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Below is a family biography included in The History of Phelps County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Emil G. Boisselier (deceased) was for many years an extensive hardware merchant and brass manufacturer of St. Louis, Mo., the firm being known as Kupferle & Boisselier. They established their business previous to the late Civil War, and continued in the business until about 1874, at which date Mr. Boisselier died, and his widow then succeeded him in the business, continuing until 1886. Mr. Boisselier was born in Bremen, Germany, in 1835, where he received a good business and classical education. His father died when he was quite young, and he learned the trade of brass moulder and finisher, and when about fifteen or sixteen years of age came to America, and located in St. Louis, Mo., where he worked at his trade for some years, with good success, before he established his own business. He deserves much credit for the many difficulties he encountered and overcame in his business career in that city, for he was thrice burned out, losing nearly all his stock each time, but returning to his trade he earned money with which to commence anew. He met with remarkable success in his endeavors, and so popular and influential did the firm become that it has continued under the old name up to the present time. During the late war they filled large contracts in furnishing supplies for the Government, and on the death of Mr. Boisselier the city lost one of its honored citizens, as well as one of its most enterprising and successful business men. He was married in St. Louis, in 1861, to Miss Elizabeth, a daughter of Ditmer and Mary Freudenstein, by whom he became the father of six children: Thomas H., Wilhelmina (who died in 1864, at the age of two years and three months), Emil G., Charles W., Harry H. and Katie G., all of whom received good educations in St. Louis, and are now residing with their mother on their valuable farm of 320 acres in Phelps County, on which they located in 1887. They have a beautiful and commodious two-story frame residence, and have made valuable improvements on their house and farm since locating here, and although reared in the city, bid fair to become successful and wealthy farmers. Mrs. Boisselier was born in Germany, and when four years of age was brought to the United States by her parents, and was reared and educated in Ripley County, Ind., where the father died in 1879 and the mother still lives. They were members of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Boisselier was a Republican in politics, but was not an active politician. His sons are also Republicans.

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This family biography is one of 71 biographies included in The History of Phelps County, Missouri published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Phelps County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

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To view a map of Phelps County, Missouri: Phelps County, Missouri Map

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