USA > Minnesota > Freeborn County > History of Freeborn County, Minnesota > Part 47
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
membership who contributed to the building fund, and donations from others outside the congregation were accepted.
The directors of the first organization in the village were: Bartil Nelson, John Hatle and Louis Knutson; Haivor Siblerud, treasurer; J. C. Syblerud, secretary. Until 1889 the church was supplied by the pastors of the Freeborn congregations. In that year Rev. L. P. Jensen was called to the pastorate of the congre- gations at Hartland and Manchester. In 1892 Rev. J. J. Strand, who had assisted Rev. Jensen during the summer vacations, was called as pastor. Shortly after his arrival a large, comfortable parsonage was built and occupied by him during the remainder of his sixteen years of faithful and successful work. Rev. H. J. Strand is the present pastor.
Round Prairie and Lunder Congregations, Norwegian Luth- eran Evangelical Synod, had their beginning at a very early day, when the Rev. C. L. Clausen, that venerable pioneer of Lutheran Christianity in this locality, visited the Norwegian families in this vicinity and held services. About 1865 the Round Prairie congregation was organized, the pastor being Rev. T. A. Torger- son, who served a number of congregations. The Round Prairie church was erected in the northeastern part of section 27, Free- man township, in 1874. It was wrecked by a storm in 1880 and rebuilt the same year. Among the early pastors were Rev. J. Mosby and Rev. S. B. Hustuet. In December, 1905, a part of the Round Prairie congregation decided that it would be more con- venient for them to worship in their own locality. Accordingly the Lunder congregation was organized. A church building was erected the following year and dedicated September 30, 1906, its location being in section 6, Freeman township. The two congre- gations own a parsonage jointly at Glenville, and have the usual church societies, as well as a joint parochial school. The pastor of the congregations, the Rev. O. A. Sauer, is an active worker, a man of good scholarship and devout faith, and his work is doing much to assist the progress of the Lutheran faith. The informa- tion regarding these congregations has been furnished by Nels H. Hoyne.
The Hayward Congregation, which though not belonging to any synod, has always been served by ministers of the Norwegian Lutheran Evangelical Synod, had its beginning at a very early day, with meetings held in schoolhouses and at homes. The first regular pastor was the Rev. Einer Wulfsburg, although mission- aries had preached here earlier than that. Among the pioneers of the church may be mentioned: Ingebrit Knatvold, Endre Gul- brandson, Nels Peterson Olstad, Peter Lunde, Mathias Chris- topherson, Ole Anderson, Hans F. Olson, Hans Bjornrud, Lars Lunde, John Dahlen, Ole Ofstehage, M. P. Hansen, C. J. Olson, A.
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Sanderson, Soren Sorenson Lah, Nels Larson, Lars Hanson, A. P. Hanson, Oliver Nelson and others. The first church building was erected in the summer of 1886 and was remodeled in 1899. The remodeled church was dedicated in June, 1900. Rev. O. H. Smeby was pastor from 1876 until 1894. From 1891 to 1894 he was assisted by Rev. Hans Magelssen. Rev. T. O. Tolo was pastor from 1894 to 1899. Rev. E. Skabo was pastor from 1899 to 1905 and at his death in the latter year was interred in Hayward cemetery, where the congregations in his charge have erected a beautiful monument over his remains. Rev. Skabo spent one year in Europe, 1902-03, and Rev. C. F. Magelssen was here during his absence. In the winter of 1905, when Rev. Skabo's health failed, Rev. O. Amdalsrud came to temporarily fill his place, and later, when Rev. Skabo died, Rev. Amdalsrud was called and has for some time been the pastor. He is an active worker, a man of excellent scholarship and sound theology, and has greatly endeared himself to the people among whom he serves. In con- nection with the church there are a flourishing Ladies' Aid So- ciety and a Young People's Society, as well as a Young Ladies' Society. The Hayward parsonage is situated a little south of the church. It was built in 1895 and is a fine, large house, with a good orchard and plenty of garden room. Thomas Armstrong donated the lot for a church. In 1876 a cemetery lot was secured about a quarter of a mile from the church.
