Perry was the son of Christopher C. and Minerva (Miller) Bolsinger. (To see his linage go to the father's link below. Same with his mother's branch.) Family lore has Perry's great grandfather, also a Christopher, born in Kassell, Hesse, Germany and coming to America around 1748.

Perry C. was the oldest of 7 children, 5 boys & 2 girls. (See father's site for names and dates of siblings.) He married Margaret E. Wiggins, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Jefferies) Wiggins on 29 Feb 1844 in Fayette Co. He and Margaret had 13 children. (See Margaret's site for names and dates. and her family history.)

After growing up in Fayette Co. Perry joined a group of pioneer settlers brought together by David Moreland to settle in Delaware County, Iowa. They were reported to be the first settlers in this region. He came back to Fayette, was appointed by Govenor David Porter, to be a major of the Second Battalion of the One Hundred and Third Regiment of the Militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the Second Brigade of the Thirteen Division composed of the militia of the counties of Westmoreland and Fayette. This commission took effect on August 3, 1842 for a seven year term, however, Perry only served five years before returning to Iowa in April 1847.

This time he and his wife settled in Clayton County in an area refered to by the family as Pleasant Grove,(which may have been near Mallory Township). He tried to start a town called Waveland and when that didn't catch on he kept the farm but moved to Colesburg in 1860-65, and built a large stone general store. The building still stands today. His sons ran the store for many years.
He and Jacob Moreland built the town's first manufacturing enterprise, a three story flour mill operated by steam power. Family members, Jackie, his youngest son, and his son-in-law Robert Currie operated the business for several years.
Perry C. was also a founding member of the Colesburg Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Originally, Perry was buried in the Bolsinger cemetery in Colesburg, but later his remains were moved to the Oak Hill cemetery which is east of Colesburg.
Margaret and their daughter Margaret Ellen are buried in this same cemetery.