* ^ *# Hi B .STATE LIBRARY USiVSARCK, ND 58505 Steeples Rise on the Prairies

CHAPTERS FROM THE HISTORY OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN NORTH DAKOTA

By Martha Reishus

rhe North Dakota District History Editorial Board—Harold B. Kildahl, Jr., Chairman; D. Leonard Orvedal; Mrs. H. A. Fischer; Rev. John Rotto; Miss Viola M. Bohn; ?ev. O. E. Dolven; Rev. K. O. G|ernes; Norman Brunsdal.

North Dakota District The Evangelical Lutheran Church 1324 Third Avenue South, Fargo, North Dakota

North Dakot* St»t« tihrxrv

tinman Books by Martha Reishus

THE BUILDERS

THE RAG RUG

HEARTS AND HANDS UPLIFTED

STEEPLES RISE ON THE PRAIRIE Dedication For our forebears in the faith whose foot­ steps marked the Westward way toward which their hearts were bent; whose faith in God was certified by steeples raised where'er they went; for Christian men and women of years now long since spent, we give thanks to Him from whom all blessings flow. To the memory of pastors and people, the known and the unknown, who planted the church on the broad prairies of North Dakota, we dedicate this book.

cp^l-^-r/tf /^U^C+^S^-• Foreword

There are about five hundred congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which are active in North Dakota today. Five hundred steeples rise over city, town and country. Each steeple represents a flock of God, which gathers for worship and Christian fellowship from Sunday to Sunday. Besides these steeples, there are many others where the work has been discontinued. In most cases, this has hap­ pened because families have moved away from the old farm community. Possibly they went west or they may have moved to a nearby town or city. The time came when there were not enough people left, to keep the program of the church going. Each steeple has its own story. Every story is filled with accounts of faithfulness, frustrations, heroism, sacri­ fice, hardships, sorrows, joys, defeats, victories, sweat and tears. If the full story were told about any one of these steeples, a volume such as this one would be needed to tell it. To tell the full story of the spiritual and physical heroism of the pioneer pastors, who rode long miles on our prairie roads to serve their people, would require volumes. To record the faithfulness of pastors' wives, who stood beside their husbands in good and evil days, would require other volumes. To tell of the nobility and the sacrificial spirit of our pioneer lay people, who made these "steeples rise on the prairies," would require the most volumes of all. This book makes no pretense of telling every story or of telling any story completely. It is well named, "Chapters from the History of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Dakota." The author has wisely chosen "Chapters" from many different parts of our District. The experiences related are typical of the experiences of other congrega­ tions in the same area. We are most fortunate to have such a competent author as Miss Martha Reishus, right in our own midst. Her former writings have been well received. We know that this production also will be treasured by our North Dakota church people and by many others, whose roots are in this prairie state. Miss Reishus has a fascinating style of writing and she makes the old pioneers live again. We hope that this volume will find its way into our homes, our churches, our schools and into many public libraries. We pray that it may prove to be a real blessing to our church and our people. As we finish reading it and lay it down, we will be quietly singing our 1959 Conven­ tion theme song in our hearts, "Now thank we all our God . . . Who wondrous things hath done."

LOYAL E. TALLAKSON Acknowledgments

I am deeply grateful, for criticism and encouragement, to the Editorial Board, to Dr. T. F. Gullixson, Dr. T. A. Hoff and Dr. N. Astrup Larsen—all former pastors of North Dakota parishes—to Dr. Carleton Qualley of Carleton College and to Mr. Edward Langemo and Dr. Roy Har- risville who guided me to forgotten journals and manu­ scripts. My deep appreciation to Dr. O. G. Malmin who assisted me in research and who took the time to share his coffee- break with me. My thanks too, for the courtesy shown me at the Luther College Library and the State Library at Bismarck. Contents

