The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-12-01
Rev. 81. zigler, D. D.


Zeiglcr; and his grandparents, on
his mothers side, were descendants
OF the l.esher and Minnich families
OF Bucks county, Pa. He was born
in Centre county, near the Old Fort
on the 18th OF August, 1916. He
was baptized ininfancy and received
into the church by confirmation at
the age of nineteen years. His early
education was very meagcr, received
between the ages of seven and twelve
years in the public schools of his
time. He made an absolute surrcn-
der of himself to Christ and said in
the words of Paul: "Voc is unto
me, ifl preach not the gospel"
Limited in means, in the fall of
1885, he walked distance of $50
miles from his fathers home, then
in Eenango County, to Gettysburg
and entered TIE preparatory depart
ment OF Penna. College. He spent
seven Years in his classical and thco-
logical training and was admitted to
the ministry by license of the West
Penna. Synod in lS43. He was
ordained by the Pittsburg Synod in
lS46. His first field of labor was
at Selinsgrove, Pa, where he was the
assistant of Rev. j. Z. Shindel. On
May 10Th, 1914, he was married to
Miss Eliza App, daughter of John
and Catherine App OF Sclinsgrovc.
From lS45 to 1850 he labored in
the Pittsburg Synod as general mis-
sionary travelling over several coun-
lies. From 1880 to 1853, he was
located at Williamsport, where he
served the only Lutheran church at
that place at that time, and several
others in surrounding towns. From
1893 to 1890, he Travelled for the
Parent Education Society, cndeavur-
ing to awaken a deeper interest in
Ministerial Education and soliciting
contributions for the same.
His Iast pastoral charge was in
Clinton and Centre counties. From
1875 to 1888 he resided in Salona,
where he began the building OF an
exclusively Lutheran church, where
was Il Union church before. BY the
efforts OF DR.. Ziglcr and DR.. b.
kurtz the Missionary Institute (ncw
d, SuSquchanna University was located
!. at Selinsgrove in the spring flS5S,
Dr. Kurt was chosen as Superin-
tcndcnt and first Professor of Thcol-
ogv and DIR. Wgler second Professor
In this capacity the labors of the
latter commenced in the autumn Of
1858 and were continued for twenty
three years, to 1881. He here pre-
pared and published several text
books which have been used success
fully III theological instruction ever
since. As considerable portion of
/, the theological students were mar
riei men he saw the necessity of
homes for their accommodation and
was instrumental in the erection of
five double houses affording resi-
dences for ten families at cost of
about $4,000. Under his tuition,
in the twenty-three years, the round
number Of one hundred ministers
were educated. On account of the
intensity oflabors, DIR. Ziglcr's sheath
gave way and he was compelled, in
1881, to resign.
In the spring OF 1882 he settled
in Des Moines, Iowa, hoping to re-
gain health resume work. This was
not realized and he spent nearly two
yearsin a Milwaukee hospital partly
as a patient and some Of the time as
Assistant superintendent, Much of
the time since he was engaged in
writing and publishing. He spent
over two years, by appointment of
the General Synod of Omahain 1887,
in preparing a development of Lu-
ther's Smaller Catechism.
His marriage was blessed with
the birth of sevenchildren-twoson Sons
and five daughters. Three of the
daughters married Lutheran minis
, ters, one died and one faithful daugh-
! ter remains at home. DIR. Zgler
was honored by the Alma Mater title
of Doctor of Divinity, we do moi
remember in what year.