(This excerpts is taken from the early narrative draft of Mr. Dennis Bilger of Independence, Missouri, an archivist with the Truman Library.)

My nephew, Jack Bilger, sent me information on the Bilgers of the Alsace Region of present day France, but the web page was in French.  Dr. Regina Gramer, from Baden-Wurtemburg helped me translate this narrative from the extensive archives of the Centre Departemental D'Histoire Des Familles, Guebwiller, Haut-Rhine, Alsace, France.  The translation is as follows:
To visit the actual web page, click on the French chateau

“The Bilgers.  The family name comes from the German word “Pilger” meaning pilgrim.  Since the creation of the family names from the 12th to the 15th centuries, pilgrimage was a very important aspect of society.  It interesting to note the presence of a very old pilgrimage at Magstadt where the Bilgers have been cited for a long time, as an example of a parish priest, Jodicus Bilger around 1550. (This might be translated as a Lutheran pastor rather than a Catholic priest since this was after the Reformation and most of the Bilgers were Lutheran.) The word Bilger also appears often in various places to designate the path or road the pilgrims took.  We find a “Bilger Way” in Bruebach and in Schlierbaach.  Since 1554 Bilgers lived in Spechbach.  One of the inhabitants, William Bilger, went to an annual fair and got into a fight in 1564 and was taken before a justice of the peace in Milhouse.
The region of Seppois  In the region of Seppois studies by the priests Behra and John Locke Angell show that the Bilgers have been present since the middle of the 17th century.  They were the descendants of John Bilger who was married in 1660 to Mary Esch and their son, Henry Bilger, married Margaret Frey.  The priest Behra has traced the genealogical tree until the beginning of our century.  During the last century several members of the Bilger family emigrated to the United States from Massachusetts to California.
Kappalen and Environs  At Kappalen the Bilgers had important functions.  In 1673, George William Bilger married a Swiss immigrant, Madeline Peter.  In 1694 there was mention of a George Bilger who was the Provost of Kappalen before his death.  His son Christopher Bilger married Marie Specker and he was the Mayor of Kappalen.  During the time he was mayor, Christopher Bilger was given a coat of arms by King Louis XIV of France.  Parts of the coat of arms was in gold, part in silver and part in precious stones.  After his death, his possessions were divided in February 1705 between his son John George Bilger and his daughter, Maria Bilger who was married to Claus Frantz, the son of an innkeeper of Helfrantzkirch.  It is probably he who wrote a letter marked with a red wax seal in 1694 to intervene in the affairs that opposed a Stephen Bilger of Weirtenstein to Maria Studer of Zaessingue.  The seal was stamped with the initials “HVB” for Hans Ulrich Bilger and is in the state archives of Haut-Rhin (Upper Rhine.) During the same period, Bilgers lived in Sieretz and Stettin like the brothers, Leonard and Christopher Bilger in Stettin.  Leonard was an innkeeper and Christopher was a carpenter.  The priest (or pastor) Etienne Bilger came from Sierentz and made local history in the establishment of a peasant village.  (His biography is published in the Historical Society of Sundgauvienne in 1980.)
At Helfrantzkirch  The Bilgers are still well represented in Helfrantzkirch which appears normal since it is said that they have been in the village for a long time.  Between 1718 and 1788 about 20 baptisms have been celebrated in Helfrantzkirch involving Bilger families.  (Many of the fathers of the children baptized were named John.)