Born at Pine Island, north of Rochester, Feb. 28, 1871, Mr. Geil moved to Bemidji in 1895. A graduate of Milbank, S.D. high school, Mr. Geil attended the Adventist College near Lincoln, Neb., for a year where he was prominent in athletics. He married Etta Grimboldby in Oct 27, 1898 at Bemidji. They had three children at Bemidji: Melvin (1901); Flavian (1903) and Lillian (1903). Mrs. Etta Geil was very active in the Daughters of Rebecca. Lillian died Sept 18, 1907. Earl and Etta were divorced in 1916, and she moved to Minneapolis. In 1918, he married Beryl Burton Preble. They had two sons: Earl and Elton, and a daughter Barbara.
He built a home at 1509 Beltrami, the southwest corner of where the high school building stood from 1922 to 2008, and the foundation of the original site was incorporated into the high school foundation, forming the southwest corner. In 1920, he and Beryl lived on 4th Street while he was county treasurer. From about 1922 to 1942, he lived at 1307 Beltrami Avenue. Beryl died in 1930. He later lived at 1301 Bemidji Avenue in 1956.
Mr. Geil was chief of police for a year; Bemidji city treasurer for six years, from the first organization of the city in 1896 and owned the Hotel Remore from 1898 to 1910. He was treasurer of the Bemidji Fire Department for many years; honorary member of IOOF; charter member of BPO Elks; 50-year member of Bemidji Lodge No. 233 A.F. & AM.; member of the First Presbyterian Church.
Earl Geil, 95, Beltrami County treasurer for 34 years, died at Van Nuys, Calif., Nov. 28, 1966 where he had lived about 10 years. Funeral services were held at Sylmar, Calif., with interment in Greenwood cemetery, Bemidji.