Full History
On the corner of Fourth and Mill streets in 1896, John Danielson built a one-story furniture store with a basement, all of stone quarried in Cannon Falls. It was managed by Charles Danielson, son of John. According to the Chronicles of Cannon Falls, the 1900 souvenir booklet of Cannon Falls says that “it was one of the best furniture houses in Goodhue County.” They offered a wide variety of furniture pieces as well as undertaking services. John Danielson had a degree in undertaking and embalming and had passed The State Board of Examiners for the Art of Embalming. Charles Danielson later acquired the building and business as his own.
In 1912, the store was destroyed by fire but was immediately rebuilt, with a second story added to the west half of the building. Around 1916, Charles Danielson sold the furniture and undertaking business to George Valentine. About a year later, Carl V. Swanson of Cannon Falls was employed by Mr. Valentine as an embalmer and funeral director, but it was not long before Mr. Swanson was called upon to serve his country in World War I. After his return, Mr. Swanson started a funeral business for himself in another building. However, he soon bought the funeral business from Mr. Valentine and operated it with Mr. Valentine in the furniture store.
Carl Swanson died in August 1932. His wife, Eva, with the help of Carl’s brother, Arthur Swanson, continued the business for about a year before selling it to Harvey Edstrom, who discontinued business in 1935. At this time, the Danielson building became empty, and Arthur Swanson moved in to operate a furniture and funeral business.
On March 15, 1937, Clinton and Ruth Lundberg purchased the business from Arthur Swanson, and the business became Lundberg's Furniture and Funeral Service. The first funeral Mr. Lundberg conducted after taking over the business was that of Mr. Charles Danielson, former owner of the building and business. By 1963, after a series of remodels, the whole interior of the building was completely updated to become a modern funeral home. The Lundbergs also offered the community an ambulance service until March of 1968, when the city purchased the ambulance.
On July 1, 1973, Mr. and Mrs. Lundberg sold the business and the building to Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Mattix. Mr. Mattix had been employed by Mr. Lundberg for several years. The business was operated by the Mattixes until 1980, when the funeral home was sold to Vertin. In 1990, Lundberg Funeral Home moved to its current location.
As Cannon Falls has grown and changed, so has Lundberg Funeral Home. Today, the team at the funeral home proudly carries on the long legacy of offering compassionate, dignified funeral care to area families.
