City of St. Joseph and Washington Township -
WILLIAM VALENTINE, brick manufacturer, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dec. 16, 1850, and at an early age removed to Galena, Illinois, with his parents, where he was raised to manhood and educated.  He learned locomotive engineering, and from 1868, to the present, has made St. Joseph his headquarters.  For several years he engaged in different employments, and in 1877, engaged in his present vocation, which has proven successful under his skilled management.
Source:  History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881 - Page 926

City of St. Joseph and Washington Township -
JAMES W. VANCE, M. D., was born in Abbeville, South Carolina, Sept. 16, 1845.  His father, James Kincaid Vance, was a cotton planter.  The Vance family are of Scotch-Irish extraction, and are among the earliest settlers of the county.  Dr. Vance's great grandfather being a well known planter in the State before the Revolutionary war.  His mother was a daughter of Dr. Watson, also of South Carolina.  The doctor is the eldest of a family of thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters.  Of these ten survive.  He received an excellent education at the State Military Academy in Charleston, and during the last three years of the war served in the cadet corps in the Confederate army.  He early resolved to make the profession of medicine the pursuit of his life, and determining to acquire a knowledge of the science in the first medical school of the world, he visited Scotland, and in 1866 entered the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of the University of Edinburgh.  After four years of unremitting application, he was graduated in 1870 with honors in a class of one hundred and fifty.  He then returned to the United States and located in Greenville, South Carolina, where he practiced with great success for several years.  In 1880 he moved to St. Joseph, Missouri, his present (1881) home where, establishing himself, he was soon in possession of a lucrative practice.  Dec. 2, 1866, Dr. Vance was married to Miss Susan Shelby Vance, daughter of William L. Vance, Esq., of Memphis, Tennessee.  They have one child living, a daughter, Leta.  Mrs. Vance is known in the literary world as the authoress of a popular satire on New Orleans and Memphis society entitled "Lois Carroll; or Her Two Selves," besides many poems of acknowledged merit.
Source:  History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881 - Page 927

City of St. Joseph and Washington Township -
AUGUSTUS VEGELY, wholesale confectioner.  Among the many successful business men who have made their home in Buchanan County no one is deserving of special notice more than the subject of this sketch.  He was born in Alsace, on the 9th day of June, 1826.  His father was a contractor, and the son assisted him until 1847, when he determined to avail himself of the advantages that America offered to men of energy and economy, when coupled with sterling honesty.  He landed at New Orleans, where he remained only a short time, and then went to Galveston, Texas, and after a residence there of a few months, settled in St. Louis.  In 1852, he came to this county and engaged in his present business, and is the pioneer in his line now doing business, as well as one of the oldest firms in the city.  His business at first was on a small scale and has grown year by year, and Mr. V. is a good illustration of what an industrious man can accomplish by giving his attention to one subject and bending his energies in one direction.  He is eminently a self-made man, commencing with but little means, he has gained wealth and a prominent social position by preserving a straight-forward, true, honest and upright course, and has been eminently successful in all his undertakings.  He has always shown a worthy public spiritedness and has heartily sympathized with all local improvements and enterprises.  He built the first business building on Felix Street, on the corner of Fifth Street, on the lot where Baldwin & Co.'s jewelry store now stands.  He has never been a political aspirant, preferring the peace and quiet of his legitimate business to the strifes and turmoils of public life.  Was married to Miss A. Augustine, Mar. 24, 1855.  She is also a native of Alsace, and was born Dec. 16, 1833.  Their family consists of five children: Augustus, Adel, now Mrs. H. M. Ramey, Emma, Oliver R. and Norman O.  They lost one son, Edward.
Source:  History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881 - Page 927

City of St. Joseph and Washington Township -
B. R. VINEYARD, attorney-at-law, was born upon what is known as the Platte Purchase, July 31, 1842.  He was raised on a farm and educated at Pleasant Ridge College, near Weston, and at William Jewell College at Liberty, Clay County.  In October, 1864, he began the study of law with Judge Henry M. Vories, at St. Joseph, and was admitted to the bar March, 1866.  He established himself in the practice of his profession at St. Joseph, and in 1868, formed a partnership with Silas Woodson and S. A. Young.  He was married on the 19th day of May, 1868, to Miss Emma Hoagland, daughter of Hon. George T. Hoagland, President of Buchanan Bank, and by this union had three children.  He is a member of the M. K. Church South, and was for two years member of the City Council.  Since 1873 Mr. Vineyard has been alone in the practice, and has achieved an enviable rank among the best lawyers of St. Joseph.  Politically he has always been a Democrat.
Source:  History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881 - Page 928

Marion Twp. -
HERMAN H. VONDENBOSCH, dealer in general merchandise, and postmaster, Hirlingen, was born Jan. 26, 1852, in Holland, and accompanied his parents to the United States when about twelve years of age.  They settled in Mercer County, Ohio, and here he was principally reared, receiving his education at St. Mary's of Dayton, Ohio.  After completing his schooling he engaged in teaching in that vicinity for eight years.  He emigrated west in the spring of 1878 and arrived in this county in April of that year.  Started his present business in the winter of 1880.  He owns one acre of land and has a neat store and also a residence.  He has won a large patron age and has been influential in securing a post office at this place and was appointed postmaster.  He has quite a musical talent and gives lessons to a choir in Easton.  He was married Sept. 14, 1875, to Miss Catharine Droxler, a native of Ohio, born Nov. 25, 1857.  They have two children, Catharine M. and Peter P. Himself and wife are active members of St. Mary's Church of this township.
Source:  History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881 - Page 964

City of St. Joseph and Washington Township -
HEINRICH VOSS, dealer in wall paper, window shades, manufacturer of mattresses, etc.,. was born Aug. 9, 1831, at Pinneberg, Holstcin, where he was raised and learned the trade of upholsterer.  In 1854 he emigrated to America and landed at New York city September 1, from there going to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he remained several months.  Then went to New Orleans, and after seven months came to St. Joseph in April, 1855.  Here he was employed at his trade for some years, and in 1862 established himself in business, keeping a full line of wall paper, window shades and baby carriages.  Being an upholsterer, he added the manufacture of mattresses, to which he paid his full attention.  He married Nov. 22, 1863, Miss Kathrina Ketzel, of Nebraska City.  They have had seven children, Calvin, born in 1864, died July, 1865; Rose, born in 1867; George, born in 1869; Frank, born in 1871; Oscar, born in 1873; Katharina, born in 1875, died when three weeks old; Adolph, born in 1876, died in 1881.
Source:  History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881 - Page 928