USA > Minnesota > Cottonwood County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 44
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St. Olaf congregation was organized in 1891, combining two former congregations, Odin and Vaage. Odin congregation was organized in 1873 and Vaage in 1874. The original officers in the newly-organized congregation were as follow: Syver Olsen, Martin Egge, Syver Syversen, trustees: Ole Haatvedt, sexton; Peder Hunstad, Thor Thorsen and Ole Reinert, deacons; G. Krogen, secretary; Andrew Gilbertson, treasurer. A church edifice was built in 1881, and added to in 1891, costing twenty-seven hundred and twenty dollars. In 1891 this congregation numbered two hundred and forty-three, but it now has four hundred and seventy-eight.
The congregations of St. Olaf, Butterfield, Rosendale, Long Lake and Albion are all combined in one, having the same pastor and same parsonage. The parish has been served by the following pastors: Revs. Thor Hatrem, 1871-72; L. E. Green, 1873-4; A. O. Hagen. 1874-79: . A. L. Lobben, 1879- 85; N. Arvesen, 1886-87; and Rev. L. P. Thorkveen, 1888, to the present time
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PAROCHHIAL SCHOOLS.
In the season of 1916 the teachers in these parochial schools were listed as follow : At Albion-Thora Tande. Pearl Flogstad, Mathilda Olsen, E. Frydenlund. E. Dahl. At Long Lake-Elenora Romsdal, Constance Roms- dal. At St. Olaf-Emma Kolden, Martha Olsen, Della Madson. At Rosen- dale-Bertha Teigum. At Butterfield-John Sigaldsen. At Odin village- Rev. J. A. Nygard.
AT ST. JAMES.
The Norwegian Lutheran church at St. James was organized December 28. 1873. by Rev. L. Green, with these as charter members: Henry Bernt- sen. Hans Olsen and Iver Olsen. This church now has a membership of five hundred. The present church building was erected in 1900, at a cost of nineteen thousand dollars, and the modern parsonage was built in 1905, at an expense of forty-five hundred dollars.
The following is a list of pastors who have served this church since its organization: Revs. A. O. Hogen, N. Hegernoes, K. Solensten, S. Roms- dol. J. Browno, Rev. Lawrence, J. Mathison, M. Sondohl, M. K. Hartmann, present pastor.
In connection with this church there is maintained during the summer months a parochial school for at least six weeks. Instruction is given in both Norwegian and English. The Sunday school has about one hundred and seventy-five in attendance and the lessons are largely taught in the Eng- lish language.
SWEDISH LUTHERAN CHURCHES.
The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran East-Sveadahl church was organ- ized .August 5. 1870, and located five miles and a half northwest of St. James. Rev. P. Carlson was chairman, and A. P. Lund, secretary. The fol- lowing were the charter members: Martin Peterson, Sven Nelson, Anders Ericson, Svante Wallin, Gustaf Sjoquist, John O. Beck. Anders Ryberg, John Carlson, Anders Chalin. John Svenson, Anders Svenson, Svante An- derson. Nels Anderson. Ole Johnson, Pehr Anderson, Sven Nelson, Lars P. Lund, \. Bergman, Nels Hagstrom, Anders Skatt, Anders Ericson, C. G. Nelson, Johannes Sjoquist, Jonas Sjoquist, Gustaf Forsblad, August Beck, Svante Johanson, Nels Anderson, Casper Anderson, Anders Svenson, A. P. Wessberg. P. F. Malm. J. Bergstrand, A. Hawkinson, J. P. Anderson, to- gether with their wives.
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The congregation has been served by many of the old pioncer pastors, such as Rev. A. Jackson, J. O. Cavallin, Michael Sandell and others, but the first regular pastor was Rev. H. P. Quist, who served from 1876 to 1879. He was succeeded by Rev. P. J. Eckman, who served from 1880 to 1891. After him came Rev. L. J. Fihn, from 1891 to 1905. The present pastor is Rev. A. T. Lundholm, who has had charge since 1905.
The total membership in 1916 was four hundred and three. Four churches have been built since the organization of this congregation. The last and present one was erected in 1904. at a cost of eight thousand dollars. In 1910 the present parsonage was erected at a cost of five thousand five hundred dollars. The congregation owns forty acres of land upon which the buildings are erected. A parochial school is held every summer, with two teachers and about sixty scholars are enrolled.
AT KANSAS LAKE.