CHAPTER PAGE 1. Steeples Rise on the Prairies 1 2. We Look Toward the Setting Sun 5 3. The Church Follows the Settler 9 4. Home Mission Work Begins 14 5. Out Where the West Begins 28 6. Ye Shall Be My Witnesses 3.5 7. Three Weeks in a Tent 39 8. We Follow the Gleam 53 9. In the Valley of the Sheyenne 61 10. The Church Marches On 66 11. The First Lutheran of Fargo 77 12. First Lutheran Church, Williston, North Dakota 81 13. The United Lutheran Church of Grand Forks 86 14. The Concordia Lutheran Church of Crosby . . 90 15. Trinity Lutheran at Bismarck 93 16. The Trinity Lutheran Church of Jamestown 95 17. Our Schools 98 18. The Language Question 103 19. God's Word Is Our Great Heritage 105 20. Glad Tidings Are Broadcast 110 21. Our Missions—Home and Foreign 112 22. First Lutheran at Tioga 119 23. Medora Lutheran Church 122 24. Our Rural Life Commission 125 25. Our Charities 128 26. Our Minority Groups 131 27. Our Auxiliary Groups 133 28. Our Executives 142 Now thank we all our God, With heart and hands and voices, Who wondrous things hath done. In whom His ivorld rejoices; Who from our mother's arms Hath blessed us on our way With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God, Through all our life be near us, With ever joyfid hearts, And blessed peace to cheer us; And keep us in His grace, And guide us when perplexed, And free us from all ills, In this ivorld and the next.

All praise and thanks to God The Father now be given, The Son and Him who reigns With them in highest heaven; The one eternal God, Whom earth and heaven adore; For thus it was, is now, And shall be evermore! /

Steeples Rise on the Prairies

This little history of the North Dakota District of The Evangelical Lutheran Church is written to bring us living pictures of the past. It includes the history of our church and as such includes, to a lesser degree, men, movements and incidents. Providence is so often con­ cealed in the details of human affairs but becomes un­ veiled as we follow the generalities. Our 1959 Convention will, God willing, be the last District Convention of The Evangelical Lutheran Church. It does bring a lump in the throat and yet we remember that this has not been the first time a union has been consummated to the Glory of God. We do not purpose to come to this, our last, District Convention with a "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may die" feeling, but rather we come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves! For sheaves they are. Numerically we have grown faster than any church in America. There are 500 Evangelical Lutheran churches in the state and a constituency of 130,000 souls. We have plunged into Mission work, Home and Foreign—stepping out on the promises of God. Our Stewardship Program has been noteworthy, and the prog­ ress of Evangelizing has been outstanding. In 1961 and on we shall be The American Lutheran Church. "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." We shall meet the love of our brothers with love. We have faith that the new church will discover that there are dormant seeds that have not deteriorated but will, with a new impetus, produce again and become effective in the work of the Kingdom. The 1917 merger saw a church emerge as a powerful and successfully rejuvenated organ­ ization. The three branches were like three rivers meet­ ing to form a mighty rushing stream toward the sea. It was a remarkable achievement characterized by doc­ trinal conservatism and pietism. We who lived and labored through the merger period will remember the feeling of sadness that persisted in being recognized. But now as we look back we realize the pangs were not so much of loyalty as selfishness. The problems that arose in the tangled corners were, for the most part, the result of personal follies and wrong doing. God is faith­ ful and led us out of the troubled waters and showed us how differences could be ironed out. God was in the cloud—only our eyes of faith were dim! The Psalmist said: "Behold, how good and how pleas­ ant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." It is a beautiful picture the sweet singer of Israel sees with his mind's eye—that of brethren confessing one faith dwelling together in unity and peace. Unity of faith and life is so surprisingly excellent that David does not try to measure its good and pleasure, but simply calls on us to admire this wonderful grace in order that by so doing the holy desire to share in its good and pleasure may fill our hearts and impel us to strive after the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. True concord among those who have a common Father and a common Savior, those who are children of one family, is the most fragrant and refreshing fact in life and a source of highest and deepest joy. It is impossible for the historian of this little book to cover all the churches within the District though each one makes interesting reading. We have selected only a few which we find especially colorful and an effort has been made to produce a cross-section typical of the entire church in its development. We have endeavored to show that the church works toward the improvement of our social and civic life as well as our spiritual life. The church not only approves but often spearheads a movement for betterment. We have tried too, to show that the church gives us a center for social and recreational life. In early years the church was the religious service center only, but today has kept pace with our times and carries on a seven-day week program—choirs, Luther Leagues, Children of the Reformation, L.D.R., W.M.F. with its branches, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, et cetera. All these find their focus in the church. Since rural life is largely tied up with Agriculture, its history will always vary with the story of the develop­ ment of farming. The story from the oxen to the new type mechanism is a long one. As opposed to the era when the tendency was for folks to move from the rural to the city or village life, we now notice the reverse. "Back to the farm" slogans are posted here, there and everywhere. The farm has become more alluring. Modern equipment for indoor and outdoor work, rural electri­ fication, telephones, highways, loans, and short-term courses at Agricultural stations—all these are a far cry from farming in the early 80's. Perhaps the Highways were the "Public Relations" factors; it brought the neighbors into closer fellowship; the school bus system made for better and more unified school systems, and should have—perhaps did—who can say—increased church attendance as a whole. At any rate no more does the farmer depend on the fascinating mail order catalog or the small trading center at the crossroads postoffice. He now has access to the busy com- munity offering a wide variety of specialized services and lively social activities centered around the church. A building can only be as sturdy as its foundation. The first lessons of citizenship are learned in the home. There we first come to understand what loyalty and co-operation mean. Our social foundations are the same as those that served primitive people. They will never change. They will remain firm and secure because they adapt themselves to changing conditions. Even our church and the administration of it naturally changes from time to time, but the corner stone, Christ, is changeless. There are no new frontiers but the days of adventure are not over. Our heritage of the past is boundless- boundless in romance, opportunity, material wealth, and resources, cities and people; spiritual wealth in ideals, traditions, and the democratic way of life. The adventure of today lies in solidifying the heritage, in molding it into a closely-knit, unified tower of strength. We Look Toward the Setting Sun