Red Oak Grove Congregation, Norwegian Evangelical Luth- eran Synod. The first services held in Newry township of a relig- ious character were in the fall of 1856, at the house of Ole Thorson, in section 36, and Rev. C. L. Clauson and Rev. O. Pierce were the ministers who officiated, both being followers of the Lutheran faith. In 1857 C. L. Clauson organized the Norwegian Lutheran Church at a house in section 36, owned by C. E. Rukke, with thirty-six members, and the society commenced holding serv- ices at private residences, which they continued until 1874, when they erected a fine church building just over the county line in Mower county.
UNITED BRETHREN CHURCHES.
Trinity Congregation, United Norwegian Evangelical Church, was first organized in Hartland township, December 23, 1876, with Rev. P. G. Ostby as pastor. The trustees and officers at that time were Jens Thoreson, Lars Seberson, Martin Christopherson, An- drew Rogn, secretary. Meetings were held in a school house. The first services were held in the village of Hartland, September 2, 1890, in the small church building which has served as a meeting place for various denominations during its existence. Rev. A.
REV. PAUL G. OSTBY
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
Anderson was pastor at that time. Rev. G. O. Belsheim was the next minister called, and it was during his pastorate, in 1899, that the plans were made for the congregation to build a church edi- fice of its own and the building was erected that year. The building has two rooms, a lecture room, divided into two com- partments, besides the main audience room. Rev. Naes succeeded Rev. Belsheim as pastor and remained until he was called to Austin, and the present pastor is the Rev. Nils Kleven, who resides at Albert Lea. The local congregation is joined with Albert Lea in securing a minister, the latter town being the resi- dence of the pastor, who comes here once a month, holding Nor- wegian services in the morning and English services in the even- ing. Connected with the church is a live Ladies' Aid Society, a Luther League and a Sunday School, the latter convening every Sunday.
Lime Creek, Emmons and Bethel Congregations, United Nor- wegian Evangelical Church. The Lime Creek congregation had its beginning in 1859, when Rev. C. L: Clausen, then residing in St. Ansgar, Iowa, preached in this neighborhood and served until this and other congregations in the vicinity called Rev. T. A. Torgerson as their minister. But after several years, in 1869, this congregation became divided because Rev. Torgerson was a pro- slaveryman, and the majority in the congregations were to the contrary. There were held several meetings concerning that question, but it ended as above stated, and the anti-slavery con- gregations separated from Rev. Torgerson and the Norwegian Synod, to which church body they had belonged. Then these con- gregations called to their ministry B. Gjildaker, candidate from the University of Christiana, Norway. He accepted the call, came over here and commenced his ministerial work in 1870. He served this congregation until the close of 1876, when he moved to Minneapolis as theological professor at Augsburg Seminary. When Rev. Gjildaker resigned from his congregations they were divided into three parishes, one of which consisted of the Lime Creek and Lake Mills congregations, who, in 1877, called Rev. P. G. Ostby, residing in Austin, Minn., to their pastorate. He accepted the call and commenced his ministerial duties here with the beginning of the year 1878. He is serving the congregations yet, although he at this writing is seventy-five years old. The Lime Creek congregation has a roomy and nice church building (erected in 1874, but not completed and dedicated until 1886), and a church yard surrounding the church. In this long period of nearly thirty-four years the congregation has enjoyed a steady material and spirtual growth. It has surprised the minister with several valuable gifts and has been actively partaking in the work of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church (with which it
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
has been connected since the organization of that body in 1890) and in many other undertakings.
