Reverend Edgar V. H. Danner
Reverend Edgar V. H. Danner declined the first offer to lead this church
which was offered while he was still at Union Theological Seminary in New
York City. He accepted the second offer after completion of his studies. At
the time of his calling he was, “not yet 23 years old, but he was considered
a paragon of wisdom and learning . . .” He was installed October 28, 1866
and remained here until his death, March 1889 (22 years).
The church was 19 years old when he came. He was the pastor during some
significant changes: the addition of the Sunday school room and minister’s
study to the rear of the church, bowling the floor and moving the choir
gallery to the front of the church. Rev. Danner did much of the work himself
repairing the Sunday school rooms to hurry their completion.
In June of 1872 he married Miss Mary Sill, youngest daughter of Elisha and
Fannie Sill, at the Sill family home in Cuyahoga Falls. Mary died in October
of 1883 and her father passed away in April of 1888. To commemorate
these important people in his life Rev. Danner ordered a stained glass
window to honor his father-in-law and church founder, Elisha N. Sill, and
Danner’s wife Mary Sill Danner. Before it was installed Rev. Danner went
to Washington DC for the inauguration of President Harrison. During a
blizzard he caught pneumonia and died. Because he didn’t live to see the
window dedicated we can only guess who the figure in the middle represents.
Rev. Danner had always enjoyed robust health in the past, and even though
he came back ill from his trip to Washington DC he managed to drive to
Richfield to officiate at the funeral of Rev. J.A. McKinstry and attended the
meeting of the Congregational Club at Cleveland. From this meeting he
returned so sick he didn’t leave his bed, dying a week later. He died before
his brother in New York could reach his bedside.
Reverend Danner was carried into this church on March 25, 1889, where
members of the congregation and the city celebrated his life and filed past
his coffin. He was then carried to the vault at Oakwood Cemetery to await a
spring thaw before interment. by Mary Ann Winget
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