Edward Clinton Wisser (12/16/1865-4/26/1951)

Edward Clinton Wisser was the oldest of six sons born to Bonifacius and Genevieve Wisser.  His brothers in order of birth were  William H., Charles A., Joseph,  Leo and Frank.   He worked at a variety of industrial jobs including puddler, wiredrawer, and pointer as a younger man.  Edward married  Theresa Ott of Berks County, daughter of Matthias and  Mary Ann Ott on 02 May 1895 in Reading. Pa.   In 1900 Edward and Theresa moved to 431 Tilghman St. in Allentown and there opened a grocery store which they operated for about a decade.  About 1910 they purchased a farm at Fire Lane and Seidersville Rd. in Bethlehem.  Edward became a huckster for several years, trying his hand at taking their harvest into the city for sale.  Edward and Theresa had five sons; Joseph, Alfred, George, Bernard P. and Sylvester (who died at ten weeks), and two daughters; Mary and Matilda.

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EDWARD WISSER FAMILY
1910 CENSUS

Theresa died on Christmas Eve, 1918, just 13 days past her 49th birthday. There is no mention of Edward and family in the 1920 census that we can find.

The Bethlehem City Directory of 1925 has this listing:

Wisser, Edwd., meats 838 Wyndotte, residence Seidersville. This is interesting. If this is our Edward, the endeavor does not seemed to have lasted long.

There is no mention of Edward and family in the 1920 census that we can find.

In 1930, there is no occupation listed for Edward, though he and three of his children are still living at the farm. Two of them are silk mill workers.

Edward Wisser Family
1930 Census

In the 1931 Bethlehem City Directory, Edward is listed as an employee of the Lehigh Valley Silk Company, which was actually a complex in Fountain Hill consisting of two separate firms:  the Lipps & Sutton Silk Mill, constructed between 1886 and 1904, and the Warren Mill constructed in 1895. He was employed at the Dery Silk Mill in Catasauqua as well, from which he retired.

The census of 1940 shows Edward living with his son, George in Salisbury Township.

Edward in the home of George Wisser- 1940

Ledger entry of Edward’s baptism at Immaculate Conception church in Allentown.

Above: The farm that Edward and Theresa owned as it appeared in 1948, three years before Edward died.

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Above: The Dery Silk Mill in Catasauqua, one of Edward’s employers.

Obituary for Edward found at PA-Roots

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Edward and Theresa are buried in Sacred Heart cemetery in Allentown along side Matilda and Sylvester.

The grave of Edward and Theresa located at Sacred Heart cemetery, Fullerton Ave., Allentown.