In 1893 Lake Mills congregation separated from the parish and secured a minister for itself. In 1902 a good many families resigned from the Lime Creek congregation, with all friendliness, for the sake of convenience, and were organized as a separate congregation, with the name of Emmons Evangelical Lutheran Congregation, with the special resolution that it should be con- nected with Lime Creek Congregation so far as to have the same minister. This congregation has steadily been increasing. It built and dedicated a nice church March 21, 1903, in the little town of Emmons, and it secured from Lime Creek Congregation a cemetery conspicuously located on a plateau one-half mile west from the village. The village of Emmons has now for years voted out the saloon and the members of the congregation have chiefly sustained that good result. Even before Rev. P. G. Ostby came to this place there were held by the former minister some divine services about nine miles southwest from Lime Creek church, amongst the few farmers there. Rev. Ostby continued the work, and about a year after his arrival here he organized a congrega- tion there, with the name of Bethel Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. It was very small, beginning with only seven or eight families, but it has increased so that it now con- sists of about fifty families. The minister's work is divided equally between the three congregations. He has much to do : divine services twice every Sunday and holiday, with baptism of the infants and distribution of the Holy Supper. He is reading with the confirmants nearly once a week in each congregation, visiting sick persons, officiating at weddings and burials and par- taking in the work of the Ladies' Aid Societies. He is also par- taking in the United Church's yearly meetings, of which he has missed but two in forty years, two district meetings a year and pastoral meetings once a year. So he has seldom a day to rest. In 1876 he made a journey to Norway (his native country) as delegate from the Norwegian Danish Conference to the general assembly of the Norwegian Mission Society, and that was the only vacation he has had in forty years. Emmons and Bethel congregations belong also to the United Norwegian Lutheran Church. This information has been furnished by the venerable and devout pastor.
DANISH LUTHERAN.
The Carlston and Alden Congregations, Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, had their beginning February 18, 1873, when the Carlston Danish Evangelican Lutheran Congregation in Free-
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
born county, Minnesota, was organized. The organizers were : Anders Petersen, L. C. Straudskov, H. P. Jensen, Morten Petersen, Anders Jacobsen, Lars Nielsen, Hans Paulsen, L. P. Mathiasen, J. C. Rasmussen and Jacob Paulsen. The meeting was held at the residence of Lars Straudskov, section 28, Carlston township. The pastor engaged was Rev. E. Wulfsberg, of the Freeborn Congre- gations, Norwegian Evangelican Lutheran Synod. The pastors of the church have been as follows: February 23, 1873 to April 25, 1876, E. Wulfsberg; August, 1876, to December, 1879, J. J. Danielsen ; December, 1879 to 1884, F. M. Christensen ; 1885-1889, J. N. Jersild ; June 1, 1889, to 1891, J. Jensen (Mylun) ; 1891-1893, Klemmen Jensen; 1893-1899, P. Kolhede; 1900-1904, J. Jorgen- sen ; 1905-1907, C. Schousboe Jensen; 1908 to the present time, Rev. Ole Gregersen.
January 20, 1883, the congregation voted to erect a church edifice. At that time the fund consisted of $121. It was increased by $1,806, thus making a total of $1,927. The contract was let to J. Andersen, of Spring Valley, at $1,800. The dedication, Sep- tember 2, 1883, was an important day in the history of the con- gregation. Pastor Lyngby, of Racine, preached the dedicatory sermon, J. Jensen took charge of the social features, and F. M. Christensen preached an excellent sermon. A silver communion service was received as a gift from a congregation in Denmark. This church was erected in section 22, Carlston township. In 1886 a home was erected in Carlston township for the pastor at a cost of $700. In 1903 a fine hall for meeting and social purposes was erected near the church. In 1906 a church was erected in Alden village, both edifices now being owned and used by the joint con- gregation. In 1908 the congregation sold their parsonage in the country and purchased one in the village.
For about twenty-five years the congregation has had a flour- ishing Ladies' Aid Society. A school is kept for the children of the congregation in the summer time. A Young People's Society has a good membership, and the Sunday School is well attended. A cemetery is located about the church. The first burial was that of Hans Paulson in 1874.
When the church was organized the pastor was the president of the congregation. Later members of the congregation were elected to the position. The laymen who have served are: J. J. Howe, N. P. Barner, Andrew Johnson, L. P. Jacobsen, L. P. Skov and H. L. Johnson. Mr. Skov, who has furnished this article, is an active worker in the church and has done much to promote its progress.
Rev. Ole Gregersen, pastor of the Danish Lutheran churches of Carlston and Alden, was born in Denmark, November 29, 1859. He received a common and high school education, taught school
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
and served in the standing army in his native country. In 1889 he came to America and studied at the Danish Lutheran Theolog- ical Seminary, then at West Denmark, Wis. In 1893 he started his ministry and served in Ohio, Connecticut, Kansas and Michi- gan before coming to Carlston and Alden in 1908.
