was admitted into the Union that the marriage took place. Of this marriage, six children resulted, James J. Mellus, Mrs. William Banning, Mrs. William Lyon, Edward A. Mellus, Mrs. Josephine Serrano and Frank H. Mellus, the first born, who died about 1890.
JOINS BANNINGS
Francis Mellus took for partner in the hide and tallow trade David Alexander. In 1863 Mellus died, and a year later the widow was married to Alexander. After the death of Mellus, Alexander became associated in business with the Bannings.
There were five children from the second marriage: Mrs. Martha Seaman, Miss Elizabeth Alexander, Joseph Workman Alexander, Samuel Temple Alexander and Mrs. Martha L. Hodges (s/b Agnes Hodges). All of Mrs. Alexander's surviving children reside in Los Angeles.
For many years Mrs. Alexander lived at Mellus Row, the lane between Aliso and First streets which in early days was the district where the founders of some of the city's largest commercial houses, including the Newmarks and Hellmans, started their careers. From there she moved to Wilmington where she lived until a short time ago, when she returned to the Beaudry avenue house in this city.
Funeral services will be conducted tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Church of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels, at the Plaza, where Mrs. Alexander was married.
Los Angeles Times, December 26, 1922, page 17 and page 19

DEATHS
ALEXANDER, On December 25th at the family residence, 125 South Beaudry avenue, Adelaida Alexander, aged 92 years. Funeral from the chapel of Garrett Brothers, 1237 South Flower street, Wednesday at 8:15 a.m. Requiem mass in the Plaza Church at 9 o'clock.
Los Angeles Times, December 26, 1922, page 16