The Norwegian immigration actually began in 1825 though "they say" some were here as early as 800 years before. It was Rasmus B. Anderson who, more or less, proved that fact in his "America Not Discovered by Columbus." Anyway, our near neighbor by the name of Minnesota claims she saw some Norwegians lurking here and there—mostly there—about the year 1400 but maybe we had better not bring that up again. But we do con­ cede that a few Norwegians graced the land in 1825. You remember the story of the "Restorationen," the history of which was brought to us so vividly during the Norwegian Centennial celebration. Fifty-one brave souls stepped into the boat, fought the winds and the waves, and after fourteen weeks fifty-two brave souls landed at New York. (One baby girl was born on board ship). Do you remember the story, at least vaguely? From Rochester, New York, to Fox River, Illinois. These Norsemen did not come in hordes to conquer as did the ancient Turks. Immigration was a slow process. Only 53 in the aforementioned 1825. The next ten years added a sprinkling of a few but in 1837 a group from Bergen and Stavanger came to augment the number. By 1850 we find 12,678 Norwegian-Americans in the U.S.A. who were born in Norway. These have settled chiefly in La Salle, Kendall, Lee and McHenry Counties in northern Illinois, and in Racine, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Rock and Dane Counties in southern Wisconsin. With this gradual in­ flux came a natural desire to expand, territorially speak­ ing, and so along about '62 we find Norwegians employed in and around La Crosse and Winnesheik Counties in Iowa, and in the Houston, Fillmore and Goodhue Coun­ ties in Minnesota. A somewhat limited census taken in 1870 shows 150,- 000 Norwegians in America. Of these 114,246 were born in Norway. Most of these settled in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. The period 1873-1882 saw a definite retardation, likely because of the Panic of '73 but also, we believe, because of the well-organized propaganda carried on in the Norwegian newspapers and periodicals making much of the fact that Norway's life-blood was being given to the new country. They spoke of the im­ migration movement as being "a dangerous illness." It was about this time also that a ferocious specie of locust or grasshopper saw fit to enter the territory. The pests are known as the Rocky Mountain locusts today, a different specie from the Arctic locust. They came and deposited and hatched out myriads of eggs to begin their devasta­ tion—flying on to new fields of endeavor. Settlers fought them to a remarkable degree by a tar treatment placed on huge sheets of iron. Usually and fortunately there was only one hatching in the same district so we find the settlers enjoying a bountiful harvest of wheat in '77. As early as 1864 the U. S. Government officially de­ clared the Red River Valley open to settlement when it purchased the same by treaty from the Red Lake and Pembina Indians, and invited white settlers to locate upon the newly acquired lands. An important route had been opened in 1859 between the Mississippi and the Red River of the North. The Hudson's Bay Company had purchased a little steamboat on the Red River and began carrying freight and passengers by land and water routes to Pembina. The boat and incidental machinerv were carried by wagons from Crow Wing on the Mis­ sissippi and on April 8, 1859, reached the Red River not far from the site of Fargo. The years 1873 to 1882 saw a definite increase in im­ migration. One historian says they came like a bunch of bugs—slowly but surely—from the Fox River territory to the Red River Valley. Now they were really settling the country; they were being Americanized, though the customs and language of the Mother Country still had them bound. When the settlers first took advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862 it did not make for gracious living. Hasty decisions and departings, inadequate plan­ ning and inadequate means resulted in what we today would call sloppy living or at least poor housekeeping. Very few tools, fewer reserves and very little capital, if any. The depression of 1870 may have been a blessing in disguise in so far as it tended to cause the wage earner to leave the cities to go West. At any rate there is a definite surge to the Middle West, and these who were caught in the web were for the most part courageous souls. They came to establish a home where they could live as they had lived in the Old World. It seemed as if now all Norway had "folks in America" and all Norweg­ ian Americans .still had "folks in Norway." Small wonder that they were called clanni.sh by their occasional Yankee neighbor—they had every right to be—so far! They seldom associated with these "Yankees" except for necessary busi­ ness relations or at political conventions. The Norwegians were loyal to their Mother country, holding fast to her language and literature. Even today an American of Nor­ wegian descent is proud to feel the tie that binds him to the older civilization in a vast body of customs and practices and beliefs. The Norwegian National sentiment has been preserved, though sometimes seasonal, in the

