Edward Wilhelm Heinrich Egolf was born on April 11, 1893 at 621 Brooks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Maria (Kempker, Hile) and Edward Egolf.

In 1900, he lived on Folsom Road, Winslow Township, Camden County, New Jersey with his mother and step-father Frederick Hile. By 1910, the family was living on Mays Landing Road in Winslow Township.

During World War I, he worked at the Baldwin Ammunitions Plant in Eddystone, Delaware County, Pennsylvania as a shell inspector.