USA > Minnesota > Houston County > History of Houston County, Minnesota > Part 110
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Jefferson Norwegian Lutheran Preaching Place, by Rev. H. J. Wein. In the late sixties or early seventies a few families from Norway settled in Jefferson township. Pastors from Spring Grove held services there five or six times a year until Rev. H. J. Wein came to Spring Grove in 1903. After that year from eight to twelve services have been held each year in the homes of the members. No congregation has been formally organized and there is no church building. There are about 36 members. They show much interest in church work and are liberal contributors to the different activities of the Lutheran church.
The parents take much pains to instruct their children in the Word of God. It is doubtful that a Lutheran church ever will be built in Jefferson, but beside the services held in the homes. The Jefferson people often at- tend services in Wilmington and Caledonia in the summer. Mr. Claus Grace is secretary. Beside the Grace families, M. Olsons, Oliver Anderson, John Swenson and John Moes are members. Jefferson congregation has three members in the army.
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Rev. Styrk Sjurson Reque, for 39 years the faithful and efficient pastor of the Spring Grove and neighboring congregations, was a native of Nor- way, being born in the district of Voss on the 27th day of November, 1836. His parents were Sjur Styrkson Reque and Anna Gjenne. They emigrated to this country in 1845 and made their first home near Leeds, Columbia county, Wis., a little inland hamlet about 20 miles north of Madison. Three years later they moved to the famous Koshkonong settlement in Dane county, where the son Styrk received his preliminary education, such as the community afforded. Later he continued his studies at the Madison high school from 1857 to 1860, and at the University of Wisconsin from 1860 to 1861. From 1862 to 1865 he attended the Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary at St. Louis, Mo., where he received his divinity training, and upon graduating from this school he was ordained to the ministry. His first charge was at Roche a Cree, Wis., where he also served congregation at Kilbourn City, Lemonweir, Lewiston and Greenwood. While serving here he made an extensive missionary trip through Texas and Minnesota. After serving here for six years, he accepted a call extended to him from Spring Grove and vicinity in 1871. Their pastor, the Rev. F. C. Clausen, had been called by death the year before. In this charge he re- mained until his death in 1910. When he became pastor at Spring Grove, the charge extended over the greater part of the southwestern quarter of Houston county, and it soon became apparent that one man could not pos- sibly satisfy the demands placed upon his strength. In 1876, therefore, an assistant was called in the person of Rev. Reier Larson. His time of service, however, became short. He succumbed to tuberculosis in the fall of '78 much beloved, especially on account of the gentleness of his nature. In 1880, Rev. Eskild P. Jenson became assistant in the charge, residing about half a mile east of Riceford, where a parsonage had been built that year, and having charge more particularly of the Riceford and Black Ham- mer congregations. These congregations were released in 1895 from their connection with Spring Grove, and together with a congregation at New- burg, Minn., became an independent charge under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Jenson until his death in 1905. Two years after his death, in spite of the curtailing of the field, the work had grown to such proportions that this fact, together with the necessity of getting a man who was thoroughly at home in the English language, led to the calling of Rev. Hans J. Wein as assistant pastor. He served in that capacity until the year 1908, when the call was again divided and the Rev. Mr. Wein took charge of the whole eastern part of the call, comprising Wilmington, Caledonia and Jefferson congregations, the latter a little congregation near Freeburg, Minn. In the latter part of January, 1910, Mr. Reque fell on the pavement outside of his home and sustained a fracture of the hip. He was taken at once to a hospital and given the best of care .. He recovered sufficiently to return home and take up the work again during the summer. This, however, was very burdensome, as he was obliged to use crutches. Again he was stricken with some internal trouble caused by his injury, and from this trouble he never rallied, passing away at his home on the 20th of August, 1910. Mr. Reque was a man of commanding personality. Physically he was a giant in
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REV. ALFRED O. JOHNSON
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build and strength. Added to this was a clear mind, splendid poise, moral and physical courage and Christian consecration. Such a personal equip- ment will explain the splendid work performed by him during the 39 years of his ministry here. When he took up the work his charge contained probably not over 200 families, while the same field at the time of his death contained over 500 families. During 39 years he kept all his congregations intact. Not once did the hydra of dissension raise its head, and today his field may look back upon a history that has known no internal strife. And that in spite of the fact that the Norwegian Lutheran church of this country during that time had three times passed through the agonies of bitter doctrinal controversies. In 1876 the saloons, up to that time a curse and a disgrace to Spring Grove, were voted out, and no one questions the contention that the change was due to the fearless and untiring work of the strong and energetic pastor. Far beyond the confines of his charge has the influence of Mr. Reque extended. Each spring a number of emigrants from this community have wended their way westward, and as a rule, wherever they have gone the influence of the pastor who had baptized them, taught them, confirmed them, and married many of them, went with them. In many instances they settled in groups, and there are today congrega- Mons composed very largely of people from Spring Grove and vicinity who Cherish the memory of their former pastor. It is not without interest to know that the records of Spring Grove congregation show that during his ministry the following ministerial acts were performed: baptized, 3,- 081; married, 629 couples ; buried, 1,079, and confirmed, 2,052. After the death of Rev. Mr. Reque, the Rev. Alfred O. Johnson, then located in Chi- cago, accepted the call extended to him by the congregation. On December 4, 1910, he entered upon his duties and still serves the congregation. Rev. Reque was married July 2, 1866, to Cecelia Anderson, who died May 30, 1900. This union was blessed with nine children: Dr. Sever Reque, of Westby, Wisconsin; Anna, now Mrs. Fred Mueller, of Iota, Wis; Dr. Peter Reque, of Brooklyn, who has served as captain in the Medical Corps of the American Expeditionary Force in France; Dr. William A. Reque, a physician of Menomonie, Wis .; Sara, now Mrs. Oscar Omlie, of Spring Grove; S. Gerhard, an electrical engineer of Allentown, Penn .; Lars, a pharmacist, of Brooklyn, N. Y .; Otto, in the United States Mail service at De Forest, Wis .; and Walter who has been a lieutenant in the United States Army.
