The late president of the J.B. Laun Lumber company was born in Ozaukee county on August 5, 1863, the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Henry Laun. He received his early education in the Manitowoc Mission House college and school at Ann Arbor, Mich. He started the lumber yard at Kiel in 1884 and it was later incorporated under the name J.B. Laun company.

In 1886 a lumber yard was started at Elkhart Lake with his brother,Louis, as manager and later his partner. The organization later became known as the Laun Lumber and Furniture company. Several years later a yard was started at New Holstein into which he later took his brother, A.A. Laun, as a partner. This company is now known as the A.A. Laun company.

In 1893 he started a large sawmill and general store at Wausaukee, Wis., with his brother, Louis Laun, that company being known as the Laun Brothers company. He was also one of the organizers of the Kiel Furniture company, which was started in 1892 at Kiel, later with a branch factory in Milwaukee in 1909, both plants employing a total of 350 men in normal times. Mr. Laun was president of this company for many years and chairman of the board of directors.

He helped organize the State Bank of Kiel in 1899, becoming a director and later its president. He was also interested in real estate, having laid out two subdivisions to Kiel, Laun's first and second additions, and later with a partner, a third subdivision was laid out known as the Laun and Schutlz addition.

For many years he was active in village politics, holding the offices of village president and trustee here. He was also a member of the Manitowoc county board from 1908 to 1914, and president of the Kiel Chamber of Commerce for a number of years. He belonged to the First Presbyterian church, of which he was an elder.

During his lifetime he traveled to all parts of the United States and made two trips to Europe. Bowling, travelling and over-seeing his farm near Kiel provided his main recreation.

Surviving are two sons, Albert L. Laun of Kiel and Carl H. Laun of River Forest, Ill.; one daughter, Mrs. Gilbert (Lucile) Thiessen of Pittsburg, Pa.; six grandchildren; two brothers, A.A. Laun of Kiel and Henry G. Laun of Wausaukee. His wife, the former Pauline Heins, whom he married on September 10, 1891, died June 2, 1938. Another brother, Louis, also preceded him in death.