Welcome to the memorial page for
Edgar William Homrighausen
September 1, 1924 ~ June 16, 2017 (age 92) 92 Years OldShare Tribute:
The Reverend Dr. Edgar Homrighausen was called to his eternal home on June 16th, 2017 and now rests safely in the arms of Jesus. He was known to his many parishioners and friends over the years simply as Pastor Ed. A 1st Generation child of German immigrant parents, Pastor Ed was born in Glendale, Long Island, New York in 1924. His youth was spent in Elizabeth, New Jersey. At the age of 15, he attended Prep School and subsequently College, at Concordia in Bronxville, New York. He then attended and graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri.
In 1948, Pastor Ed married his wife, Marjorie (nee Lesh), at First English Lutheran Church in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was serving as Vicar. They have seven children, 20 grandchildren, and 23 (and counting) great-grandchildren.
Pastor Ed was ordained as a Lutheran pastor in 1950, and began a decades-long ministry, touching countless lives. His first assignment as a young pastor was to the church where he served as Vicar, First English. He held the position of Assistant Pastor under Pastor George W. Schmidt until 1952, when Pastor Schmidt went to heaven. Pastor Ed served as Pastor of First English from 1952 to 1959. During his years at First English, he also served as Chaplain at Charity Hospital.
In 1959, Pastor Ed was elected as Bishop of the Southern District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. At age 35, he was the youngest man ever to be elected to the position. That same year he accepted a call to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cullman, Alabama, where he remained until 1965, when he returned to New Orleans. The years he spent as Bishop and Pastor in northern Alabama were not easy, as the Deep South was embroiled in racial tension during the civil rights movement. Under Pastor Ed’s leadership as Bishop, the segregated Synodical Conference churches in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana dissolved and integrated into the formerly all-white Southern District of the Synod. Pastor Ed then served as Chairman of the Board of Control for Concordia Selma. With help from the Lord, he lovingly and successfully guided the church through those turbulent times, knowing that the body of Christ is not defined by color of skin.
In 1965 Pastor Ed accepted a call and returned to New Orleans, again as Pastor of First English, and resumed his duties as Chaplain at Charity Hospital. He served New Orleans this time until 1969, when he retired as Bishop of the church and was tasked with taking over administration of East Ridge Retirement Village and Nursing Home, a Lutheran affiliated center in Miami, Florida. While in Miami, he also served as Interim Pastor of St. Timothy Lutheran Church, not affiliated with the LCMS, growing the small congregation while still attending to his duties as Administrator of East Ridge. While in Miami he also began a chaplaincy program at Tropical Park Race Track, being one of the first in the country to minister to people of the backstretch.
In 1973, Pastor Ed and his family returned to his beloved New Orleans, this time serving as Pastor at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. He threw himself into his work and his city, bringing his chaplaincy program to the Fairgrounds Race Track. Recognizing a need for Elderly Care in the city, he spearheaded purchasing property on Hayne Blvd. which then became Lutheran Home of New Orleans, a long-term care facility.
In the 1980s, as drug use became rampant in the City, Pastor Ed founded a Christian counseling agency he named “Rainbow Day, A Drug Alternative for Youth,” that was located on the campus of Gloria Dei.
For the next 25 years, Pastor Ed would be a stalwart of New Orleans cultural, evangelical, and ecumenical progress. He was the two time President of the Greater New Orleans Federation of Churches, President of Community Access Corporation, Secretary for Reach Ecumenical Television, a board member for Goodwill Industries, and St. John Berchman’s home, which provided housing for the elderly and was run by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He hosted a multi-denominational television program called “Forward Together”, often sharing segments with his dear friend, Archbishop Phillip Hannan. Pastor Ed was also a radio personality in New Orleans. His three-hour call-in talk radio show aired on WSMB and became the number one program on the air. At the end of each program on Sunday evening, he presented s special segment he called “Quiet Time.” Pastor Ed received numerous Citations of Appreciation from the City of New Orleans, presented to him by Mayor Sidney Barthelemy, for his selfless contributions to the community. For over 25 years and up until late last year, Pastor Ed wrote and recorded “Son Spots”, that were heard on WSHO twice a day during “drive times.” He loved sharing the good news about Jesus over the airwaves. He was close friends not only with Arch Bishop Phillip Hannan, but other New Orleans favored personalities such a Hap Glaudi, Nash Roberts, and Maurice Fitzgerald, who owned one of Pastor Ed’s most favorite places to eat in West End.
Prior to his “retirement” in the early 1990s, Pastor Ed started a mission church of Gloria Dei in Lacombe, Louisiana, ministering to a small group that grew to become the Village Church Lutheran. When he finally retired and moved to the Northshore, he served as Pastor of the church for some 20 years.
As age began to catch up with Pastor Ed, he was still relentless in his passion for sharing the Love of Christ. Upon his moving into an assisted living facility, he began a worship service he called “The Gathering.”
