Emil Bibo was born on February 10, 1862, in Brakel, Westphalia, Germany. His parents were Isaac Bibo and Blumchen Rosenstein. The couple had ten children, including Emil's brothers Nathan, Simon, Solomon, Joseph, Samuel, and Benjamin, and three sisters named Lina, Clara, and Rica.

Emil and Solomon were very interested in and devoted to helping the Native American people. Emil was especially passionate about helping the Acoma Indians, and they considered him their trusted advisor and closest friend.

Emil married Elizabeth Weisskopf on January 24, 1897, in San Francisco. Elizabeth was born on November 4, 1869, in Molinetz, Bohemia, and arrived in America in 1888. The couple had three children: Irma Belle Floersheim, Philip, and Arthur Gustav Bibo.

Emil was in the mercantile business, and he worked with his brother Joseph at Bernalillo from 1897 to 1900. From 1900 to 1902, Emil ran his own business in Laguna, New Mexico. He then moved to Cubero, New Mexico, where he operated the Cubero Trading Company from 1902 to 1916.

In 1914, Emil purchased his brother Simon's interests in Grants, New Mexico. The following year, he sold both the Cubero and Grants stores to the Bernalillo Mercantile Company, owned by Joseph Bibo and the Seligman Brothers.

Emil had two herds of sheep, which he shared with others until 1923. In 1916, he moved to San Francisco, where his children went to school. Emil passed away on March 23, 1925, due to acute indigestion.

Irma Belle married Ben Floersheim, and they lived at the Jaritas Ranch near Springer, New Mexico. Their daughter married Dr. Randolph Seligman of Albuquerque, and their son also lives at the Jaritas Ranch. Philip Bibo works in the mercantile business in Cubero, and Arthur Bibo runs a ranch south of Grants, adjacent to the Acoma Reservation. Arthur is married to Nell D. Heard, who has two boys from a previous marriage.