PERRY HALL, MD—Perry Hall lost a great spiritual and community leader this week.

Rev. Elmer Klein, longtime minister at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Perry Hall, has died.

Rev. Klein served for many years on the Executive Board for the Perry Hall Improvement Association.

“Rev. Klein was a gentle, quiet man,” said Councilman David Marks on Saturday. “During Perry Hall Improvement Association meetings, his voice would immediately command respect and attention. He was a dear friend from whom I received advice on many issues.”

“We have now lost almost all of the elders who built Perry Hall in the decades after the Second World War – leaders such as Buddy Butt, Jerry Soukup, and now Elmer Klein,” Marks added. “We must continue their tradition of advocacy and steady leadership for the community we love. My condolences to Rev. Klein’s family and friends.”