To the foregoing article compiled by Rev. Alfred O. Johnson, the pub- lishers of this work have added the following biography of the author:
Rev. Alfred O. Johnson, pastor of Trinity Lutheran church at Spring Grove, Minn., was born at Zumbrota, Minn., May 12, 1871, son of Hans and Julia (Strand) Johnson. He is of Norwegian ancestry. His grand- father, John Hanson, born in Norway, died at Red Wing, Minn., at the age of 86, while the maternal grandfather, Asle Strand, was for a number of years a farmer in Goodhue county, this state. Hans Johnson, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Norway in 1844, and was brought to America in 1853, while his wife was born in 1849 and came to this country
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in 1855. They were married in Zumbrota in 1868. The father, who previous to the Civil War, had lived in Iowa, in 1862 enlisted in the 27th Iowa Infantry. He saw three years' military service, taking part in numerous campaigns and engagements, and at Mt. Pleasant, La., was wounded. This misfortune, together with the exposure due to lying on the battlefield for days at a time, brought on an affliction of the eyes which has since resulted in total blindness. After the war he engaged successfully in mercantile business at Zumbrota, and was elected clerk of Goodhue county, in which office he served for 12 years, but had to resign on account of his eyes. For the last 25 years he has lived retired. He has taken an active and influential part in Republican politics, and though largely self educated, is well in- formed and has had much experience with men and affairs. He and his wife are devout members of the Lutheran church. They became the parents of five children: Julius Melvin, a farmer near Bowman, S. D .; Alfred O .; Edwin Casper, a dentist at Cannon Falls, Minn .; Wilford Alpheus, a minis- ter of the Lutheran church at Capron, Ill .; and Clara Oline, who married Rev. N. S. Magelssen, pastor of Highland Prairie congregation at Fillmore. Alfred O. Johnson was reared in Red Wing, acquiring his primary educa- tion in the public schools. He then entered the Luther College at Decorah, Iowa, where he was graduated in 1891. His theological training was re- ceived in the Luther Seminary at Robbinsdale, Minn., and after graduating in 1894, he began his pastoral work at Morrisville, Wis., as assistant to the Rt. Rev. H. A. Preus, then president of the Norwegian Synod. In the fol- lowing year he was called to the Church of Our Saviour at Chicago, and was pastor of that Norwegian Lutheran congregation until 1910. In the latter year he returned to Minnesota to take charge of the Trinity Lutheran church at Spring Grove, one of the largest Lutheran churches in the state, where he has done important work and won the confidence and high regard of the members. In politics he is an independent Republican, but all his time and energy are taken up by his church duties and his studies. As he is still in the prime of life he has the promise of many years of continued usefulness in his high calling. During the Great War, he was a leader in all patriotic endeavor, and was county director of the State Safety Com- mission until he resigned on account of ill health. His position is an ideal one in the community, he is truly the pastor of his people in all good things, and his voice and influence are ever raised in behalf of the best things, and sane progress, along all lines of civic and personal endeavor. Mr. Johnson was married, June 11, 1895, to Bertina Marie Olson, of Red Wing, Minn., whose father, Peter Olson, was a shoemaker in that city. Seven children have blessed their union, five of them now living : Paul Gerhard, a graduate of the Luther College at Decorah, Iowa; Bernard Alfred, also a graduate of that college; Harold Edward, who has graduated from the public schools of Spring Grove and is now a student at Luther College; Helen Marie, who died in Chicago in 1909, at the age of five years; Clara Ovedia, and Alfred 0., Jr., who are attending school, and Helen Marie (second), who died in 1914 at the age of three years.
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