The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran church at Kansas Lake, Long Lake township, this county, was organized in 1871. For a number of years it was a part of the East-Sveadahl pastorate, but later joined with Dunnell. At the present time it has combined with Triumph to forin a pas- torate. It has been served by Revs. P. J. Eckman, L. J. Fihn, J. W. Eckman and J. H. Ford, as pastors. The present membership is one hundred and seventy. The church property is valued at eight thousand dollars.
AT ST. JAMES.
The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran church at St. James was organized April 30, 1884. Rev. P. J. Eckman was chairman, and J. P. Lundquist, sec- retary of the meeting. The following are the charter members: Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Lundquist, Mr. and Mrs. John Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. John Sunberg, Mr. and Mrs. AAnders Kulin, Mr. and Mrs. John E. Beck. Emil Sundberg and Anders Johan Peterson. The total membership is now four Iundred and seventy-five. The first church building was erected in 1892. It was burned down in 1896, when the present building was erected at a cost of three thousand, two hundred forty dollars and six cents. The value of the church property is at present time ten thousand dollars. A\ parochial school is held cach summer with one teacher and an enrollment of about sixty pupils.
The first pastor was Rev. P. J. Eckman, from 1884 to 1890. He was
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succeeded by Rev. L. J. Fihn, who served from 1891 to 1905, when the present pastor, Rev. . 1. T. Lundholm, took charge.
AT DARFUR.
A church of this denomination was organized at the village of Darfur in 19144 by many of the membership of the present church, about sixty in all at that date. but now has grown to seventy-one. The pastor who has al- ways had charge here is Rev. C. W. Samuelson. A frame building was erected in 1914. at a cost of seven thousand five hundred dollars. A paro- chial school is connected with this church; one instructor is now employed and there is an attendance of about twenty-five pupils. This school starts immediately after the closing of the public school and is held in the public school building. Heretofore it has always been customary for some one in the local community, or the pastor, to take charge of the school, but the church authorities saw fit to deviate from this custom and this year employed Miss Ruth Nelson, of Worthington, Minnesota. The enrollment for 1916 was about twenty.
MENNONITE CHURCHES.
The First Mennonite church, of Butterfield, situated on the northwest- ern corner of section 2, Butterfield township, was organized in 1882 by John F. Sawatzky and Jacob Harder. David Falk and one other. This church is a branch of the First Mennonite church at Mountain Lake, Cottonwood county, and it is directed by their trustees, while the ministers are the same for both churches. The present membership of this branch is sixty.
The church building, a frame structure, was erected in 1882 and cost seven hundred dollars. In 1901 it was rebuilt and enlarged at an additional cost of two thousand dollars, in material alone.
The parochial school is a part of the church, and was erected in 1899. at a cost of seventeen hundred dollars for materials used in its construction, the work all being donated by the membership. One instructor only is em- ployed and the pupils averaging about thirty, board in the school.
The pastors who have served faithfully and well in this church are Revs. Jacob Stoesz, D. D. Harder, John Niessen and I. J. Dick.
The Mennonite church in the village of Butterfield, known as the Salem church, was organized on July 17, 1896. The following is a list of charter members : Heinrick C. Janzen, Wilhelm Rempel. Bernhard Rempel, John Rempel, John F. Enns, Frank Schroeder, Cornelius Funk. The pastors who
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have served the congregation are: Rev. H. H. Regier, Peter J. Friesen and Daniel Hubin. The membership contains about thirty families.
BAPTIST CHURCHES.
The First Baptist church of Madelia was organized at that village March 27, 1875, by Rev. B. F. Kelley. The list of charter members is not now believed to be in existence. The pastors who have served here are as follow: Rev. B. F. Kelley, March 27, 1875. to July, 1878: A. J. Davis, .August, 1878, to September, 1881: B. F. Kelley, December. 1881, to April, 1800; C. E. McCalley, April, 1800. to April, 1891 : B. F. Kelley, January, :892. to September, 1894: C. E. McCalley, November, 1894, to August, 1806; D. D. Mitchell, November, 1896. to November, 1898: Rev. B. F. Kelley supplied this church during several vacancies; R. J. Straw, March, 1900, to March, 1902: J. M. Young. December 7, 1902, to October, 1905: G. L. White, June, 1906, to September, 1907: Alan P. Boynton, April. 1908, to March, 1909; A. A. Sparks. June, 1909, to April, 1910; O. B. Dally, November, 1910, to December, 1911 ; B. E. Rifenberg, September, 1912, to November. 1914: A. M. Whitney, March 14, 1915, to the present date.
