Stephen Sylvester WISSER

1853 - 1916  (63 years)

• Name	Stephen Sylvester WISSER
  Born	13 Jan 1853	Ephrata, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Died	17 Oct 1916	Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania
  Buried	21 Oct 1916	Memorial Mausoleum, West Lawn, Spring Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
  Person ID	I29	Wisser and Bryant 2013
  Last Modified	28 Jun 2016

  
  

  Father	Samuel WISSER,   b. Grimville, Berks county, Pennsylvania
  Mother	Julia Ann RHODES
  Family ID	F294	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Harriet REINHOLD
  Children	1. Daisy May WISSER,   b. 26 May 1877, Denver, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania ,   d. 15 Jan 1958, Rapho Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania  (Age 80 years)   2. Mrs. Walter Heckman WISSER   3. Bertha B. WISSER,   b. 20 Dec 1879, Denver, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania ,   d. 17 Feb 1939, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania  (Age 59 years)   4. Mrs. Nelson Boltz WISSER   5. Charles B. WISSER,   b. Oct 1889   6. Stephen S. WISSER,   b. May 1891   7. died young 1 WISSER   8. died young 2 WISSER
  Last Modified	27 May 2013
  Family ID	F295	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 13 Jan 1853 - Ephrata, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States Died - 17 Oct 1916 - Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania Buried - 21 Oct 1916 - Memorial Mausoleum, West Lawn, Spring Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Stephen Sylvester Wisser, a merchant in West Reading for upward of twenty years, was born at Ephrata, Lancaster county, Jan. 13, 1853. When three years old his parents moved to Reamstown, and they resided at that place until 1867, when they went to Denver. He attended the public schools until he was sixteen years old, and then learned tanning, in which business his father was engaged. After remaining in the tannery for three years, and not liking the vocation, he entered the general store of S. M. Brubaker as a clerk, and continued with him for eight years. Mr. Wisser then learned cigar making and followed it for three years, when he moved to the village of Bird-in-Hand and engaged in the confectionery business, starting with a capital of less than $25. He carried on this business for three years and then determined to locate in a more promising place. He selected Reading and went there in 1882, locating at No. 240 Penn street, for the purpose of engaging again in the cigar business, but not realizing his expectations after conducting the store for two years, he removed to West Reading to engage in the grocery business. This was in 1884, and Mr. Wisser started with a limited capital at No. 26 West Penn street. In ten years he succeeded in developing a large trade, and this encouraged him to include dry goods and general merchandise in his stock in trade. By persevering and attending strictly to business he became more and more successful. Gradually enlarging his store, in 1902 he added another extensive department, that of household furniture. In the following four years he increased his trade to still larger proportions, and now he occupies three adjoining three-story brick buildings, altogether seventy-five feet wide by eighty feet deep, which evidences the extent of his great success from a small and well directed beginning. In 1876 Mr. Wisser was married to Harriet Reinhold, daughter of Frederick and Susan (Sharp) Reinhold, of Reinholdsville, by whom he had six children: Daisy, Mrs. Walter Heckman; Bertha, Mrs. Nelson Boltz; Charles; Stephen; and two who died young. He and his family have been members of the First Baptist Church at Reading since removing from Lancaster county. HE acted as one of the building committee in the erection of the superior building at Fifth and Franklin streets; and served as a trustee for several terms filling this position at the present time. Mr. Wisser's father, Samuel Wisser, was born at Grimville, Berks county, and removed to Denver, Lancaster county, when sixteen years old. He there learned the tanning business, and carried this on for some years. He married Julia Ann Rhoads, daughter of Philip Rhoads, of Reamstown, by whom he had two children: ;Ann Eliza, who died young; and Stephen. Philip Wisser, the grandfather, was of Reamstown and by occupation was a cabinet-maker. He married Julia Ann Harding, and by her had children: Samuel, William, Elias, Frederick, Edward, Mary (Mrs. John Frecht) and Harriet (Mrs. Ephraim Carpenter). [2]

  
  

• Sources

  [S-1715869418] Annals of Berks County Vol I, Morton L. Montgomery, (J. H. Beers & Company of Chichago in 1909), 1458 (Reliability: 2), 27 May 2013. p. 1458 Stephen Sylvester Wisser, a merchant in West Reading for upward of twenty years, was born at Ephrata, Lancaster county, Jan. 13, 1853. When three years old his parents moved to Reamstown, and they resided at that place until 1867, when they went to Denver. He attended the public schools until he was sixteen years old, and then learned tanning, in which business his father was engaged. After remaining in the tannery for three years, and not liking the vocation, he entered the general store of S. M. Brubaker as a clerk, and continued with him for eight years. Mr. Wisser then learned cigar making and followed it for three years, when he moved to the village of Bird-in-Hand and engaged in the confectionery business, starting with a capital of less than $25. He carried on this business for three years and then determined to locate in a more promising place. He selected Reading and went there in 1882, locating at No. 240 Penn street, for the purpose of engaging again in the cigar business, but not realizing his expectations after conducting the store for two years, he removed to West Reading to engage in the grocery business. This was in 1884, and Mr. Wisser started with a limited capital at No. 26 West Penn street. In ten years he succeeded in developing a large trade, and this encouraged him to include dry goods and general merchandise in his stock in trade. By persevering and attending strictly to business he became more and more successful. Gradually enlarging his store, in 1902 he added another extensive department, that of household furniture. In the following four years he increased his trade to still larger proportions, and now he occupies three adjoining three-story brick buildings, altogether seventy-five feet wide by eighty feet deep, which evidences the extent of his great success from a small and well directed beginning. In 1876 Mr. Wisser was married to Harriet Reinhold, daughter of Frederick and Susan (Sharp) Reinhold, of Reinholdsville, by whom he had six children: Daisy, Mrs. Walter Heckman; Bertha, Mrs. Nelson Boltz; Charles; Stephen; and two who died young. He and his family have been members of the First Baptist Church at Reading since removing from Lancaster county. HE acted as one of the building committee in the erection of the superior building at Fifth and Franklin streets; and served as a trustee for several terms filling this position at the present time. Mr. Wisser's father, Samuel Wisser, was born at Grimville, Berks county, and removed to Denver, Lancaster county, when sixteen years old. He there learned the tanning business, and carried this on for some years. He married Julia Ann Rhoads, daughter of Philip Rhoads, of Reamstown, by whom he had two children: ;Ann Eliza, who died young; and Stephen. Philip Wisser, the grandfather, was of Reamstown and by occupation was a cabinet-maker. He married Julia Ann Harding, and by her had children: Samuel, William, Elias, Frederick, Edward, Mary (Mrs. John Frecht) and Harriet (Mrs. Ephraim Carpenter). Surnames: WISSER, BRUBAKER, REINHOLD, SHARP, HECKMAN, BOLTZ, RHOADS, HARDING, FRECHT, CARPENTER [S-1715869418] Annals of Berks County Vol I, Morton L. Montgomery, (J. H. Beers & Company of Chichago in 1909), 1458.