FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED FUNERAL HOMES SINCE 1881
| Charles O. Edinger |
| March 20, 1927 - March 25, 2009 |
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Public Events and LocationsViewing - Friday, March 27, 2009, 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at Wetzel and Son, RockledgeViewing - Saturday, March 28, 2009, 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. at Pilgrim Baptist Church, Philadelphia Funeral Service - Saturday, March 28, 2009, 10:00 A.M. at Pilgrim Baptist Church, Philadelphia Graveside Service - Saturday, March 28, 2009, 11:30 A.M. at Lawnview Cemetery, Rockledge Military Honors - Saturday, March 28, 2009, 11:30 A.M. at Lawnview Cemetery, Rockledge Reception - Saturday, March 28, 2009, 12:00 P.M. at Austrian Village - CLOSED 10-2025, Rockledge |
ContactsFuneral Home - Wetzel and Son Funeral Home - 419 Huntingdon Pike, Rockledge, PA 19046 - 215-663-8550 - Map |
| Clergy - Pilgrim Baptist Church - 5930 Rising Sun Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19120 - 215-725-4975 - Map |
| Cemetery - Lawnview Cemetery - 500 Huntingdon Pike, Rockledge, PA 19046 - 215-379-1600 - Map |
| Family Florist - Schmidt’s Florist - CLOSED - 700 Solly Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111 - 215-745-6234 - Map |
| Donation - Pilgrim Baptist Church - 5930 Rising Sun Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19120 - 215-725-4975 - Map |
Charles O. Edinger of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania died Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at his residence. He was 82 years old. Charles was born March 20, 1927 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, son of the late Charles C. Edinger and the late Myrtle French Edinger (nee - Rhoads).
He is the beloved husband of the late Lillian Edinger. Father of Charles Edinger and Paul Edinger and his wife Deborah. Grandfather of Maggie, C.J., Alexandra, George, Taylor and Abby Edinger.
Relatives and friends were invited to his viewings, Friday, March 27, 2009 from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the Wetzel and Son Funeral Home, 419 Huntingdon Pike, Rockledge, PA. 19046 and Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. at Pilgrim Baptist Church, 5930 Rising Sun Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19120. His funeral service was Saturday at 10:00 A.M. at the Church. A cemetery service at Lawnview Cemetery, 500 Huntingdon Pike, Rockledge, PA 19046 followed the funeral service. Religious services were conducted by Rev. Dirk Spalding from Pilgrim Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Memorial Fund at Pilgrim Baptist Church, 5930 Rising Sun Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19120.
Family flowers arranged by Schmidt’s Florist 215-745-6234.
CHARLIE-O
By his sons Charles D. & Paul J. Edinger
My brother and I today celebrate the reunion of our dear father, Charles O. Edinger, with the great love of his life, Lillian May Dukes Edinger. Seventeen-years-ago our mother, lovingly known as “Diamond Lil”, left us and we thought Charlie-O would follow her quickly as our mother had been the center of his life. While he was often lonely and missed her terribly, Charlie-O went on…
He grew closer to his sister Marion McNamara and her husband Roy, and my brother and I came to understand him as we had not in the past. He loved his six grandchildren…Maggie, Alex, CJ, George, Taylor and Abby and he enjoyed their company whenever he could. He was a constant presence as head usher at Pilgrim Baptist Church and he loved the way in which Pilgrim had again become a neighborhood church in recent years. He valued the long and faithful service of Pastor Dirk Spaulding and he loved his friends at Pilgrim…Bob and Zoe Wright, Lynnwood Roberts, Howard Maier and those who had passed before him into God’s Kingdom, especially Joe and Ruth Broza. In the last year he came to love three wonderful little people named Sydney, Tyler and Arielle.
Charlie-O was a handful. If you knew him well you understood that his opinions were strongly held. Frank Rizzo was the greatest mayor in Philadelphia history and the Phillies and Eagles would have won far more championships had they followed his advice. Franklin Roosevelt was probably the Anti-Christ and the Lawncrest Recreation Center should have observed police-enforced quiet hours during Pilgrim’s services on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Charlie-O’s ethnic origin remains a mystery, although the ethnic backgrounds of his parents Charlie-C and Myrtle Rhoads and of his children, Charlie and Paul, are well known. At various times the English, the Germans and especially the Irish were the subjects of his wrath. This was despite the fact that his parents were of English, Irish and Austrian decent, his dear Lillian was 110% Irish and his sons were more Irish than anything else. Charlie-O was an equal opportunity ethnic critic and he treated everyone as equals regardless of where they came from. When Lawncrest was a very white ethnic neighborhood, Charlie-O and Diamond Lil welcomed our African-American friends into their house and drove them home to North Philly and Germantown so the local gentry would not harass them…that was our father.
Charlie-O and Diamond Lil never believed that any of the charges leveled against their two sons were true. Our official position continues to be that neither of us ever tossed an egg on Mischief Night nor did any of the other things of which we were egregiously accused, but never convicted. We certainly never thrashed any of the thugs who hung out across the street and neither of us tossed the skunk into the Security Office at Barrington College. As Charlie-O knew, when the angelic choir is seated, my brother and I will certainly be in the front rank.
