My Genealogy Hound

John Wilhelm Valin, the leading merchant tailor of Creston, has made steady progress in an active business career, whereby he has climbed upward from a humble position to one of affluence. He was born in Sweden in 1862, his parents being Andrew and Ingamaja (Person) Valin, who were likewise natives of Sweden. In 1884 they came to the United States, settling in Creston, where the father was employed by the Burlington Railroad Company. After becoming a naturalized American citizen his allegiance was given to the republican party and he held membership in the Swedish Lutheran church. He died August 29, 1905, in the seventy-fourth year of his age, having long survived the mother of our subject, who passed away in Sweden in 1870 at the age of forty-two years. She, too, was a member of the church. They had a family of four children, of whom three died in Sweden. After losing his first wife the father married again and there were four children by that union: Hannah C., living in Creston; Beda Mary, of Creston; Ida, at home; and Manda, deceased.

John Wilhelm Valin is the only survivor of the children of his father’s first marriage. In his boyhood and youth he attended private and public schools of his native country and was twenty-two years of age when he came to the United States with his father, attracted by the broader and better business opportunities of the new world. He had learned the tailoring trade in Sweden and after his arrival in Iowa worked in the same line of business in Creston. In 1892 he formed a partnership with E. Lindstrom and E. S. Sellin under the name of the Creston Merchant Tailoring Company and began business on their own account. The following year Mr. Valin and Mr. Lindstrom bought out the interest of Mr. Sellin and in 1902 Mr. Lindstrom retired, selling his interest to Mr. Valin, who since that time has continued the business alone under the old firm name. By the consensus of public opinion he is accorded place as the leading merchant tailor of Creston. His work shows advanced styles and is thoroughly up-to-date in every particular. He has been very successful in his undertakings and tangible evidence of his life of activity is found in the two residence properties which he owns.

Mr. Valin lives in an attractive, modern home on Maple street. He was married in June, 1900, to Miss Hulda Matilda Nelson, who was born in Sweden in 1872 and came to the United States in 1888 when a young lady of sixteen years. They now have one son, Carl John Wilhelm, born February 2, 1903.

The parents are members of the Swedish Lutheran church. Mr. Valin is an officer in the church, has been superintendent of the Sunday school for the past three years and takes a most active and helpful interest in its work. Since becoming a naturalized American citizen he has given his political support to the republican party and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day. For eight years he has been a member of the school board and has served as its treasurer throughout this period, the cause of education finding in him a warm friend, who does effective labor in its behalf. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to come to America, for in this land he has found good business opportunities which he has improved with the result that he is now one of the leading merchants and successful business men of Creston.