USA > Illinois > Henry County > Andover > Centennial jubilee anniversary, Commemorating One Hundred Years of Parish Evangelization, 1850-1950 > Part 2
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ADULT DEPARTMENT
JUNIOR CHOIR
ity for this project there are all possibilities that the Home would have been moved away and the farm may have reverted to the heirs of the donors or to the former owners.
For the Sixtieth Anniversary Pastor Edblom wrote a fine history of the congregation with a number of human interest stories to make it very readable. It was well illustrated and had a broadness of approach that was much appreciated. The only trouble now is that it was written in Swedish and few of our constituency are conversant with the language.
MARTIN J. LAURE (1912-1923)
The sixth regular pastorate at Andover was that of Dr. Martin J. Laure, scholar, musician, gentleman-farmer. Fifty young men of the con- gregation marched under the colors during the fateful days of the First World War, when he served here as pastor. Two gold stars appeared on the large silk service flag at the church in commemoration of the two soldiers who gave their last full ounce of devotion to their country and their flag. As a permanent record a large Bronze Memoral Tablet, on the east pillar of the main entrance of the church, was placed with not only the names of World War I. veterans, but also the names of Civil War veterans, as well. The cost of this memorial was defrayed by the Lutheran Brotherhood, an organiza-
SENIOR CHOIR
LOYAL LADIES AID
tion which came into being just a few years before.
The twelve confirmation classes which Dr. Laure instructed and brought into fellowship with the congregation held regular reunions for a number of years. At the reunion held in July, 1923, a photograph was taken of the twelve classes all assembled with very few, if any, absences. Certainly this was an evidence of personal loyalty and we trust that these classes have also proven faithful to the Lord and Savior of their confirmation vows. This group then gave a color painting of Jenny Lind by the world reknown artist Gravstrom, which now has the place of honor at the Chapel.
Several physical improvements were made on the church property at this time-building of the front porch on the parsonage, construction of a cement sidewalk from the church to the parsonage and chapel, bringing al- ternating current from Orion to Andover and to the church, and a number of other noteworthy items of interest.
Dr. Laure had great talent in music and in leadership, especially when preparing for a children's program. Then rehearsals would not be called off until the program was thoroughly prepared and everyone knew exactly his place. Of course there were times when the programs became a bit lengthy. but was due to the practice that every child was to have a separate selection.
GUSTAV E. HEMDAHL (1923-1927)
Due to ill health and a weakened physical condition, Pastor Hemdahl was destined to have a brief ministry in Andover. He was exceptionally effective as a parish evangelist both in preaching and teaching, as well as in his pastoral visitation and personal counseling. One of his first goals after
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WOMEN'S MISSIONARY SOCIETY
coming here as pastor was to make a family call upon all the members of the congregation with his entire family within the first year in Andover. Wc do not know if he succeeded entirely, but certainly it was a most important way to become best acquainted with his membership.
The principal thing of historic interest during his pastorate was the cel- ebration of the Diamond Anniversary. The event was to have been observed on March 18, 1925, but due to road conditions it was postponed until May 17-24. One former pastor and several members of former pastors' families were in attendance, as were also several Conference and Synodical leaders. Several sons of the congregation were also home for the event and took part in the festive program. During the fall previous to this anniversary, a pag- eant, written by Rev. L. E. Jones, depicting the coming of the pioneer Swedish Lutherans to Illinois, was given in the church under the direction of Miss Elsie Ostrom, of Moline, with a cast of one hundred and twenty-five people from Rock Island, Moline, Andover and Cambridge.
During his pastorate here the church was covered with a fire-proof
SORORIS DANTIS
HOSPITAL CIRCLE
roof, the church spire was painted and a gilded copper cross was erected on the spire; to take the place of one that had blown down. Some minor im- provements were made on the parsonage and in the basement of the chapel.
Pastor Hemdahl passed away at his home in Rock Island, Illinois, on January 19, 1947, almost twenty years after he retired from the active minis- try here in Andover. He was indeed fortunate in having his devoted wife with him to the very last. It was a wonder how she was able to bear up under the burden and carry all her responsibilities as well as she did.
LINUS A. HERMAN (1927-29)
According to a letter received from Pastor Herman today we learn that he served this congregation just twenty-three months. But in this short time he made several very valuable contributions to the congregational life, practice and attitude toward the Church at large. His reverence for the accepted doctrines of the church, details of Christian liturgy and even the correct pronounciation of frequently mispronounced words in Scripture were respected and are remembered even today. There were great differences of opinion on several mooted subjects and expression was given freely and cer- tainly we have all benefited thereby.
