Ethel Marie Steinman Bledsoe, 100, was born June 25, 1920, in Cosby, Missouri, to Mamie and Fred Steinman into a family of 13 children. She died peacefully after being in a care facility for only five weeks. Her 100th birthday was celebrated in June with a card shower and drive-by wave.
She was Valedictorian of her elementary schooling. She graduated from Parisian Beauty Academy in 1939 and worked at various salons in St. Joseph until the war.
In 1941, Ethel married Harvey A. Bledsoe. During WWII, they were stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. After the war, they returned to St. Joseph and began to raise their family. She lived on the family farm for 73 years.
As a member of the First Christian Church of Savannah for over 70 years, she taught Vacation Bible School and Sunday School for many years.
Always one to volunteer, she had been room mother and chaperone for various children’s school trips, Beeler Busy Beaver’s 4-H leader, on the Andrew County 4-H Council, Beeler Extension Club member, Beeler Township Democratic Committee member, Rosarian Club, Swiss Lodge, Savannah Sew Mor and other community organizations.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey; parents; son, Kenny in 1998; infant son, David in 1944; brothers, Charles, Edward, Robert and Fred Steinman, Jim Freeman; sisters, Bertha Jorgensen, Emma, Lucille and Amy Steinman, and Tillie Stewart.
Survivors include son, Jim Bledsoe (Mona), Savannah, Missouri; daughters, Bonnie Fuchs (Edward), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Janice Lawrence (Richard), Loveland, Colorado; grandchildren, Amanda Haley (Josh), St. Joseph, Tyler (Rebecca), St. Joseph, Meghan Eliason (Blake), Stillwater, Oklahoma, Zale (Jessica), St. Joseph, Austin (Aril), Sugarloaf, California; 11 great-grandchildren; sister, Anna Dennison, South Hadley Falls, Massachusetts; and various nieces and nephews throughout the country.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Bledsoe Scholarship Fund. The scholarship was established 46 years ago and has helped 75 students achieve their college education. Donations can be made to: Bledsoe Scholarship Fund, c/o Edward Jones, 3300 Dale Ave., Suite 106, St. Joseph, MO 64508.