Henry M. Geile, a merchant at Silver Lake, Mo., and a brother of Frank J. Geile, was born in Perry County in 1861. He was educated in the common schools and in St. Mary's Seminary. At intervals for several years he was employed as a salesman, and in 1887 purchased his father's interest in the store owned by Geile & Townsend. The business is now conducted under the firm name of H. M. Geile & Co. Mr. Geile was married in October 1877 to Henrietta Cissell.

The Goodspeed Publishing Company compiled a series of histories of various counties in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The information in the History of Southeast Missouri, published in 1888, was provided by the contemporary residents of Perry County and her neighboring counties. The biographies are a valuable source of genealogical information, despite a few minor inaccuracies. We are glad to present the transcribed biographies here for anyone researching Perry County's history.