Rev. William G. Engle served as minister of Simeon Reformed Church, Gratz, Dauphin County, from 1872 to 1889.
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William G. Engle was born in New Berlinville, near Boyertown, Pennsylvania, on 16 Apr 1833. He was a son of Solomon K. Engle and Catharine [Gottschall] Engle. His mother died when he was sixteen month old and he was reared by his maternal grandparents. He was baptized by Rev. Herman, and at the age of sixteen he was confirmed by Rev. Augustus L. Dechant.
As a youth, Rev. Engle learned the trade of coach making. IN 1852, he was enrolled at the Mt. Pleasant Academy in Boyertown. For several months he was a student at Union Seminary in New Berlin, Pennsylvania. After graduation, he taught in a public school and in a select school for several years. He graduated from the Theological Seminary at Mercersburg in 1862, and was licensed and ordained by the Goshenhoppen Classis the same year.
It was probably while enrolled at the Seminary at New Berlin, that he met his wife. He and Annie C. Herlacker of New Berlin married 24 May 1859.
His first pastoral assignment was as assistant to Rev. A. A. VanCourt (1862-1864), in the Swamp Charge (Hill Church), Boyertown. From 1864 to 1868, he was pastor of the Red Bank, Pennsylvania Charge in Clarion Classis, and then accepted a call to the Rehersburg Charge, where he served from 1868 to 1872.
On 1 April 1872, Rev. Engle became associated with the Lykens Valley as pastor of the Uniontown Charge [Pillow]. It included these congregations: Simeon Church in Gratz; nearby St. Peter’s (Hoffman’s) Church in Lykens Township; Peace Church in Berrysburg; Salem Church in Elizabethville; Uniontown [Pillow]; Hickory Corners at Stone Valley; Dalmatia [Georgetown]; and Vera Cruz at Malta. He resided in the Reformed parsonage in Pillow.
Rev. Engle, during his ministry in this area, took responsibility for many activities in his various congregations. He took serious his role of keeping accurate records and preserving the church history. Bi-weekly sermons in each congregation began while Rev. Engle was in Gratz. Also, Union Sunday Schools held what was called “Harvest Home Celebrations” in the fall of the year.
In March 1873, Simeon Lutheran and Reformed Society had new carpet laid in the church. In 1886, while he was still pastor, the Old Hoffman Church in Lykens Township was town down and a new one built.
Rev. Engle continued in his ministry in the Lykens Valley until 22 May 1889. He then accepted a call to the Immanuel (Whitehall) Charge, Jerseytown, Pennsylvania. In his farewell sermon, he included these statistics: During his seventeen years of service, two new churches had been built and one remodeled. He baptized a total of 1153 infants, of which 378 were in Simeon’s in Gratz; confirmed 739; and had 494 burials.
At a meeting held 13 July, under the guidance of Rev. Engle, it was decided to split the Uniontown Charge in two. St. Peter’s, Peace, Simeon’s, and Salem made up the Lykens Valley Charge. On 3 April 1891, St. Peter’s and Simeon’s congregations were each reimbursed a sum of $438.33, representing a sixth share in the old parsonage in Pillow. After that, the pastor for Lykens Valley Charge resided in a parsonage in Elizabethville.
In 1892, Rev. Engle became pastor of the nearby Deep Creek Charge (including Zion (Klinger’s) church in Erdman, Lykens Township). He retired to Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, where he continued to reside until his death on 2 February 1896, at the age of 63. He was buried at Boyertown, 6 February 1896. His widow and six children survived him.
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A brief biography of Rev. Engle appeared in a Gratz history published in 1997.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.