California Biographies Mendocino and Lake Counties, California Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California With Biographical Sketches History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry Illustrated, Complete In One Volume Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914 ELLERY D. SLEEPER.� Ellery D., the eldest son of Jerome Mack Sleeper was born July 29, 1877, on his father's ranch, near Upper Lake, Lake county, and was brought up there. After acquiring such education as the public schools of the locality afforded he took a six months' course at Heald's Business College in San Francisco. The experience he acquired assisting his father on the home property qualified him for responsibilities from an early age, but he has widened it by working for others to some extent. For six months he was an employe on the Campbell ranch in the Suisun valley, after that he spent another year and a half on the home ranch, for one year was engaged in clerking, and also kept books for the Co-operative Association at Upper Lake. Then he returned to San Francisco, where he found employment in a planing mill and as carpenter's helper, and he was married while in that city. For some years he and his brother have taken practically all the man- agement of their father's three hundred and six acres, which requires skillful attention, the valuable crops and stock making it necessary for them to exer- cise constant watchfulness to keep the estate under proper care. Besides the string beans which they grow so successfully, they raise grain, hay, and alfalfa, and have fine pasture lands, raising cattle, horses, sheep, goats, hogs and poultry. Mr. Sleeper is an enterprising and alert business man, and anxious to conserve the best interests of his community as well as to conduct his own affairs successfully. His ability has been shown in everything he has undertaken, and he is considered a most reliable citizen, sound in his prin- ciples, practical in his ideas, and straightforward in all his dealings. Politics have interested his greatly, and he is one of the prominent members of the Democratic party in his section, being a member of the county central com- mittee at present. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow and connected with Upper Lake Lodge No. 241, of which he is a past grand. His wife belongs to the Rebekahs. During his residence in San Francisco Mr. Sleeper was married to Miss Alarie Alley, daughter of John Alley a pioneer of Middle creek, in Lake county, who died four years ago. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sleeper; Keith E.. Lenore Effie and Charlotte. Their home is near Upper Lake village, on the Ukiah road. Mrs. Sleeper is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Upper Lake, and belongs to the Ladies' Aid Society of that congregation.