Rev. Edgar James Heilman served as minister of Simeon Lutheran Church, Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 1909-1918.
Edgar J. Heilman was born 30 September 1871, at Walbert, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, a son of Edwin Heilman and Brigitta Mary [Henninger] Heilman. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Muhlenberg College in 1899, then attended the Philadelphia Seminary, where he graduated in 1902, and was ordained by the Ministerium of Pennsylvania in the same year.
Before his formal education was complete, Edgar Heilman was a principal in the the Macungie Schools, Macungie, Lehigh County, in 1895. He was also a professor of Latin and Greek at Kutztown State Normal School in 1901.
His work as a minister began in 1902, in Wyndmore, Philadelphia. His next call was to the Lykens Valley Charge in 1908, where he remained until 1918, when he left to become the pastor of St. Luke’s in Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. He continued at Easton for many years.
When Simeon Church was celebrating its 100th anniversary, he was invited back to take part and preached the Thursday evening service.
Rev. Heilman married Mary Alice Bechtold in 1905, and with her had the following children: Robert Heilman; Grace Elizabeth Heilman; Carl Edwin Heilman. He died on 25 August 1945.
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The photo of E. J. Heilman was cropped from the senior class photograph from 1899 yearbook of Muhlenberg College, Ciarla, available on Ancestry.com.
A brief biography of Rev. Heilman appeared in a Gratz history published in 1997.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.