During his ministry here most of the money required for redecorating the interior of the church auditorium was raised. He was also instrumental in building the sacristy, a very important addition to the grand old church structure. His recommendation for having combined meetings of the Circles of the Loyal Ladies' Aid Society has been a great simplification of the work of our women's auxiliaries.
It was he who said in 1927 : "Hats off for the past-Coats off for the
MR. AND MRS. SOCIETY
future ! Although 'Andover' is a familiar name in the Augustana Synod, few of its members have ever seen the place, because of its 'out of the way' loca- tion. But the days of Andover's isolation are at an end. The building of the hard road through our village will commence early in the spring, and when it is completed, we will be on the main road between the quad-cities via Ke- wanee and points east to Chicago. It is a foregone conclusion that this great improvement will mean a considerable increase in the number of visitors to this historic place. We must therefore begin now to make plans for the im- provement of our buildings and grounds so that they will reflect credit on our present membership and prove that we are worthy descendants of worthy sires." That rule for noble living has never changed.
RUBERT A. HULL (1930-1943)
The horse and buggy days were almost over by the time Pastor Hull came to Andover from the great Swedish metropolis of Rockford. In one of his early pastoral reports he mentions the fact that fifty to sixty men had
LUTHER LEAGUE
LUTHERAN BROTHERHOOD
BOY SCOUTS
gathered at the church barns with the intent to remove them since old dobbin had nearly ceased to bring folks to church and the few that were still in ser- vice did not seem to mind the weather. But the great financial depression of the thirties made a great impression on the folks in these areas. More people were out of work and staying at home instead of going on to college or get- ting work in the cities. But the dreaded influence of melancholy and hope- lessness gave our church even a greater challenge to face and conquer. Pas- tor Hull did well to place his people in contact with God's will through regu- lar cottage prayer meetings and Bible Studies, as well as through his regular divine worship services.
During this period the great subject of which was the oldest congrega- tion in the Augustana Lutheran Church was brought to the limelight and now it seems as if we are asked to take a second place, giving super-annuity to New Sweden, Iowa, but that is not so important after all : It is much more im- portant that our names are written in God's Book of Life and that we are members of His Kingdom.
A beautiful Esbjorn Memorial marker was erected in a little park along the highway in our village on November 15, 1936. The dedication was made by Dr. P. O. Bersell, president of the Church, and the main address was
CUB SCOUTS
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ANNEX KITCHEN
given by Dr. G. A. Andreen. The auditorium of the chapel was renovated in 1938, and several improvements were made in its facilities.
During his ministry here, Pastor Hull and the entire congregation were cheered by the announcement that another confirmand of this church was to enter the ministry. Certainly there are many openings for full time Christian service in the church today. May we challenge the young people of our congregation to consider this call of the Lord into one of these vari- ous harvest fields-white unto harvest.
After a blessed and successful ministry of over thirteen years here, Pastor Hull and his family moved to Avoca, Minnesota. Now they are just getting settled in Lake City, Minnesota, after having served several years in Mediapolis, Iowa.
EVERETT L. BEXELL (1944-)
The present pastor took up the work here on October 19, 1944, coming from Osceola, Nebraska. It was indeed a pleasure to move into a complete- ly remodeled and redecorated parsonage, and with a number of members ready to help move the furnishings right into place. At first only twelve hundred dollars was appropriated for the improvement of the parsonage, but when it was realized how much was needed, the complete renovation was authorized and cost about $5,000.00.
Among the countless impressions that crowd in upon us, is the fact
ANNEX DINING ROOM
that it was deemed necessary for the world to go through another experience of total war. There were sixty-nine young men and women from our congreg- ation scattered over the far flung battle fronts of the world in a death struggle for survival. But God blessed our faith and honored their courage. There was only one fatality among them and that was an accident that could have hap- pened in civilian life.
After waiting for eighty years 'and praying, planning, preparing, dis- cussing and gathering funds for four years, it was a thrill to see our people accept the idea of an annex unanimously. It will cost over $43,000.00 when it is completely furnished, but both the members and friends have been quite generous, so that only about $10,000.00 will be outstanding when the build- ing is complete. This will give us more adequate Sunday School rooms and social facilities for the various organizations, especially the youth activities ; convenient serving equipment ; adequate automatic heat ; modern rest rooms and educational-recreational opportunities as we have never had before. Dr. C. O. Bengtson, President of the Illinois Conference, was here last Reforma- tion Sunday, October 30, 1949, to dedicate the building and it has been used for several months to the satisfaction of all.