7 music, needlework, and even in the working arrangement of the house. Yes, we admit their clannishness though I think we Norwegians prefer the term Conservatives— they lived by the rule laid down by their conservative leaders, "When it is not necessary to change—it is neces­ sary not to change." We believe this principle did retard their development in a great many ways but it also served to preserve their doctrinal principles. As always, things do change and so does the picture of the immigrant. Little by little he feels less dependent on the colonial way of life and so he strikes out by himself in spite of rumors of Indian wars and conversely following rumors of coal, iron and gold ore he sets his face toward the West and the North where sooner or later the Lutheran Church finds him, now on an Indian Reservation, now in a min­ ing district, or in a McKenzie County sod hut waiting for the Gospel of Jesus Christ! The Church Follows the Settler

We take our church so much for granted, not pausing to consider the long journey the church has taken from the then until now. It is a long time since the Palestinian church in Jerusalem was founded. The church was spread through the missionary enterprise. All through the years there have been men who have been willing to give their lives that the gospel of Jesus Christ should be spread, for Christianity is a missionary religion. The mandate, "Go ye," is still in force and the marching orders ring as clear­ ly and as sharply as ever before. The church from the very beginning came into form as an organization. The unit of the organization was the local congregation, its members and officers. As a society the church assumes a visible organization with its members, a body of doc­ trines and to a degree a type of government. The organization of the Lutheran Church of the Da­ kotas, and specifically that of North Dakota, was rather loose and indefinite but the seed sown must have been hybrid for it has truly yielded a hundred-fold. In Isaiah 40:45 we find the promise, "The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." God's glory is the ministration of love, and love it was that prompted our missionaries to leave their families for weeks at a time; to suffer hardships of cold and priva­ tion in order that their fellowmen should be able to see the glory of God! As we trace the humble beginnings we find much duplication—much of what we today might simply call "getting in each other's way," but as we probe and study we find the entanglements not too seri­ ous and we are able to see that the unravelling was quite easy after all. From these experiences we come to real­ ize more fully that the true church of God consists of those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and that church membership as such does not matter so much. Its members are united in spiritual growth—outer cere­ monies have very little bearing and some day we shall embrace each other as brothers even though here on earth we may have had our differences. It does not depend on what name the congregation bears—only that we be­ lieve. The visible church may count its material blessings but the Church of Christ counts only its souls. With several branches of the Lutheran Church going into the new field at about the same time it was natural that difficulties should arise. But perhaps a little strug­ gle only induces strength if it does not harbor hate. A little strife proves that there is at least life and today we can truly say that our Lutheran church has been blessed and is currently enjoying a healthy state. It was in 1864 that the United States Government de­ clared the Red River Valley open to settlers when it pur­ chased the same from the Red Lake and Pembina Indi­ ans, and so in a ten-year period we find Norwegians set­ tling along the Pembina, Turtle, Goose, Sheyenne and Wild Rice Rivers. At first the resources of the territory were but slightly developed though the coal fields west of the Missouri had already been discovered. The settlers were beginning to exercise their rights as citizens of a democracy—they insisted that their Con- 10 gressman not forget his folks at home and the representa­ tive must have thought the pioneer less than savage for we find this cutting from a congressional speech in be­ half of North Dakota constituents in 1874. We quote: "The people in North Dakota have struggled with the trials and misfortunes of a pioneer life and have steadily advanced in civilization and settlement until they now have their railroads and telegraph lines, their steam navi­ gation and prosperous villages, their public schools and religious institutions. They are intelligent, law-abiding and industrious. They have planted their homes perma­ nently in the new territory as farmers and producers. Unlike a changing mining population they have selected their homes for the