This church has a total membership of sixty-five communicants, and worships in a building erected originally in the autumn of 1886: remodeled in October, 1903, at a cost of one thousand dollars, making the property now worth twenty-five hundred dollars, besides they own a neat parsonage pur- chased by the church in June, 1906, valued at twenty-five hundred dollars. This society was organized as a Free Baptist church and continued as such until 1912, when, in common with other Free Baptist churches, they became affiliated with the Minnesota Baptist state convention (regular Baptist), and final union became effective in October, 1915.
THE OLDEST DENOMINATION IN ST. JAMES.
The first church organization in the village of St. James was repre- sented by the Baptists in 1871. The first service was held in a railway car, placed on the side track by the railroad company for that purpose, and was conducted by W. I. Cunningham, the father of Mrs. Ed. Rowland. He lived sixteen miles from the village and made the drive purposely for the occasion. The congregation used the car until they were able to secure better quarters. In 1889 they built their first and present building. The church has labored along with various degrees of prosperity and has been
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served with some able pastors, among whom are the following: Reverends R. A. Clapp. Jones, Kelley. Smith, B. H. Brested. C. D. Blaker. L. E. Viets, C. E. LaReau and McFarland. For the last few years the congregation has been served by student pastors and at present there is no regular pastor in charge.
CATHOLIC CHURCHES OF WATONWAN COUNTY.
The first Catholic church in the county, as written of in 1905, by the venerable priest. Rev. James Durward, retired, now residing in what he is pleased to call the "Ilermitage," which is a block of ground in St. James, on which stands a small improvised dwelling, is as follows :
Madelia had the first church building in Watonwan county, and Father Pribel was the first pastor. attending St. James from Madelia. This con- tinued for a short time. Father Pribel was succeeded by Father Elshorst. and the latter built a house at St. James and 'resided there, although still attending Madelia. The striking event in Father Eslhorst's time was the transfer of the residence from Madelia to St. James. I don't say this was so very important : I simply call it striking. And I assure you it caused more than one strike. When Father Durward came to St. James, ten years later, Madelia went on a strike to reverse the residence, and so with all the other priests who came between Father Elshort and Father Durward. Now there is nothing more to strike about. Madelia has a resident priest and a school to herself. But we have the court house and car shops, as well as two priests and a school to ourselves. At the time of which we are speaking, however, and long after. Madelia and St. James had but one priest between them. Even as late as Father Durward's first year. he attended Madelia from St. James.
Father Elshorst held services in the old church, on what is now Third avenue. It was a rickety old frame building, and it used to creak in the wind and swing back and forth. However, high mass was celebrated there, Miss Lizzie Manning acting as organist and leader. Indeed, Miss Manning continued to play in church up to the arrival of the sisters. She was a graduate of the Franciscan Convent School of Rochester, and for some years taught a private Catholic school in St. James, Father Elshorst raised two hundred and twenty-five dollars to build a priest's house, and he also plastered the church. which caused it to sing less in windy weather. These were hard years, not only for Catholics, but for everyone. From 1873 to 1876, or 1877, everything was devoured by grasshoppers. Farmers had to work on the railroad to get a sack of flour, and even then had to go to
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Mankato to get it. They had only ox teams, so that the journey there and back took nearly a week. Those who were waiting at home were eating boiled pumpkins mixed with bran. This siege of the grasshoppers was a great set-back to the congregation. Many families moved away, and the resources of those who were still here were greatly impaired.
Father Elshorst gave his first services in St. James on the 6th of November, 1881, and preached his farewell sermon on July 27, 1894. Dur- ing his stay in St. James he attended Madelia, Mountain Lake, Windom and Heron Lake. In the month of June, 1882, he bought the present church property from Nels Olson, a lumber merchant. and in the month of October built the parish house, now occupied by the Sisters. When he left, he left no debts.
The first church musie was the "Luxemburger choral," without organ. The human voice is more pleasing to God than any instrumental music. God made the voice. man made the instrument. The first choir was composed of Leonard Hoscheid. Nicholaus Miller and Peter Zender, all men. I think the Lord is better pleased with the singing of men in church than with screeching of women and girls. Most of those men have departed this life, and gone, we trust, to sing the praises of God in a better land. They were followed by a choir of ladies, still without an organ. Miss Anna Ditterd, later Mrs. P. Donahoo, of North Yakima, and Miss Susanna Roell sang in this choir.
