George W. Bliss, M. D. Biography


	This biography appears on pages 658-659 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				GEORGE W. BLISS, M. D.  

	Dr. George W. Bliss, a well known physician and surgeon of Valley 
Springs, South Dakota, has there followed his profession continuously 
for almost two decades and is widely recognized as one of the 
successful practitioners of Minnehaha county. His birth occurred in 
Cambria, Wisconsin, on the 27th of March, 1868, his parents being John 
and Emily (Hodkinson) Bliss, the former a native of New York city and 
the latter of Staffordshire, England. Emily Hodkinson came to the 
United States when a child of seven years in company with her parents, 
who were among the pioneer settlers of Wisconsin. John Bliss removed to 
the Badger state as a lad of twelve years, the paternal grandparents of 
our subject being also numbered among the early residents of Columbia 
county, Wisconsin. There he grew to manhood, was married and located on 
a farm. In 1880 he came west to Dakota territory, settling in Minnehaha 
county and purchasing a farm six miles north of Sioux Falls. On that 
place both he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, Mr. 
Bliss passing away in 1906, at the age of sixty-three years, and Mrs. 
Bliss in 1912, when she had attained the age of seventy. They were well 
known and highly esteemed as people of genuine personal worth and 
gained many friends during the long period of their residence in the 
community. The old home farm is still in the possession of the family.  

	George W. Bliss was reared at home and began his education in the 
district schools, while subsequently he attended Sioux Falls College, 
where he completed a philosophical course by graduation in 1890. After 
finishing his more specifically literary education he made further 
preparation for a professional career by taking up the study of 
medicine under the preceptorship of Drs. Brown and Tufts, of Sioux 
Falls, and in the fall of 1892 he entered the College of Physicians & 
Surgeons of Minneapolis, Minnesota, from which institution he was 
graduated with the class of 1895. Subsequently he served for six months 
as house physician in the Minneapolis City Hospital and in the fall of 
1895 located for practice at Valley Springs, which is a half mile from 
the Minnesota state line and five miles from the Iowa state line. He 
took the examination before these state boards and is registered to 
practice in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. Dr. Bliss has been very 
successful and has built up an extensive and remunerative practice. He 
is a member of the Seventh District Medical Society of South Dakota, a 
charter member of the Sioux Valley Medical Society, an honorary member 
of the Southwestern Minnesota Medical Society, a member of the South 
Dakota- State Medical Society and a fellow of the American Medical 
Association.  

	On the 24th of March, 1897, Dr. Bliss was united in marriage to 
Miss Lucy E. Udell, of Sioux Falls, by whom he has a daughter, Rowena 
Udell. Fraternally he is identified with the following organizations: 
Unity Lodge, No. 130, A. F. & A. M., of Sioux Falls, enjoying the 
distinction of being the first candidate ever raised in that lodge; 
Occidental Consistory, No. 2, A. & A. S. R.; E:l Riad Temple, A. A. O. 
N. M. S., of Sioux Falls; Crystal Lodge, No. 29, K. P., of Valley 
Springs; the Modern Woodmen; and Sioux Falls Lodge, No. 503, Loyal 
Order of Moose. Few men conform their practice so closely to a high 
standard of professional ethics and there are few who enjoy in greater 
degree the confidence and respect of both their fellow practitioners 
and the general public.