John M. Arredondo was born in Blanco, Texas on November 23, 1914 and moved with his family to the Needville area when he was five. He began working on the Southern Pacific Railroad in the 1930’s and
moved to Rosenberg in 1935. In December 1940, he married Nicolasa Becerra and together they went on to have six children.
He worked as a welder in the Houston Ship Yard during World War II, followed by a five-year stint with Fluor. During this time – in 1951 – he opened Arredondo Furniture in Rosenberg. Due to his prosperous business, he made the decision, in 1951, to make the furniture store his full-time job. He then began acquiring real estate and property in the Richmond, Rosenberg and Houston areas.
He took a seat on the draft board in Rosenberg during the 1960s. Mr. Arredondo was appointed to the Rosenberg City Council in 1970 to serve out an unexpired term, making him the first Hispanic to serve on the Council.
Arredondo Furniture celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1976. That same year Arredondo Appliance Center and a second showroom in downtown Rosenberg opened. In 1983, he expanded further, opening the Arredondo Mattress Center.
Mr. Arredondo always advocated on behalf of his community. In the 1990s, he was a strong supporter and contributor to the Fort Bend Technical Center in Richmond. Seeing a need for safety in his community, in 1993 he started working with the City of Rosenberg on the FM 723 overpass, allowing traffic to safely cross over the Union Pacific tracks.
Arredondo served on several committees regarding the overpass, which was dedicated in October 2002 and officially renamed the John M. Arredondo Bridge in February 2011. He was honored by the City of Rosenberg on the city’s 125th Anniversary as one of Rosenberg’s Greatest Treasures.
His 95th birthday, in 2009, was declared John M. Arredondo Day in the City of Rosenberg and a tree was planted in Seabourne Park in his honor.
We are proud to have our school named for such a community leader. John M. Arredondo Elementary School was officially dedicated on November 12, 2015.