On June 29. 1884, feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, Archbishop Ireland confirmed a large class. It was a very hot day, and the services were long. On July 5, 1882, Father Elshorst went to Germany to regain his strength, which was sadly exhausted by his hard missionary labors. At that time there were only eighty families in the parish-sixty-five German and twenty- five Irish. They showed great zeal in attendance at mass and frequentation of the sacraments.
FATHER YUNG.
Father Durward continues: The parish of St. James is now growing old. It has reached the year 1884. July 19, of that year, a newly ordained priest became its pastor-a priest who will always remain "Yung." At that time there were but thirty-five families in the parish. A church building was needed and Father Yung's first step was to call a meeting to discuss the advisability of erecting one. Only fourteen families were represented at the meeting and of these only six were in favor of building. The church was built nevertheless, and when completed there was but five hundred dollars
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debt. The building was begun in October. 1885, and finished in July, 1886. The first mass was offered in it on the feast of St. James, July 15. 1886- another nail clinched on the providential name of the town. This is the same church that we are using today and the congregation has grown to one hun- dred and fifty families. The building is too small now and so Father Zach- man will soon have to build a larger one.
Father Yung is a very genial man and a most exemplary priest. He has a very nice, quiet way with the people and always manages to get his hands into their pockets. But he did not stand with his hands in his pockets while the church was being built, but after saying mass in the old church he rolled up his sleeves and helped to handle brick. I have also been told that he once applied the Mosaic rule regarding the ass out of the pit on the Sab- bath day. It seems that a carload of brick for the church had to be hauled from the depot on Sunday, or some additional expense would be incurred. So Father Yung told the people to hear mass in the forenoon and handle the bricks in the afternoon. Father Yung was too good and too able a man to remain long in so small a place as St. James was at that time. He was transferred to Northfield. Minnesota, leaving St. James on October 5, 1887, amidst the tears and lamentations of his people, whose hearts he evidently carried away with him. He has since been again transferred and promoted from Northfield to LeSueur and again to a still larger parish of St. Mathew at St. Panl. He loves to revisit St. James. It was his first love, so to speak, and though the church, his spouse. has grown to be the joyful mother of several children. these children and grandchildren are always pleased to see his kindly face on the streets of St. James and his more solemn and sancti- fied countenance at the altar, which he himself built.
THE DECEASED PASTORS.
St. Joseph is the patron of a happy death. Rev. Joseph Georgan, since dead, succeeded Father Yung as pastor of St. James, being the second of our priests who have passed to a better workl. He came to St. James in the fall of 1887 and was transferred to Rose Creek about the first of October. 1890. Father Yung had completed the church and Father Georgan fur- nished and decorated it inside.
Father Georgan's three years passed very quietly. We Americans are all too apt to attach importance only to what makes a noise and to an exter- nal show. There may have been a gradual growth of faith in the parish during those seemingly inactive years. The ground was, perhaps, being
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slowly prepared to receive the seed. Like his patron. St. Joseph, Father Georgan was doing the inside work. These slow works and slow workers require study. Age after age the genius of St. Joseph grows upon the gen- erations of the earth and slowly but surely brings forth its large waxen blossoms and mammoth leaves like plants in the windless tropics. We will conclude, therefore, that during Georgan's pastorate the St. James parish was taking deep root. even if results were not very visible on the surface.
THIE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED.
At this point in our narrative a very important change takes place in the province. It is divided into three dioceses-that is Minnesota-St. Paul remaining the arch-diocese, and Right Rev. J. B. Cotter, D. D., is appointed bishop of Winona, his diocese comprising two tiers of counties reaching clear across the southern part of the state of Minnesota from east to west; Waton- wan being one of these counties, therefore falls under his jurisdiction.
