i

December 8 Today in OPC History

Anna Marie Ediger

2022

 

Anna Marie Ediger, whose father was Dr. Charles Eavey, the chair of the Department of Education and Psychology at Wheaton College, was born on this date in 1926. In 1947 Anna Marie studied as an organ performance major at Wheaton and became the organist for the Back to the Bible Broadcast. When Abe Ediger was named the new bass singer for the program’s quartet, he needed extra practice with Anna Marie. Soon love grew. They married on June 17, 1950. In 1952, Abe graduated from Gordon Divinity School and was ordained by the Wheaton Bible Church the following year. Later he served at a small independent congregation in Kansas. Anna Marie and Abe came into the Orthodox Presbyterian Church through a long friendship with OPC Pastor Don Stanton. Abe became an OPC pastor, serving in Bridgewater (1958-61) and Winner (1961-67), South Dakota; Thornton, Colorado, (1967-72); Middletown, Pennsylvania (1972-82); and at a church plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan (1982-88).

During these years, Anna kept busy teaching Sunday school, organizing vacation Bible school and social activities, and, of course, playing the piano or organ during worship. Sometimes she even needed to play the accordion. Anna Marie also used her cooking skills to host many around her table. At this time, she also raised four boys while working fulltime as a secretary. While in Middletown, she became an assistant to the branch provost of Penn State University. In 1988, Abe, at age 69, became the stated supply in Lansing, Michigan, for a year. Seventy-eight-year old Anna Marie entered her eternal rest on August 12, 2005. Abe joined her on May 31, 2012.

Holly Wilson, whose husband, Larry, served as an intern under Abe, wrote Anna Marie’s story in the recently published Choosing the Good Portion: Women of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, available on OPC.ORG here.

Picture: Anna Marie and Abe Ediger

 

CONTACT US

+1 215 830 0900

Contact Form

Find a Church