St. John's Skandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of the United Danish Lutheran Church was organized in January, 1878, at the home of Nels Sorensen, section 1, Shell Rock town- ship. The Rev. Tosdahl was the first pastor, coming from Silver Lake, Iowa. Until 1894 services were held in various homes, and also in the Barron school, district 100, and Burr Oak school, dis- trict 71. In 1894 a building was erected in section 12, Shell Rock, half a mile south of Myrtle. Later a shed was erected for the accommodation of horses. In July, 1894, the church was dedicated. Among the pastors may be mentioned: L. Johnsen, 1892-1897 ; C. Nielsen, 1897 to 1899; J. J. Kildsig, 1899-1902 ; H. O. Frimodt Moller, 1902-1904; O. R. Olsen from 1904 to the present time. The organizers of the congregation in 1878 were N. Soren- sen, J. P. Sorensen, Nels Andersen, H. Petersen, Andrew Hansen, C. Hansen, H. C. Larsen, Conrad Nelsen, J. Jorgensen, Christian Jensen and their families. Among the present members may be mentioned : H. P. Hansen, Andrew Hansen, Nels Andersen, Chris- tian Jensen and Peter Nelsen. The above information has been gathered by C. Jensen, one of the active workers in the congre- gation.
Riceland Congregation, of the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, was organized in 1880 and built an edifice two years later. Soren Anderson is the leading trustee. Among the pastors have been Christ Jansen, P. Nelsen, L. Johnsen, J. Kildsig, M. V. C. Nelsen, H. O. F. Moller and O. R. Olsen, the present pastor. The above information is furnished by M. P. Paulson.
Godthaab Congregation, of the United Danish Evangelican Lutheran Church, was organized November 10, 1909, by Rev. M. O. Block, of Ellendale, who is still serving. The congregation wor- ships in the Union church at Geneva village. The pastor also serves at Summit and Blooming Prairie, as well as at Geneva. The congregation has a Ladies' Aid Society, which is doing excel- lent work. The officers of the congregation are : R. Olsen, Julius Jensen, George Olsen, Chr. Thompsen, Chr. Holm, M. Mortensen, H. Larsen, L. Larsen and Carl Nelson.
GERMAN LUTHERAN.
Bethlehem Congregation of Shell Rock and London, German Evangelical Church. In the year of 1872 a German settlement was started in the towns of Shell Rock and London. The first
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
pioneers came from Watertown, Wis., and vicinity and from Ger- many and Poland. Among them were: C. Struck, C. Grube, F. Grube, W. Wolff, John Wolff, C. Lau; and a little later C. Schill- ing, G. Tessmann, P. Will, W. and F. Lau, F. Seeger, C. Waldow; A. Stiemke, John and W. Butow. At the same time the mission work began and Rev. G. Landgrebe preached in four different public school houses till 1882. In that year a congregation was organized and incorporated by the name of the Evangelical Lutheran Bethlehem Congregation in towns of Shell Rock and London, and the following officers were elected. Wilhelm Wolff, August Stiemke and G. Tessmann. A small building, 16x24, was erected as a church and parsonage combined. The first settled pastor was Rev. C. Weltner. The congregation is connected with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa and other states and belongs to the Minnesota Conference in the northern district of that synod. In the year 1890 a church 36x56 was built, with a tower seventy-five feet high, and at the same time the parsonage was rebuilt and dedicated. Rev. L. Hagermann was the second pastor, for the years 1884 to 1891. His successor was Rev. D. Lebahn till the year of 1897. At that time the congregation built a new school house 24x36 and bought seven acres of land. Since 1897 till the present time, the year of 1911, Rev. Martin Vosseler has been pastor of the congregation. During his admin- istration a new altar, a 1,300-pound bell and a $1,300 pipe organ completed the sanctuary. The parsonage was also enlarged and renovated at a cost of $1,100. In the year of 1911 the community amounted to as follows : 575 souls, 75 voting members or families, 341 communicants, 60 scholars. The property is worth about $9,000. The officers at present, 1911, are as follows: Chairman, Rev. Martin Vosseler, pastor; secretary, John Butow; cashier, John Golnick; committee, Albert Schuhmacher and Otto Buth; trustees, Herman Schuhmacher, Fred Wahlers and Carl Virchow. -Contributed by the pastor.
