John B. Geving

GEVING, HILL, AMUNDRUD

Posted By: Peter Gausmann (email)
Date: 1/16/2010 at 07:48:48

JOHN B. GEVING

John B. Geving, proprietor of a garage and machine shop in Lake Mills and one of the representative business men of Winnebago county, was born on the 18th of January, 1871, in Winneshiek county, Iowa, and is a son of Benjamin and Engeboranne (Hill) Geving, now residents of Decorah, Iowa. The parents are natives of Trondhjem, Norway, and on their emigration to America in 1870 located in Allamakee county, Iowa, but later went to Spring Grove, Minnesota, where they spent six months. At the end of that time they became residents of Winneshiek county, Iowa, where the father opened a blacksmith shop and engaged in business along that line for five years. He then purchased land and followed farming with good success until 1912, when he retired from active labor and removed to Decorah, where he and his wife are now living, surrounded by all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.

John B. Geving was reared and educated in Winneshiek county and during his boyhood learned the blacksmith's trade under the able direction of his father. He remained under the parental roof until twenty-two years of age and then went to Waukon, Iowa, where he worked at the machinist's trade. On the 2d of January, 1895, he removed to Lake Mills, Winnebago county, where he started a machine shop and has since conducted the same. He erected a fine brick building on Main street for a garage and shop and here he now carries on business with marked success. He handles the Maxwell cars and is enjoying a large patronage. Mr. Geving is also a stockholder in the Lake Mills Lumber Company, the Lake Mills Telephone Company and the Farmers Elevator Company, also of Lake Mills, and is today one of the leading business men of the town.

On the 18th of October, 1894, Mr. Geving was united in marriage to Miss Paulina Amundrud, who died July 10, 1915, after a lingering illness of three years. There were seven children born of this union, but Annie died September 17, 1915, at the age of nineteen years; Lewis died in 1899 at the age of two years; and Olga died February 6, 1917, at the age of fourteen years and seven months. Those still living are Benhart O., Palma J., Josephine N. and Geneva M.

Since attaining his majority Mr. Geving has affiliated with the republican party and he takes a deep interest in public affairs. In religious faith he is a Lutheran. He is a wide-awake, energetic business man of known reliability and commands the respect and confidence of all with whom he is brought in contact.

Source: History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol. II. Pioneer Publishing Company (Chicago), 1917. pp. 419-420.