Edwin Fredrick Pilger

Edwin Fredrick Pilger passed away peacefully January 5, 2024.  He was born April 6, 1932, in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, to Everett and Frances Pilger. Ed was an only child but was lovingly surrounded by seven aunts and one uncle. Upon graduating from high school in Goodland, Kansas in 1949, he proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force. During a short leave, he met his wife Doris Mary Morgan in Houston at Cook’s Hoe Down. They married August 16, 1951, shortly before he was deployed overseas.

Visitation for Ed will be Thursday, January 11 at Callaway Jones Funeral Home in Bryan from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with a rosary recited at 6:30 p.m.  A funeral mass will be celebrated Friday, January 12 at 11 a.m. at St. Francis Assisi Catholic Church in Franklin. Burial will take place at Henry Prairie Cemetery.

Edwin and Doris moved numerous times in their early married life before settling down in Bryan. They had six children, 18 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren, and still counting.

Ed purchased an Exxon gas station at the corner of Texas Avenue and Highway 30 in College Station in 1971, and in 1974 they opened Pilger’s Tire & Auto Center on University Drive.

They retired almost 23 years ago and moved to Franklin.

Before retiring, Ed was an active member of the Brazos Valley for more than 40 years, both as a business owner, a volunteer, caring citizen and loving father and grandfather.

When he opened his first business in College Station in 1971, he treated his customers and employees with respect, care and concern. Honesty and integrity were the building blocks of his success.

He volunteered in many capacities throughout the years, both locally and statewide. Working for many years with the Twin City Mission and the Texas Tire Dealers Association, serving as president of both organizations.

While a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Bryan, he was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, a church usher and a member of the finance committee. After moving to Franklin, he continued to take an active leadership role at St. Francis of Assisi serving as a Eucharistic Minister and on the Parish Advisory Board. For many years he was also the primary caretaker of Henry Prairie Cemetery, a small community cemetery in Robertson County where most of Doris’ family is buried. He took great pride in that role and lovingly saw that the needs of each family were met when dealing with the death of a loved one.

The family created many memories at Lake LBJ in the early 1980’s and 90’s. Boating, tubing and skiing, were family favorites. Ed and Doris loved traveling in their RV for more than 40 years and made a yearly trip to enjoy the mountains in Colorado. They even made seven trips to take groups of their grandchildren to Colorado over the years. He also loved a good game of 42 dominoes and playing Pinocle.

A member of the U.S. Air Force, he loved retelling the days of proudly serving his country. His grandchildren always enjoyed when Papa pulled out some of his memorabilia and shared with them what it was like in Japan and other places he served overseas. When listening to him relive those days, the pride in his voice was evident.

Edwin was preceded in death by his wife Doris, daughter Mary Giles and granddaughter Emily Fritsch. He is survived by daughter Cynthia Hughes and husband John of Camp Creek; son Rick Pilger and wife Beverly of Bryan; daughter Phyllis Fritsch and husband Lee of La Grange; son Adren Pilger and wife Susan of Navasota; son-in-law Lynn Giles of Iola and daughter Patricia Potts and husband Lance of East Bernard.

He is also survived by grandchildren Leslie Herring, Tracy Cain, Haley Hughes, Melinda Boehm, Jenny Murphy, Amy Clary, Valerie Stein, Elizabeth Allensworth, Casey Giles, Daniel Pilger, Seth Potts, Lori Giles, Jamie Darr, Victoria Heller, Katie Giles, Jayci Janecek and Shea Potts, as well as 23 great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to the Twin City Mission P.O. Box 3490, Bryan 77805 or the Emily Fritsch Memorial Scholarship (c/o Fayette County Savings Bank, P. O. Box M, LaGrange, TX 78945).