Eglsaer, Harry S.

Fr. Harry S. Eglsaer, SJ, died on October 7, 2010 in Wauwatosa, Wis. He was 93 years old. A Nebraska native, he spent nearly a quarter century in Native American ministry, serving on two different reservations as a teacher.

Fr. Eglsaer was born in Nebraska City, on July 4, 1917. He worked at several locations, in a variety of jobs for five years before entering the Society of Jesus at St. Stanislaus Seminary in Florissant, Mo., on Aug. 31, 1939. He  was ordained a priest June 14, 1951.

He began his studies with two years of humanities in Florissant, before enrolling at Saint Louis University (SLU), where he received the A.B. degree in 1944 and the Ph.L. degree in 1946.

Two years of regency spent teaching Latin at Marquette University High School  in Milwaukee were followed by M.A. studies in Latin and Greek at SLU (1948). That same year he started theology studies at St. Marys College, and eventually received the S.T.L. degree from SLU in 1952.

His first assignment as a priest was teaching Latin at St. Louis University High School in 1953. After one year, he was missioned to be minister at Fusz Memorial in St. Louis, a position he held for 10 years.

In 1964 he moved to Milwaukee, and became minister in provincial residence for two years.

Fr. Eglasaer was then assigned to Native American ministry on the South Dakota reservations. He served 15 years at St. Francis Mission in St. Francis, S. D. and eight years at Holy Rosary Mission in Pine Ridge, S. D.

In 1990 he was missioned to be chaplain at Bergan-Mercy Hospital in Omaha. After retiring in 2001, he did supply ministry at various parishes and convents in Omaha.

As his health required closer attention, in 2004 he was missioned to pray for the Church and the Society as a member of the Jesuit Community at St. Camillus in Wauwatosa, where he died.