Name: GISI, VALERIAN
Rank: Private
Conflict: Civil War
Side: Union
Type of Unit:
Organization: Enrolled Missouri Militia
Name of Unit: 78th Regiment E.M.M.
Alternate Unit Name:
Company: F


He enrolled at the age of 26 into Company F in August 1862 in Ste. Genevieve County. He enrolled a second time on 30 April 1864 and was called into active service on 16 October 1864 with the rest of Company F and relieved from duty on 25 November 1864

Valerian Gisi, one of Ste. Genevieve's most prominent citizens died at his home in this city Sunday morning December 24, 1916 after lingering illness of two months.

Mr. Gisi was born in Baden, Germany January 29, 1836 coming to this country in 1854 and locating in Ste. Genevieve County. He worked at his trade of a cooper with the late Jacob Meyer. He was married four times.

His first wife was Miss Caroline Litterest of Coffman, whom he married in 1856 and where they lived on a farm. he also ran a distillery here in addition to farming/coopering. Children by his first marriage are: Joseph, Louis, Fred and Henry.

His first wife having died, in 1866, he married Miss Sophie Burgert in Ste. Genevieve to which four daughters were born: Annie(Mrs. Frank Donze), Elizabeth (Mrs. Frank Gettinger) Justine (Mrs. Edward Linderer) and Josephine (Mrs. Joseph H. Rehm). In 1876, he moved onto a farm on the Fredericktown Road.

In 1877 he married Miss Elizabeth Kiefer at River aux Vases., his second wife having died. By this marriage one daughter was born, Mary (Mrs. Peter Flieg).

On November 24, 1878, he was married to Mrs. Mary Rigdon of River aux Vases on Nov. 24, 1878 after the death of his third wife. Mary survives him together with two daughters, Emily (Mrs. Louis P. Kern) and Lorena (Mrs. Andrew Donze).

49 grand children and 6 great grand children.

In 1910, Mr. Gisi retired from active farm work and moved to Ste. Genevieve where he bought a home and has lived ever since.

He was a kind and loving husband and father, had a wide circle of friends who will be sorry to learn of his death and who will join with his wife and relatives in their grief. He was of a quiet and retiring disposition, but during the course of his long and useful life made many friends who held him always in high esteem.

The world has been made better for his having lived and he will be sadly missed by his devoted family. The funeral took place from the Catholic Church at 9 o'clock Tuesday morning and after a requiem mass, the remains were laid to rest at Valle Spring Cemetery.
December 30, 1916 Ste. Genevieve Herald and Fair Play newspaper.

(Obituary furnished by Bob Schmidt)