Richard Lee Bledsoe, the son of John Addison Bledsoe and Pearl Gean (Nichols) Bledsoe, was born May 15, 1936, in rural Hartville and passed away on Jan. 3, 2022, at the Maples Nursing Home in Springfield, at the age of 85. He grew up working on the family farm and graduated Hartville High School in 1953. He later settled in Springfield and married Sherry Cates in 1961.
He worked as a chef in some of Springfield's better restaurants. In 1999, he returned to the Hartville area and lived in a small cabin in the woods. He said one of his favorite memories was cutting firewood with his son. He was an avid baseball fan and followed the St. Louis Cardinals.
He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, Carrie Belle Ryan, Anna Mae Blanton, John Junior Bledsoe, Harold Gene Bledsoe and Mary June Bledsoe (infant sister).
He is survived by former wife, Sherry (Cates) Jeffers, and son, Richard "Rick" Bledsoe. Jr. Graveside services were held on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, at Little Creek Cemetery, Hartville.