purpose of agricultural pursuits and abiding industry. All they ask is that Congress shall deal fairly by them and throw around them the shield and protection of local laws and self-government, which as American citizens they have a right to expect. Give them this and they will build up a territory which shall be an honor to themselves and a credit to the nation," and "Westward the star of Empire takes its way"— We hear the tread of pioneers, Of nations yet to be, The first low wash of waves where soon Shall roll a human sea. Yes—there rolls a human sea today! Yesterday we saw paths and roads lined with emigrant wagons and later we saw the green fields waving in the breeze. We saw hills and plains covered with droves of cattle, new home seek­ ers on every hand, by almost every grove and brookside a claim shack. Later more pretentious frame houses—then again sod huts, log huts, stone huts—what matter! It is home to the pioneer who has come to make a home for his family under the God-sent Homestead Act of 1862. It was Plutarch who said, "Courage consists not in haz­ arding without fear, but being resolutely minded in a just 11 cause," and so the church and its emissaries trails the set­ tler, settles where he settles, moves where he moves, and grows as he grows. The church follows and enters the home to teach and to bless, the humble homes always reaching out for the Bread of Life! The years between 1851 and 1861 were in many ways foundation years for the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. Immigration continued at a steady pace. A rough national survey showed only one pastor for each 3000 souls. Things seemed to be going fairly well for a time but soon the dark, lower­ ing clouds of the War of the States loomed up and Mis­ souri, which was a slave-holding state, became one of the controversial border states. The Civil War and the Slavery Question became real issues in church life. To add to the difficult situation a storm arose concerning the teachings of the church, particularly a point on predestination. As we see it today it was not so much the doctrinal differences as the differences in interpretation of passages which seemed fundamental. In 1887 the Norwegian Synod was divided, largely over the question of predestination. More than half the membership withdrew and formed what they called the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood. Eventually the Norwegian Augustana Synod, the Conference for the Nor­ wegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood, united and became the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America in 1890. It now became the largest Lutheran church among the Norwegians and perhaps the most active. St. Olaf Col­ lege in Northfield, Minnesota, became their preparatory school for students of theology but it was later moved to Minneapolis, leaving St. Olaf a healthy growing college for men and women. We believe the Norwegian Lutheran Church deserves the name Missionary—a zeal most likely inherited from Norway which has always since the day of Schreuder been very mission-minded. The Norwegian-American Lutheran reached into his pockets to support foreign missions much 12 quicker than he did for the Inner or Home Mission activ­ ity. As far back as 1859° we find one Pastor P. A. Rasmus- sen preaching the cause of Foreign Missions and declar­ ing he has ready a purse of $223.02 which is to be sent to the Hermannsburger and Leipzig Missions, In the 60's the Norwegian Synod becomes a bit mission conscious and sends its first gift to the Missouri Indian Mission and in 1869 pledges its support to the Zulu Mission and the mission already established in Madagascar. The cause of Home Missions was slow in taking root. Perhaps it lacked romance. At any rate the church found the settlers settling, satisfied with their humble beginning and as to the folks out yonder—"Well! That's what preachers are for! Church and preachers they must have—but let them work it out like we did. We didn't have any help from outsiders—the preacher knocked at the door and we had church—as I remember." And so it was. The missionary pastors continued to knock at the doors and little by little, the settler, who may have been a bit lukewarm, saw the mellowing influence of the church and little by little joined the faithful few in furthering its development. Now and then we did find "Giants in the Earth," well educated, Christian-minded, and guardians of the Scriptures. At the usual three-day sessions of the Kreds-mode (Circuit meeting) the layman it was who usually led the discussions and in the case of discipline it was a layman that served as judge at the hearing. Some records show that meetings would be post­ poned until the preacher would have an opportunity to probe the Scriptures to decide on some point brought out by some ambitious layman in the group.

