John Rundberg

RUNDBERG

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 3/11/2009 at 16:05:41

John Rundberg who is engaged in the furniture and embalming business in Ogden, has been identified with commercial interests here since 1874. He is a native of Sweden, born August 19, 1934. His father, Andrew Anderson was a wagon maker and blacksmith by trade and served as overseer of the poor of his county, having charge of the county farm. He died when the subject of this review was only twelve years of age and the son then began to earn his own living working for eight cents a day. He afterward learned the carpenter’s trade and also the cabinetmaker’s trade, becoming familiar with this pursuit when eighteen years of age. He was thus employed until the year of his emigration to the new world, which occurred in 1868. In September of that year he took the first premium for inventing a threshing machine separator. He landed in New York city, making his way westward to Chicago and thence going to Stockholm, Wisconsin. There he worked at his trade and was also employed in a furniture factory for a year and a half. On the expiration of that period he removed to Moingona, where he engaged in the furniture business in partnership with Samuel Morgan, continuing at that for about nine months. In the fall of 1874 he came to Ogden and established his furniture and undertaking business in this place. He carries a large and well selected stock of furniture which he sells at reasonable prices, and for many years he has enjoyed a good patronage, which returns to him a gratifying income. In addition to a general line of furniture he handles pictures, pianos, organs, sewing machines, carpets and bicycles, handling all standard makes of wheels. He likewise engages in picture framing and dos an undertaking business, being a regular embalmer. He owns his nice building and has met with gratifying success as the years have passed.
Our subject was united in marriage to Johanna Rundberg, w ho was also a native of Sweden. She died in Boone county December 10, 1877, and Mr Rundberg was again married, his second union being with Hannah Rustan, a native of Sweden and a daughter of Gus Rustan, whose birth occurred in the same country and who is now living a retired life in Des Moines, Iowa, having previously followed the carpenter’s trade. Five children were born of the first marriage: Augusta, the wife of Charles Rosen a harness maker of Ogden, David who married Libby Anderson and resides at Gilletts Grove, Iowa where he is employed as a telegraph operator, John H who married Matilda Sandberg and is engaged in carpentering and cabinet making in Denver, Colorado, Emma at home and Phil E who was born January 19, 1874 and married Emma Ehlers. They reside in Ogden where he is now manager of his father’s business, being a registered embalmer. By the second marriage there have been born five children: Jennie, Charlie, Martin, Bessie and Annie Hazel. Mr Rundberg belongs to the Swedish Mission church of Ogden and is an of upright character and sterling worth. His life has ever been straight forward and his influence has ever been given a behalf of all that is honest and uplifting.

1902 Boone County History Book