Concordia Congregations of Nunda and Pickerel Lake, German Evangelical Lutheran Church, is connected with the northern dis- trict of the Synod of Iowa and other states. The first meetings were held in private homes and public school houses, in the late fifties and early sixties, by field missionaries. Rev. J. Schorr, missionary for northern Iowa, residing at Prairie du Chien, Iowa, was the first Lutheran minister visiting Lutherans in Freeborn county. After him Rev. Michael Reck became field missionary (Reiseprediger) for southern Minnesota, residing at Spring Val- ley, and he became the first regular pastor of the German Luther- ans of Freeborn county. He was the organizer of the congrega- tion then located in the townships of Nunda, Pickerel Lake and Mansfield, preaching and keeping parochial schools in the three
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
respective settlements, besides doing missionary work, mostly afoot, in the counties of Mower, Freeborn, Faribault and Martin. The first members of the congregation were: J. V. Wohlhuter, George L. Scherb, George Renn, H. Drommerhausen, J. M. Geis- sler, Louis and William Marpe, Henry and Karl Schneider, Fred Fink, Chr. Boehle, Karl Kaufman, John and Henry Tunell, H. Jahnke, J. Seedorf, Ernst and Aug. Hintz, J. Wachholz, Valentin Katzung and William Yost. Rev. M. Reck had free board in different families of his congregation and a salary not exceeding $200. His successor became Rev. S. Hertrich. For him the mem- bers erected the first parsonage, in North Nunda, now Clover, a building 16 by 20-inch 12-foot posts. He was succeeded by Rev. H. Kretschman in 1874. In 1875, by his leaving the Iowa synod, he split the congregation. After an addition was built to the parsonage, the same was sold for debts, and the pastor moving on his farm, kept a number of the members in Pickerel Lake as a __ separate congregation, existing yet. A small part of the Pickerel Lake members and the majority of the members of the settle- ments in Nunda and Mansfield, opposed to the doings of the pastor, H. Kretschman, and advised by the theological student, Julius Keuling, those opposing members notified the president of synod of the situation. Then the young Rev. Ferdinand Tiede was sent here. He arrived September 10, 1875, reorganizing the three settlements into one congregation again. The parsonage which had been sold and six acres of land was repurchased. In 1881 the first church building was erected, 28x40, costing $2,500, with sixteen members. The parsonage was enlarged at different times. Rev. F. Tiede served the congregation until May, 1911, nearly thirty-six years. Then Mansfield became independent, keeping the old minister. Rev. C. Eckhoff, of Spring Valley, became his successor. Rev. F. Tiede, in those years, was doing missionary work besides at Delavan, Rice Lake (Walters), Alden and Albert Lea, organizing congregations at these places. A church building was erected in Mansfield in 1888, at Rice Lake in 1890, and also school houses at Clover and Mansfield, the total valuation of church property being about $25,000.
Rev. F. Tiede was born at Raddenfort, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, where his father was a schoolmaster for fifty years. He received his education at home and at the gymnasium at Ludwigs- lust, and in a teachers' seminary at Lubtheen, in Germany. In 1872 he emigrated and arrived at New York November 2, 1872. He entered the theological seminary at St. Sebald, Clayton county, Iowa, and at Mendota, Ill., for three years. At the age of twenty years he passed the ministerial examination, with good marks, in June, 1875. He became a vicar for four weeks of Rev. J. Foelsch at Cedar Falls, Iowa, where he was ordained by said
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
Foelsch and Rev. G. Blessin. May 14, 1878, he married Wilhel- mina Kunder, of Troy Grove, Ill. His sons, William and Franz, are ministers at Pocahontas and Maynard, Iowa; Frederick is farming in the township of Alden, Johannes died when two years of age ; the daughter, Frieda, is married to Rev. R. C. Ackermann, of Superior, Wis .; Minnie is at home.
