The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 143

HOWARD F. BLEDSOE.

Howard F. Bledsoe has long been identified with commercial interests in
Ellensburg, where he is now conducting a grocery store and also dealing in
automobile supplies and accessories. He was born in Colorado, Texas, October 27,
1883, a son of Henry and Mary Bledsoe. The father died at Fort Worth, Texas, in
the year 1888 and the mother now lives with her daughter, Mrs. A. B Dunning, in
Kittitas county, Washington.

Howard F. Bledsoe pursued his education in the public schools and afterward took
a complete commercial course with the international Correspondence Schools. He
started upon his business career as clerk in a dry goods store at Alvarado,
Texas, and afterward went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was associated with
the Ely Walker Dry Goods Company. Later he located at Las Vegas, New Mexico,
where he again engaged in clerking, and subsequently he settled at Seattle. In
October, 1907, he arrived in Ellensburg, where for a year he occupied a position
as clerk in the store of C. L. Collins. He also spent a similar period with the
Hub Clothing Company and in September, 1909, he purchased a grocery- store in
connection with George Pearson, with whom he was thus identified until November,
1910, when Mr. Pearson sold out. Mr. Bledsoe was then alone in business until
March. 1913, when he admitted Lenox Wilson to a partnership and the association
has since been maintained. They are proprietors of a well appointed grocery
store, carrying a large and carefully selected line of staple and fancy
groceries, for which they find a ready sale by reason of their fair prices,
their honorable dealing and their earnest efforts to please their patrons. They
also carry a line of automobile supplies and accessories and their trade in
that connection is gratifying.

On the 22d of August, 1909, Mr. Bledsoe was united in marriage to Miss Vera De
Weese, of Ellensburg, a daughter of the Rev. William De Weese, and their
children are four in number: Esther, Charles, Keith and Helen.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Methodist church, and both Mr.
and Mrs. Bledsoe are highly esteemed as people of sterling worth, while the
hospitality of the best homes of the locality is freely accorded them. Mr.
Bledsoe votes with the democratic party and his interest in community affairs is
manifest in his membership in the Chamber of Commerce. He stands for all that is
progressive in relation to the public welfare and cooperates heartily in all
those plans and measures which are a matter of civic virtue and of civic pride.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.