When we came to Andover, Pastor Martin B. Lingwall had been serv- ing as vice pastor for several months and had certainly done a very fine job getting things ready and various projects out of the way before we arrived.
Missionary Ruben Pedersen served during the summer before we arrived, and had done a number of fine things beyond his call of duty-like conduct- ing a first rate Vacation Bible School, making between three hundred and fifty and four hundred personal calls to complete a community canvas, and interesting several young people in Bible Camps and full-time Christian ser- vice. We are now continuing these challenges through our Parish Evangel- ism Visitation and trust that it will be a blessing in extending Christian ser- vice.
In addition to the many gifts and donations made in connection with our building project there are a number which will have especial interest. Our church was chosen by a synodical committee to receive a beautiful tri- plate painting of the Passion Story as a gift of the church people of Sweden, produced by a Swedish artist, and presented by the Archbishop while here for the great festivities of the Centennial in 1948. The Luther League has given a grand piano, a sound projector and a set of green paraments ; the Sor- oris Dantis Y. W. M. S. gave the cabinet and drapes in the annex and the fair linen for the altar. The Mr. and Mrs. Society has furnished the cabinet for the paraments, built the Sunday School tables and finished the Sunday School screens; the Hospital Circle gave the ladies' rest room equipment ; Memorial gifts include a lecturn, the white paraments and four items for the altar, a public address system, a clock in the annex, an outside illuminated bulletin board, over a hundred music edition Hymnals. The Ladies' Aid as a society gave over $3,000.00 in cash to the building project, furnished the new electric refrigerator and gas stove for the annex and completed our set of paraments ; they bought twenty confirmation robes, laid new linoleum in the church entrance, and installed a new kitchen sink at the parsonage. Black choir robes were purchased by the Senior Choir in 1945. Now a pro- ject that is receiving great attention is the gathering and identifying of con- firmation pictures and placing them in a multiplex given by the confirmation class of 1948. Money was given for a bulletin board in the annex by the confirmation class of 1949. The Sunday School purchased two dozen small chairs for the Primary Department and the Lutheran Brotherhood has offer- ed to assist with the labor to construct a sidewalk from the annex entrance to the street.
So the work of the church goes on from age to age and may we ever continue to be about the Father's Business in its many and varied aspects. The history of the Christian Church is "His Story" among His people.
THE ANDOVER CHILDREN'S HOME
The history of the Andover Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Home for Children at Andover, Illinois, have developed side by side for now over eighty long years. Under the personal guidance of Pastor Jonas Swenson, then pastor of the Andover congregation and president of the Synod, the work of the Children's home was begun. Mr. and Mrs. S. P. Lindell served as the first manager and the first child was Edward Berg from Galesburg, received October 31, 1867. The first year three children were admitted and were kept in the Lindell home in Swedona.
Property had been purchased near Paxton in 1864 for an Orphan's Home and Farm School but this was not developed and was sold to the Board of Directors of the Augustana Seminary and building begun on an acre plot in Swedona. But Rev. Swenson was not satisfied with that arrangement and so negotiated the purchase of the original 160 acre Home farm in Andover Township for $5,100.00 or less than $32.00 per acre. The directors accepted the transaction at a meeting, September 25, 1870, and expressed, "their grati- tude first to God, the Father of the fatherless, and then expressed to Rev. Jonas Swenson for his care and effort in the raising of funds, and for closing the purchase."
Thus the work of inner missions has developed in our community through perilous times and in times of prosperity. The first and only ser- ious calamity threatening the existence of the Home occurred the 27th day of December, 1908, when all the occupants of the Home, with the exception of one boy, attended the Sunday School Christmas festival in the Andover Church. At the close of the program, the first people to leave the church noticed the reflection of a fire in the direction of the Home. It was a dis- heartening sight to see the Home in ruins but immediate plans were made to rebuild. And with the contribution of food, clothes and shelter for the chil- dren for an entire year the immediate community contributed over $10,000.00 in gifts and services.
The cooperation of Home and the Church has always been accomplished in a very fine way, and we are happy to report that the present plans and developments have been to the advantage of all concerned. Mr. Edmund O. Rausch took up his duties of Superintendent on November 1, 1945, and has proven himself an excellent administrator of the multitudinous responsibili- ties that are left as his concern.
We pray as the plans and preparations for the new cottage mater- ialize that the Home may serve its large constituency even better. That the children may grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And as our Lord in His youth developed so may they "grow in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man."
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