This was in the year 1889, and there was a young priest serving in Dakota, but had been ordained by Bishop Seidenbusch for the entire province sub titulo missions. This priest is Rev. James Durward, at whose request 1 am writing this history. He had been acquainted with Father Cotter before his ordination and no sooner than had Father Cotter become Bishop Cotter than he obtained permission from Bishop Martz, of happy memory, to retire from the diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and join the diocese of Winona. Thus, Father Durward, if not the oldest priest of Winona, is at least the first one accepted from another diocese. Father Durward re- mained in Winona for about eight months. He was then sent pro tem, for two months to Chatfield, Minnesota, as its pastor, Father O'Connell had gone to Europe. From Chatfield, Father Durward was transferred to St. James, arriving here on the evening of October 30, 1890. The first mass celebrated by him in St. James was sung on November 1, 1890, and taking possession of the parish he sowed the little grain of mustard seed which was to take root and grow to a large tree under the more able pastorate of Father Zachman.
Mustard seed, if covered too deep, sometimes does not sprout for years. but it never rots. It will come up some time, either to choke your crop. or to become a large tree -- results depending upon whether it be the yellow mustard with which we are familiar, or that mustard seed of which the Lord speaks in the Gospel. American mustard is a vile weed, while that of
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Europe, or at least of the Holy Land, does grow into a large tree. It is of this that our Lord speaks in the parable, as being the smallest of all seeds.
Father Durward came to St. James to stay. He rooted himself deep in the soil of Watonwan county. He even bought a small wedge of it. whose point touches the earth's center-the center of gravitation. A small piece of land gives a man a control of a very large piece of sky, for the wedge has the wide end up, and gets wider the farther up you go. It is this that gives rise to the rather inelegant expression, "there is always room at the top."
George Meidenbauer was the first man whom Father Durward met in St. James. He was a saddler or harness-maker. His old shop was at that time on rollers, in the middle of Main street, as it was being moved near the present church. It is now fitted up as a residence. Mr. Meidenbauer owned an entire block at that place. He was the representative of the entire con- gregation-trustee, sacristan, etc., and envelopes were even found among the church papers addressed to "Rev. Father Meidenbauer." He was a very kind-hearted man. He is long since dead, and Father Durward has fitted up his old harness shop as a winter chapel, after holding school in it for one year.
From October 30th. 1890. to May Ist. 1897, Father Durward was the only priest in St. James. The times were very dull. Only an occasional theft or funeral. The chalice was stolen from the church, Father Durward shooting the thief and recovering the sacred vessel. This happened on the feast of St. Anthony, the saint who restores lost or stolen articles. Saint Nicholas may have protected the thief from bodily injury. There were no funerals in the parish in 1890, but in 1891 there was one, and in 1892 there were two; in 1893, three; in 1894, four; in 1895, five; in 1896, there were six, and in the year 1897 there were just seven, neither more nor less, Father Durward preaching the funeral sermon over the last of these deaths, that of William Schwingler. On May I, of the last year mentioned, Father Zach- man took possession of the parish of St. James, and Father Durward retired, with the intention of becoming a Trappist. He built a little school in his own garden, where school was held for one year, with a Catholic lay teacher, Miss Bertha Eckholt, and the Franciscan Sisters were engaged to teach it the following year. The little building serves now as a summer chapel. Some of the pupils who started with Father Durward are now in the ninth grade of the large school opened by Father Zachman, shortly after his arrival here. This was placed under the charge of the Sisters from Rochester, Minnesota.
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Father Durward did not remain with the Trappists, but returned and became the first hermit of Minnesota, and the people of St. James will have to lay him in his last resting place, sprinkle him with holy water and say a little prayer that the day of judgment may find the little grain of mustard seed grown into a large tree.
FIRST MASS AT ST. JAMES.
This first mass was offered by Rev. Father Wertz, O. S. B., who at that time lived in Mankato, where he started a parish and all the places west of Mankato were at that time attended occasionally from that city. All these places now have resident priests and most of them have schools. Priests from Mankato said mass for the scattered inhabitants when the prairies were thickly inhabited with wolves and buffalo; at Adrian, Heron Lake, Windom, St. James, Madelia and Lake Crystal.
In those early days it was impossible to get a priest. I know of an excellent Catholic at Windom who got married by a justice of the peace. and remarried by Father Richard, seven or eight months later. He claims he had an episcopal permission. Some things cannot be postponed, and young people think matrimony one of these things. This brings me to the pastorate of Father Richard, who was the second priest to attend St. James. Father Wertz had gone to his reward and has long ago heard the words, "Well clone, good and faithful servant : enter into the joy of thy Lord."
Father Richard did not attend St. James very long, but he is well re- membered by all of the older settlers, and he always enquired after these pioneers whenever we met.
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