Henry & Ida Twisselman Pillars of San Miguel’s Past

By Paso Robles Press · Sat Oct 11 2025

By Lynne Schmitz

In their time, Henry and Ida Twisselman were exemplary citizens of San Miguel and San Luis Obispo County.

Henry Twisselman was born in 1878 in Chualar to Heinrich and Elizabeth Meng Twisselman. Bearing the name of his father, who passed away when Henry was just 6 years old, he grew up alongside his siblings — Christian, Frederick, Dorothea, and Amy. In Henry and Ida Twisselman: Pillars of San Miguel’s past, the family settled in San Luis Obispo, where they operated the Chorro Dairy for nearly three decades. Five years later, Henry’s widowed mother moved the family to a homestead in the Cholame district, where they turned to wheat farming in the wide, open fields of Shandon. 

In 1906, Henry moved to San Miguel, where he managed the San Miguel Flouring Mill and the Citizens Bank. He went into partnership with Arthur Thralls at Thralls and Company, a general merchandise establishment. Later on, he bought Thralls out, becoming the sole owner until the store was purchased by Fred “Joe” Witcosky in 1946. 

Henry was Supervisor of the First District from 1921 to 1941 and served as Chairman of the Board from January 1927 to January 1935. He was a prominent member of the San Miguel Masonic Lodge No. 285, Eastern Star Violet Chapter, and the Native Sons of the Golden West, San Miguel Parlor. 

Ida Sophie Bading was born in 1878 in Ft. Clinton, Ohio, and moved west with her family to Oakland in 1884. A bright student, she graduated from Oakland High School before earning her teaching credential at the San Jose Normal School (Teacher’s College) in 1901. Her first assignment took her to the remote Choice Valley School in the Bitterwater region east of Paso Robles, where she taught for three years. The journey there was no small undertaking — she traveled by stagecoach from San Jose to Paso Robles, spent the night at the Paso Robles Inn, and continued the next day on a full-day ride into the valley. It was during her time in this rugged landscape that she first met Henry Twisselmann. In 1904, she returned to city life, accepting a teaching position in Berkeley. 

In 1908, Henry and Ida were married in the Bay Area and moved to San Miguel. The house they shared with each other, family, and many friends for 56 years still stands at 1473 L St., looking much like it did then. They had three children, Rolla, Florence, and Herbert, aka “Bugs.” Ida was active in the Eastern Star Violet Chapter in San Miguel for 50 years. In 1949, she was honored to be chosen Pioneer Day Queen.They both participated in San Miguel events and activities. During World War I, she became active in the American Red Cross, receiving numerous citations of merit during her 25 years of service and raising funds for the Red Cross and the war effort. In 1940, when Camp Roberts was built for the Second World War, she and Henry would contact the base and invite soldiers to share Sunday and holiday dinners at their home. When the San Miguel USO Building was built near the Mission, Ida extended her efforts to serve the military until it closed in 1946. She passed away in 1974, much loved and missed. 

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