SWEDISH LUTHERAN.
The Mansfield Congregation of the Augustana Synod, Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church, was organized by Rev. S. Anderson in 1893, the first meetings being held and the organization per- fected at the home of Nels Johnson. Meetings the first year were also held in other homes and in the school house of district 121. In 1894 the congregation was incorporated and a church was built in the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of the south- west quarter of section 20. The congregation belongs to the St. Peter district, and in the early days, before a regular pastor was installed, meetings were held about once a month by pastors belonging to that district. In the winter of 1896 this congrega- tion joined with the congregation near Otisco, Minn., in calling a pastor. Rev. H. P. Quist served from 1896 to 1902. The church was dedicated in the fall of 1903, with Rev. E. O. Peterson as pastor. He served until 1905. Rev. John E. Hedberg served from 1906 to September, 1911, when the present pastor, Rev. C. J. Rosenquist, took charge. The pastors make their home in Otisco, Minn. This information is furnished by Ole S. Nelson.
DANISH BAPTIST.
First Danish Baptist Church of Clarks Grove. In 1861 a small colony of Danish Baptists in Wisconsin decided to push further west to establish for themselves a home in a new country. This colony of people had but a few years previous to this time come to America from Denmark and settled in Raymond, Wis., where they were not at all content. Confiding their wishes and plans to Rev. L. Jorgenson, they soon found that he was in hearty sym- pathy with them, and accordingly preparations were made for the journey. Two years elapsed before the party set out and the trip was made in a lumber wagon, drawn by a team of oxen, and the party numbered six. After a long and exceedingly tiresome journey this company reached Freeborn county, having covered a distance of about 120 miles west from LaCrosse. Their plans were to go even farther west to secure government land, but owing to fear of Indians and the fatigue occasioned by the long trip to this county, they abandoned these plans. Near the places
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
selected for their homes they found people of their own nation- ality, who but a short time ago had come there, and this helped them to feel more contented with their new surroundings, and particularly as these people were of their own faith. That fall two more families came from Raymond, and in the party was a minis- ter, N. Christianson, who but a short time previous had come to this country from Denmark, and he was chosen by this small colony of Danish people to preside over their Sunday services. October 11, 1863, the first meeting of this colony was held in the log house of one of the families, and that day a church consisting of fifteen members was organized. This meeting was held at the home of N. Larson, who has long since entered into rest, leaving a widow who still lives at an advanced age. The next summer other families came from Wisconsin, and the church soon grew to be a prosperous organization. In the fall of 1864 J. Henrikson, a minister, came to join this community of sturdy Danes, and on August 4 a Sunday school was organized, which was conducted in the English language, and Hans Rasmussen was elected super- intendent. In 1886 J. S. Lunn and L. P. Lawson were chosen as teachers in this Sunday school, and that same year the congre- gation built a small chapel of logs, with dimensions of 16 by 25 feet. At that time the membership of this church had increased to sixty members, which gained forty-two members during the following five years. In 1871, Rev. Henderson was chosen pastor, and he occupied this position until 1876, when he resigned and went back to Wisconsin in response to a call from a church at that place. A new building was erected in 1873 by the congrega- tion about a mile and half south of the first church. on the lot where the present edifice stands. This building was considered a very fine piece of architecture at that time and meetings were held every Sabbath, and during the week, the congregation driving long distances to be present at these meetings. After the resigna- tion of Rev. Hendrikson, Rev. J. S. Lunn was chosen to preside over the congregation, which had increased in three years' time to the extent that the new building was altogether too small. In 1884 this church was enlarged to twice its former size, and that same year the pastor, J. S. Lunn, resigned, and was succeeded by Rev. A. Carstenson, who occupied the pulpit until 1889, and resigned to accept a call from a church in Brown county. The membership of this Baptist church had now grown to the number of 267, and for about three years after Pastor Carstenson left Rev. James Lawson presided over the congregation. In 1892 Rev. Iver Larson was elected to the pulpit and began his services on December 1, that year. At that time the membership of the Sunday school was from ninety to 100, with about eight or ten teachers. In 1895 it was found that the church was too small to
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