Greenbrae centenarian marks 1906 quake anniversary

As the flames destroyed San Francisco after the 1096 earthquake, Angelo DelMonte rushed his infant son to safety in a horse-drawn wagon.

That child, Bill DelMonte, was one of the guests of honor Sunday for the 105th anniversary of the earthquake.

"I was 3 months old, so I don't remember anything about the quake," said the Greenbrae resident, whose 105th birthday was on Jan. 22.

The centenarian is one of three living survivors from the 1906 disaster. The other two, Novato's Rose Cliver, 108, and Pebble Beach's Ruth Newman, 109, could not attend the festivities.

"After an exhaustive national search, we believe they're the only three left," said Lee Houskeeper, who organized the anniversary celebration.

DelMonte's father, Angelo, founded Fior d'Italia restaurant in 1886. The original building was destroyed in a 1893 fire. The rebuilt restaurant became a San Francisco fixture, but burned down again in the 1906 fire. Owners began serving food out of a tent two days later to serve those whose homes had been destroyed.

The North Beach restaurant, which suffered a third fire in 2005, is one of the oldest in San Francisco.

"My family doesn't own the restaurant anymore, but it still has good food. I go there sometimes," DelMonte said.

DelMonte joined city officials at Lotta's Fountain at Kearny and Market streets to kick off the city's annual earthquake parade and wreath-laying ceremony.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee rode with DelMonte as the procession wound its way to 20th and Church streets at Dolores Park for the annual painting of the fire hydrant that saved the mission, Houskeeper said.

"It was exciting," DelMonte said of the parade.

As for his longevity, DelMonte says "I don't know the secret. People are always asking me that."

— Bay City News contributed to this report