Charlie-O loved the 50-years he served at Pilgrim Baptist. Most knew him as the ever-present usher, but he served as a long-time Trustee and Co-Founder of the Anchormen’s Association, which was his particular delight. He led the Adventurers’ Club, through which three generations of Lawncrest boys found their way inside Pilgrim without breaking a window. His sometimes wicked humor was a fixture at the “Father & Son Banquet” and elsewhere. He invented “Fun Night” and for 30-years he waited for that evening to come around. Through God’s grace, the man who changed my father from a delightful cynic to a truly committed Christian was the Reverend David Wick. Dave and Pat Wick remained our father’s friends until Tuesday night, when Charlie-O organized his important papers, said goodnight to Casey, his constant companion and laid down for the last time on Earth. Our lives were blessed by his presence and our loss today is too painful for words…
And so to Charlie-O we wish every happiness in his great reunion with Diamond Lil, and to Charles O. Edinger we say…
May the road rise to meet you,
may a cool wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rains fall soft upon your bamboo.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you and your Lillian,
both in the palm of His hand… Amen.
www.wetzelandson.com
He is the beloved husband of the late Lillian Edinger. Father of Charles Edinger and Paul Edinger and his wife Deborah. Grandfather of Maggie, C.J., Alexandra, George, Taylor and Abby Edinger.
Relatives and friends were invited to his viewings, Friday, March 27, 2009 from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the Wetzel and Son Funeral Home, 419 Huntingdon Pike, Rockledge, PA. 19046 and Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. at Pilgrim Baptist Church, 5930 Rising Sun Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19120. His funeral service was Saturday at 10:00 A.M. at the Church. A cemetery service at Lawnview Cemetery, 500 Huntingdon Pike, Rockledge, PA 19046 followed the funeral service. Religious services were conducted by Rev. Dirk Spalding from Pilgrim Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Memorial Fund at Pilgrim Baptist Church, 5930 Rising Sun Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19120.
Family flowers arranged by Schmidt’s Florist 215-745-6234.
CHARLIE-O
By his sons Charles D. & Paul J. Edinger
My brother and I today celebrate the reunion of our dear father, Charles O. Edinger, with the great love of his life, Lillian May Dukes Edinger. Seventeen-years-ago our mother, lovingly known as “Diamond Lil”, left us and we thought Charlie-O would follow her quickly as our mother had been the center of his life. While he was often lonely and missed her terribly, Charlie-O went on…
He grew closer to his sister Marion McNamara and her husband Roy, and my brother and I came to understand him as we had not in the past. He loved his six grandchildren…Maggie, Alex, CJ, George, Taylor and Abby and he enjoyed their company whenever he could. He was a constant presence as head usher at Pilgrim Baptist Church and he loved the way in which Pilgrim had again become a neighborhood church in recent years. He valued the long and faithful service of Pastor Dirk Spaulding and he loved his friends at Pilgrim…Bob and Zoe Wright, Lynnwood Roberts, Howard Maier and those who had passed before him into God’s Kingdom, especially Joe and Ruth Broza. In the last year he came to love three wonderful little people named Sydney, Tyler and Arielle.
Charlie-O was a handful. If you knew him well you understood that his opinions were strongly held. Frank Rizzo was the greatest mayor in Philadelphia history and the Phillies and Eagles would have won far more championships had they followed his advice. Franklin Roosevelt was probably the Anti-Christ and the Lawncrest Recreation Center should have observed police-enforced quiet hours during Pilgrim’s services on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Charlie-O’s ethnic origin remains a mystery, although the ethnic backgrounds of his parents Charlie-C and Myrtle Rhoads and of his children, Charlie and Paul, are well known. At various times the English, the Germans and especially the Irish were the subjects of his wrath. This was despite the fact that his parents were of English, Irish and Austrian decent, his dear Lillian was 110% Irish and his sons were more Irish than anything else. Charlie-O was an equal opportunity ethnic critic and he treated everyone as equals regardless of where they came from. When Lawncrest was a very white ethnic neighborhood, Charlie-O and Diamond Lil welcomed our African-American friends into their house and drove them home to North Philly and Germantown so the local gentry would not harass them…that was our father.
Charlie-O and Diamond Lil never believed that any of the charges leveled against their two sons were true. Our official position continues to be that neither of us ever tossed an egg on Mischief Night nor did any of the other things of which we were egregiously accused, but never convicted. We certainly never thrashed any of the thugs who hung out across the street and neither of us tossed the skunk into the Security Office at Barrington College. As Charlie-O knew, when the angelic choir is seated, my brother and I will certainly be in the front rank.
Charlie-O loved the 50-years he served at Pilgrim Baptist. Most knew him as the ever-present usher, but he served as a long-time Trustee and Co-Founder of the Anchormen’s Association, which was his particular delight. He led the Adventurers’ Club, through which three generations of Lawncrest boys found their way inside Pilgrim without breaking a window. His sometimes wicked humor was a fixture at the “Father & Son Banquet” and elsewhere. He invented “Fun Night” and for 30-years he waited for that evening to come around. Through God’s grace, the man who changed my father from a delightful cynic to a truly committed Christian was the Reverend David Wick. Dave and Pat Wick remained our father’s friends until Tuesday night, when Charlie-O organized his important papers, said goodnight to Casey, his constant companion and laid down for the last time on Earth. Our lives were blessed by his presence and our loss today is too painful for words…
And so to Charlie-O we wish every happiness in his great reunion with Diamond Lil, and to Charles O. Edinger we say…
May the road rise to meet you,
may a cool wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rains fall soft upon your bamboo.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you and your Lillian,
both in the palm of His hand… Amen.
www.wetzelandson.com
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