Pastor Ed Homrighausen leaves behind his wife Marjorie; his son Edgar Jr. and his wife Connie; his daughter Lois and her husband Ron; his son Paul and his wife Faith; his son Timothy; his son Phillip and his wife Cindy; his daughter Lydia and her husband Rick; and his son James. In addition, Pastor Ed has 20 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
The celebration of the life of Pastor Ed Homrighausen will be held at Schoen's Funeral Home 3827 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119, on Friday, June 23, 2017. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a Service of Victory to be held in the Schoen Chapel at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to The Reverend Dr. Edgar W. Homrighausen Endowment Fund at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. 801 Seminary Place. St. Louis, MO 63105 1-800-822-5287
In 1948, Pastor Ed married his wife, Marjorie (nee Lesh), at First English Lutheran Church in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was serving as Vicar. They have seven children, 20 grandchildren, and 23 (and counting) great-grandchildren.
Pastor Ed was ordained as a Lutheran pastor in 1950, and began a decades-long ministry, touching countless lives. His first assignment as a young pastor was to the church where he served as Vicar, First English. He held the position of Assistant Pastor under Pastor George W. Schmidt until 1952, when Pastor Schmidt went to heaven. Pastor Ed served as Pastor of First English from 1952 to 1959. During his years at First English, he also served as Chaplain at Charity Hospital.
In 1959, Pastor Ed was elected as Bishop of the Southern District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. At age 35, he was the youngest man ever to be elected to the position. That same year he accepted a call to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cullman, Alabama, where he remained until 1965, when he returned to New Orleans. The years he spent as Bishop and Pastor in northern Alabama were not easy, as the Deep South was embroiled in racial tension during the civil rights movement. Under Pastor Ed’s leadership as Bishop, the segregated Synodical Conference churches in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana dissolved and integrated into the formerly all-white Southern District of the Synod. Pastor Ed then served as Chairman of the Board of Control for Concordia Selma. With help from the Lord, he lovingly and successfully guided the church through those turbulent times, knowing that the body of Christ is not defined by color of skin.
In 1965 Pastor Ed accepted a call and returned to New Orleans, again as Pastor of First English, and resumed his duties as Chaplain at Charity Hospital. He served New Orleans this time until 1969, when he retired as Bishop of the church and was tasked with taking over administration of East Ridge Retirement Village and Nursing Home, a Lutheran affiliated center in Miami, Florida. While in Miami, he also served as Interim Pastor of St. Timothy Lutheran Church, not affiliated with the LCMS, growing the small congregation while still attending to his duties as Administrator of East Ridge. While in Miami he also began a chaplaincy program at Tropical Park Race Track, being one of the first in the country to minister to people of the backstretch.
In 1973, Pastor Ed and his family returned to his beloved New Orleans, this time serving as Pastor at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. He threw himself into his work and his city, bringing his chaplaincy program to the Fairgrounds Race Track. Recognizing a need for Elderly Care in the city, he spearheaded purchasing property on Hayne Blvd. which then became Lutheran Home of New Orleans, a long-term care facility.
In the 1980s, as drug use became rampant in the City, Pastor Ed founded a Christian counseling agency he named “Rainbow Day, A Drug Alternative for Youth,” that was located on the campus of Gloria Dei.
For the next 25 years, Pastor Ed would be a stalwart of New Orleans cultural, evangelical, and ecumenical progress. He was the two time President of the Greater New Orleans Federation of Churches, President of Community Access Corporation, Secretary for Reach Ecumenical Television, a board member for Goodwill Industries, and St. John Berchman’s home, which provided housing for the elderly and was run by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He hosted a multi-denominational television program called “Forward Together”, often sharing segments with his dear friend, Archbishop Phillip Hannan. Pastor Ed was also a radio personality in New Orleans. His three-hour call-in talk radio show aired on WSMB and became the number one program on the air. At the end of each program on Sunday evening, he presented s special segment he called “Quiet Time.” Pastor Ed received numerous Citations of Appreciation from the City of New Orleans, presented to him by Mayor Sidney Barthelemy, for his selfless contributions to the community. For over 25 years and up until late last year, Pastor Ed wrote and recorded “Son Spots”, that were heard on WSHO twice a day during “drive times.” He loved sharing the good news about Jesus over the airwaves. He was close friends not only with Arch Bishop Phillip Hannan, but other New Orleans favored personalities such a Hap Glaudi, Nash Roberts, and Maurice Fitzgerald, who owned one of Pastor Ed’s most favorite places to eat in West End.
Prior to his “retirement” in the early 1990s, Pastor Ed started a mission church of Gloria Dei in Lacombe, Louisiana, ministering to a small group that grew to become the Village Church Lutheran. When he finally retired and moved to the Northshore, he served as Pastor of the church for some 20 years.
As age began to catch up with Pastor Ed, he was still relentless in his passion for sharing the Love of Christ. Upon his moving into an assisted living facility, he began a worship service he called “The Gathering.”
Pastor Ed Homrighausen leaves behind his wife Marjorie; his son Edgar Jr. and his wife Connie; his daughter Lois and her husband Ron; his son Paul and his wife Faith; his son Timothy; his son Phillip and his wife Cindy; his daughter Lydia and her husband Rick; and his son James. In addition, Pastor Ed has 20 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
The celebration of the life of Pastor Ed Homrighausen will be held at Schoen's Funeral Home 3827 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119, on Friday, June 23, 2017. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a Service of Victory to be held in the Schoen Chapel at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to The Reverend Dr. Edgar W. Homrighausen Endowment Fund at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. 801 Seminary Place. St. Louis, MO 63105 1-800-822-5287
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