Parnau, Jack (1906-1990 )

John L. "Jack" Parnau was born in O'Neal Township, San Joaquin County, California on May 31, 1906, the son of Estelle Fuendeli and John P. Parnau, a German immigrant and owner of his own Tailor's shop. By 1925 Jack had begun working as an electrician while living with his parents on N. California Avenue in Stockton, California. He continued in that profession until his retirement. Around 1941-1942 he married Helen S. ___, and by 1949 they had a home of their own at 1342 N. Lincoln avenue, the address on his earliest labels. They remained there at least through 1960. According to his various labels, he thereafter lived at 1144 W. Mariposa Avenue in Stockton, then lived in Mountain View and Sunnyvale, California. His last residence was at 14 La Paloma in Campbell, California.

Jack was a man of many hobbies--ham radio, photography, semi-pro tennis, and (in his later years) primarily mineral collecting. He was a well-known field collector in California, built a substantial mineral collection, and was instrumental in encouraging many young people to take up the hobby. The mineral parnauite was named by William Wise in 1978, in recognition of Jack's contributions to the knowledge of the type locality, the Majuba Hill mine in Nevada. Jack sold most of his collection in 1975, through California mineral dealers Si & Ann Frazer. He died on July 16, 1990, in Campbell, California.