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Born in Bethlehem, Connecticut, George Stone Bloss, at age 10, came to Atwater with his father, mother, and sister in 1884. He attended school in his hometown and continued his education at the Mitchell School in Atwater, Merced Academy for high school, and Santa Clara College for two years.
In 1911, George married Christine Thompson of Bethlehem, Connecticut. Christine was the niece of Edna Thompson Bloss, the second wife of George's father. In 1914, the couple completed the construction of their own home at First and Cedar Streets. This was the same year their only child, George Thompson Bloss, was born.
As a young man, George Jr. became interested in raising cattle. Successful in this work, he was able to enlarge his holdings in the Bloss Land and Cattle Company and was always considered an authority on raising stock. George Jr. became the first mayor when Atwater incorporated in 1922, and later he served as a councilman and a director of the Merced Irrigation District. He belonged to the Masons, was a Shriner, and was a member of most of the area service clubs.
When George died April 13, 1963, at the age of 89, he willed the Bloss home to the City of Atwater, with the provision that Christine remain in residence until her death. George was always known as George Bloss Jr., though his middle name was different than his father's. Perhaps this was because their middle names both started with the letter S. Today we bow to common practice and refer to them as senior and junior. |
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