'100 years ago. 13 4

Home Mission Work Begins

"Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." ISAIAH 65:24 On November 4, 1821 in Odemark, Norway, was born Ole Johannesen Kasa. His parents were poor peasants but not too poor to share their goods with those who were poorer. As a youth he served in the Norwegian army and saw active duty in the Danish-German War of 1848. In 1854 he married Karen Hansdatter Rustad of the Vingers Parish. He purchased his father-in-law's gaard and lived at the Rustad farm for some time. During the winter he would do home mission work as a lay preacher and his three years in Norway were devoted to missionary work exclusively. The story of his work and the zeal with which he labored for the Kingdom crossed the big pond and a group of followers of Hans Nielsen Hauge prevailed upon him to come to America. In 1868 he and his family arrive and already that year we find him present at a meet­ ing in Olmstead County. He received a commission to go to Story County, Iowa, as a lay preacher. At a home mis­ sion meeting at Waseca County, Minnesota, in 1869 they urged him to go to the Arendal Congregation in Fillmore County, Minnesota. At the church meeting the next June

14 he was ordained a pastor and was sent out west to gather the Norwegian settlers there and to organize congrega­ tions. « a « And so it was that the Reverend Ole Johannesen Kasa, traveling on foot from Ottertail County, came upon a group of Norwegians who had settled on the Red River in Dakota Territory in the vicinity of what is now Hickson and Christine. On September 4, 1871, a group gathers for worship and later to organize a congregation under the leadership of the itinerant pastor. The meeting is opened with scripture and prayer. Benjamin M. Johanneson read the twelfth chapter of Romans. The congregation was organized consisting of 37 souls (adults and children) and the name Hemnaes Congregation in Red River, Dakota Territory, was agreed on. Naturally they would affiliate with The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. (El- ling Eielsen—Hauge Synod). Officers were elected as follows: President of Board: B. M. Johanneson Secretary: T. S. Johanneson Treasurer: Nils Mikkelson Trustees: Hans B. Hanson, Anders Anderson and Nils Johanneson A call was extended to the Reverend Ole Kasa who did not accept the call but promised to serve as often as pos­ sible, and the congregation in turn promised to pay him what they could. (Efter evne). And thus was organized the first Lutheran Congregation in what is now North Dakota. There are many reasons why the history of the Hemnaes Church has not had much prominence in the history of our church. One may be the rift which came as early as 1884 at which time some of the members broke away to form the South Hemnaes congregation some 3M miles north of Christine. But we think the main reason is that only a few years ago were the original records retrieved 15 from a rubbish heap. Newman Nelson, who is the grand­ son of Nels Augustinson (1875) and son of August Nelson, one time secretary of the congregation, has the custody of the two early records. He has had them rebound. These were found to be valuable in the time of defense work when there was a scramble for birth certificates. These records are very interesting and show a true picture of conditions as they were, for instance when the report shows progress inasmuch as the treasurer had been able to collect $42 one year to pay the pastor. Today nothing remains of the original church structure but the little church graveyard can still be seen. It is close to the banks of the Red River, about a half mile southeast of the junction of Highways 81 and 46 between Hickson and Christine. The cemetery is carefully tended by loving hands—blue and white asters in abundance wave and nod their heads with the prairie winds. Quaint grave­ stones mark the resting places. Some are wooden boards with hand-carved inscriptions, and some are unmarked. There is one grave whose stone reads, "Marit Ingebregts- datter, born February 1st, 1802, died June 16, 1885."