French ** Chasing a hunch - help reading occupation and where they went.

[joger]

Patron, modiste and couturiere. They all worked in the fashion industry.

Patron means boss.Maurice and his wife were both the boss of a small business , the daughters were employees.
Maurice and Philomene don't have the same occupations that when they married.

[joger]

Basse Suisse ( sometimes written Suisse Basse , or only Suisse) is a village in the departement of Moselle in France , which was , depending on the period, sometimes part of Germany
Write "Basse Suisse Moselle"in Google  and you'll see where it is

[joger]

Now , having found your topic "...Only for the brave ,Mathis" , and remembering I already tried to help you , I read again what you wrote and it appears to mee that the WOM Mathis ( your ancestor I believe ) is not the Maurice Mathis you found in the 1896 Census.
I think though that I have found the explanation for the Swizerland/Germany question.WOM said he was born in Suisse , which was transcribed Swizerland . In fact he was really born in "Suisse", in Moselle , France .Unfortunately the registers of that period have not been digitized or given to the Moselle archives. They may still be in the village called "Suisse" in Moselle .
I can try to help you further , if you make that point clear: WOM 's date and place of birth is the one you want me to look for?
Have you found where he married , can you give the date of birth , and  Paris arrondissement where the first child was born?

[joger]

Birth Maurice Otto MATHIS , on the 15th of december 1884 7th arrondissement  of Paris , 21 rue de l'exposition in the house of his parents William Mathis , stonemason and Ellen GOUGH both 27

[joger]

Ellen Mathis 's death

[joger]

I found no William Otto Moritz Mathis in the tables decennales of Suisse, Moselle.
Census gives William Otto born in Switzerland , FS ( foreign subject) and his son Maurice Otto born in France, Paris (which is true), Swiss sub ( Swiss subject).
You'll have to searchin Switzerland, good luck.