On June 10,2005, KEIL'S JEWELRY will celebrate 135 years in business on the largest square in Missouri. KEIL'S JEWELRY is the oldest continually operating jewelry store in the State of Missouri and the oldest business in Henry County within the same family.
KEIL 'S JEWELRY STORE
1870-2005
Our Family Has Served Clinton and Henry County for 135 Years
J. W. KEIL - Austrian trained watchmaker struggled, shortly after the Civil War, to make the trek from Illinois to Clinton with his wife and two young sons, arriving on June 9, 1870 and opening KEIL'S JEWELRY on June 10, 1870 - 135 years ago....
C. J. KEIL - Continued to operate KEIL'S JEWELRY after his father's death, married Henrietta Kemper. added muscial instruments, Threads and hosiery; became an optometrist and reared their small orphan nephew, Clarence W. Kemper. C. J. was active in photography. Hook & Ladder Volunteers, Clinton's first Community Band and was instrumental in starting the Chamber of Commerce...
C. W. KEMPER - Grew up in the store, as they lived over KEIL'S JEWELRY. After attending Washington & Lee University, he graduated from Bradley School of Watch making in Peoria, 111. They struggled through the depression years selling the KEIL'S building and renting a building in order to keep KEIL'S open, the "oldest business house in Henry County." Clarence Kemper also traveled and sold class rings for Herff-Jones, was City and Township tax assessor, was a Governor's Colonel for four Missouri Governors, and in the 1960's purchased the present building on West Franklin.
C. W. KEMPER, II - Not long after C. J. KEIL'S death, he joined the business and also traveled for Herff-Jones selling class rings, yearbooks, etc. With C. J. KEIL'S love of photography and as the pilot in the family, C. W. Kemper, II, added aerial and commercial photography. Even after being shot in an armed robbery, he continues the business of KEIL'S JEWELRY with the same honesty and integrity as the other three generations.
KEIL'S JEWELRY is the oldest family-owned jewelry store in the State of Missouri and the oldest "Business House" in Henry County.
Congratulations from the Henry County Library and TACnet