Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/1093

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 945 George V. Williams is one of the leading druggists of Good- hue county, and has taken an active part in those activities which have made Cannon Falls equal in importance,, in a commercial and political way, to cities of much larger growth. During the last campaign he was secretary of the Taft-Jacobson Republican Club; he is secretary of the Cannon Falls Business Men's Asso- ciation, member of the Commercial Club, member of the Minne- sota State Pharmacy Association, president of the Goodhue County Retail Druggists' Association, member of the city council, and a popular brother in the Masons, the Modern Samaritans and the Maccabees. Born in Evansville, Minn., July 19, 1880, he received his education in the public schools and later entered the School of Pharmacy at Minneapolis. From 1898 to 1901 he worked at the drug business in Evansville, Minneapolis, Madison, Fergus Falls and Forest River. In 1901 he became druggist for the state hospital in Fergus Falls, Minn., and then, after three years, took up his residence in Cannon Falls, and on May 17, 1904, entered into partnership with P. A. Peterson in the drug business. Since March 17, 1908, Mr. "Williams has been sole owner, carry- ing a full line of drugs, sundries, paints, silverware, hand-deco- rated china, wall paper, jewelry, sewing machines, etc. Mr. "Will- iams was married November 24, 1903, to Minnie Strehlow, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Strehlow, of St. Peter, Minn. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are both members of the Congregational church. John O. and Sophia J. (Johnson) Williams, parents of George V. Williams, came to America from Sweden in 1866 and lived in Vasa, until 1870, when they went to St. Paul. In 1878 they moved to Evansville, Minn., and conducted a hotel until 1881, when the father engaged in the furniture business. In 1905 he resumed his trade of carpenter and contractor which he is now following. Frank J. Vanberg, son of John J. and Johannah (Johnson) Vanberg, was born in Leon township, where he still resides, Au- gust 20, 1859. His parents came to America in 1854, making the voyage in a sail boat, the trip lasting sixteen weeks. They spent about one year in Iowa, and in the spring of 1855 came to Leon township, where they took up a homestead and built a home of logs, improving their land and engaging in general farming the remainder of their lives, the father dying in 1860 and the mother in 1887. They had three children : Charles (deceased), Christine, married to Walford Anderson, of Belle Creek, and Frank J., the subject of this sketch. Frank received his education in the common schools of the township and worked on the farm. After- wards he managed a sawmill and feed mill in Wastedo, for fifteen years, and also ran a threshing outfit for some time. Since 1900 he has been engaged in farming on the old homestead, which con-