The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 567 JOHN W. SUDWEEKS. John W. Sudweeks, one of the younger agriculturists of the Mabton district, has already attained a degree of prosperity. He was born in Wabaunsee county, Kansas, April 12, 1884, a son of John and Sarah M. (Pratt) Sudweeks, the former a native of Canada and the latter of Indiana, more extended mention of whom is made on another page of this work. John W. Sudweeks was reared in a refined household, attended the public schools and the high school. After laying aside his textbooks he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, being for three years engaged as a clerk in a store at Eskridge, Kansas. In 1904, at the age of twenty, he came with his father to Yakima county and farmed in conjunction with him but also clerked in stores. Having carefully saved his earnings, he was then enabled to rent land near Outlook for one year, but now owns a farm three miles north and one mile west of Mabton, comprising twenty-seven acres of land. Although this tract was in a wild state when he acquired it, it is now all under cultivation and has been developed into a good property. He raises grain, potatoes and hay and also conducts a dairy to good purpose. Mr. Sudweeks has always been an ardent irrigationist, having done a great deal of valuable work in ditch and drainage construction. He is a progressive young man of agreeable social qualities, completely up-to-date in regard to modern business transactions and affairs, and, moreover, he has studied deeply farming problems here and is thus numbered among the leaders of agricultural development in his section of the state. On the 27th of September, 1905, Mr. Sudweeks was united in marriage to Gertie May Simmons, who was born in Eskridge, Kansas, and is a daughter of P. P. and Mary (Huvendahl) Simmons, the former a native of Platte county, Missouri, and one of the early pioneers of Kansas. Mrs. Simmons was also born in Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Sudweeks have ever taken a helpful interest in the community and are devoted members of the Methodist church. In politics he is a republican and has steadfastly supported the candidates and measures of that party although he is in no sense a politician but on the contrary prefers to devote his whole time and attention to his private affairs. He is a valued member of the Grange, in which organization he is very popular, and he has many friends in the vicinity of Mabton, all of whom speak highly of him. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.