McDonough ILGenWeb

OBLANDER, John V., a well-known and prosperous furniture dealer of Bushnell, McDonough County, Ill., where he has lived nearly forty years, is a native of Zucenhausan, Germany, where he was born March 13, 1833. Mr. Oblander came to America in 1855 and located at Quincy, Ill., where he worked as a carpenter. In 1866 he moved to Bushnell, where he followed the same occupation until 1869, when he went into the furniture business in partnership with his brother. The firm continued thus until 1877, and then for about ten years his sister-in-law was interested in the concern. Since that period the business has been conducted under the firm name of J. V. Oblander & Company. They are licensed embalmers, and attend to all kinds of funeral work. In 1899 Mr. Oblander built his two-story store, 25x120 feet in dimension, on Main Street, and also built the adjoining store, 25x90 feet in size. Formerly the firm manufactured some furniture and coffins. On October 9, 1860, Mr. Oblander was married to Elizabeth Mahrstet, a native of Germany, and three children — C. E., Dora (Mrs. Albright), and J. F. G. — have been born of their union. Politically, Mr. Oblander is a Republican, and served two years on the School Board. His business is enjoying a healthy growth and is increasing constantly.

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Source: The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of McDonough County, compiled by Dr. Newton Bateman, and Paul Shelby, 1907, volume 2, page 970, extracted 17 Mar 2020 by Norma Hass.