Robert Eugene Ziegler

Rev. Robert E. Ziegler, 93, Cornwall, Pa, passed away on Friday May 31, 2019 in Cornwall Manor. He was the husband of Harriet Lilly Ziegler with whom he celebrated a 60th wedding anniversary in December. Bob was born in Berks County on October 31, 1925, he was the son of the late Oscar and Clara Ziegler. Bob was a graduate of Albright College and of the Yale Divinity School and was an ordained minister, serving congregations in both the former EUB Church and the United Methodist Church-Christ Church-Easton, 1952-1958; Salem, Baltimore, 1958-1964; Calvary Church in inner city Philadelphia, 1964-1972; Covenant, Lebanon, 1972-1978; and Union, Havertown, 1978-1991. In retirement he served part-time positions in Mt. Zion, Darby; Thorndale; and Covenant, Springfield. Bob was ordained in the former EUB Church and early in his ministry served as Conference Youth Director and as President of the Board of Christian education. Throughout his active ministry he was active in Leadership Education in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. He was always interested in travel, beginning as a college student when one summer he escorted horses to Poland as a part of the United Nations recovery program after World War II. In his Seminary days he served for a year under the Congregational Church as a student pastor in Hull, England, and participated in a World Council of Churches work camp in Berlin. In 1996 he attended a World Council of Churches seminar at Bossey, Switzerland, and summer sessions at Oxford University in England. In 1984, while at Havertown, he spent a summer as an exchange pastor in the Methodist Churches of Wednesbury, England. Thereafter he extended his personal experience to take groups of lay people from Havertown to visit England and to entertain groups of English folk from Wednesbury. In his retirement years at Cornwall Manor, even with limited vision, he remained active in ministry, organizing a City Ministries Leadership Team to involve residents of Cornwall Manor in ministries in the Lebanon area and beyond. In addition to his wife, Harriet, he is survived by his daughter Ruth Ziegler, partner of Samantha Fingleton, of Brooklyn Heights, NY, and by his daughter Mary Ziegler, wife of Donald Baltus of Cambridge, MA. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Avery Lilly Ziegler Fingleton and George Robert Baltus, by one sister, Elsie Trout of Mohnton, and by many nieces and nephews, children of his eleven brothers and sisters, ten of whom preceded him in death. Mr. Ziegler will be buried in the cemetery of Robson Lutheran Church, Plowville, beside Ziegler ancestors dating back to the 1700’s. Memorial services will be held on Tuesday June 11, 2019 at 11:00 am in the Levi Zerr Chapel of Cornwall Manor preceded by a time of visitation from 10:00 am to the time of service. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to the Benevolent Care Fund of Cornwall Manor. P.O.Box 125 Cornwall, PA 17016 or to Covenant U.M. Church, 346 N. Ninth St., Lebanon, PA 17046.