° On each stone in the cemetery may be found the words, "Hereunder lies the dust of" etc. Because of financial difficulties and trouble in obtain­ ing lumber it was not until February 1889 that the congre­ gation was finally able to make plans for the church. Eventually only four members of the congregation re­ mained and the church was sold at auction for $150.00. In 1935 it was torn down, numbered by sections by carpenters, and has been re-erected at Strathcona, Min­ nesota, in its original shape. Older residents who have visited the old church tell us the altar railing, the bap­ tismal font and communion service are still in use in the church now known as The Evangelical Free Church of Strathcona. From the beginning the Hemnaes congrega- "Interesting to note she was born only three years after the death of George Washington. 16 tion had call connection with the Horace Lutheran Church until the Hemnaes church was dissolved in 1934 when only four families remained and they joined neighboring congregations, notably Wolverton, Comstock, Hickson or Christine. o o e The memory of a stout-hearted missionary, Reverend Bersvend Anderson, will always be associated with the Hemnaes and Fron Congregations on the Red and Shey­ enne Rivers, Dakota Territory. Reverend Anderson was born Dec. 7, 1821, in Bardo, Norway. His mother died and her funeral was delayed several hours in the belief that the child would also die. He was adopted by a child­ less couple living in a wild wooded area. He was denied an education except for an annual five-weeks religious school. His only books were the Lutheran Catechism and Explanation. Later when he was able to borrow books he naturally leaned toward religious literature. He was caught up in the spiritual awakening set off by Hans Nielsen Hauge and at the age of 30 became an ordained missionary in North Norway, spending most of his time among Lofoten's 20,000 fishermen in the winter and farm­ ing his acreage in the summer. Traveling through an area rugged with fiords, mountains and valleys he frequently used skis to reach residents of remote areas, and after he emigrated to America in 1876, the year General Custer and his troops were slain, he again found use for skis. He and his family, consisting of his wife and eight chil­ dren, settled in Polk County near Crookston which be­ came the base of his travels. A burning zeal for the spir­ itual welfare of the pioneers caused him to throw his every ounce of energy into his work despite handicaps, frustra­ tions and disappointments. He was proof of the saying that storms make a strong tree—sufferings make a strong saint! His first years were devoted to the Red River Valley. The two congregations, Hemnaes and Fron (now Horace Lutheran Church), had heard of his work in Norway 17 and lost no time in sending him a call. The call he re­ ceived read thus: "We, Hemnaes and Fron Congregations, located on the Red and Sheyenne rivers, Dakota Terri­ tory, are satisfied with the reports we have heard from you and about you and we have the hope that because of your former way of life and work, that your services in the gospel will be a blessing unto us, so we desire and call you to accept the office of shepherd, as pastor and soul curate, for the above mentioned congregations. We promising to take care of your temporal welfare as the Lord gives us grace and ability." Signing the call were Benjamin M. Johanneson, Nils Arentson, Hans Paulson and Niels Nielsen. Because he was not ordained he refused the call which was issued but after being ordained to the ministry in 1876 he ac­ cepted the call, having reached the conclusion that there was "a danger of these people being split up by unsound and un-Lutheran practices." He was a humble servant and always maintained that he was only a forerunner and when younger and better-equipped ministers would be available he would swing his course to more remote fields, which he also did. Reverend Anderson traveled by oxen and by skis, carrying his clothing and his library in a knapsack on his back or in a small satchel. Often trails were entirely obliterated by the snow and many a time he was caught in almost unsurmountable drifts. He did not lay the greatest stress on organizing congregations im­ mediately, but rather gathered the people about God's Word and the Sacraments. Then when the people them­ selves wished it and asked for it, the congregations were organized. For 18 years Pastor Anderson was the pioneer Hauge Synod Lutheran pastor of the Red River Valley and on to the Mouse River and the Turtle Mountain area. He received no fixed salary but accepted gifts cheerfully when offered. Occasionally he would receive a small grant from the Home Mission department. His family the while found their support in the farm near Crookston. Reverend

18 Bersvend Anderson, it is claimed, performed one of the greatest pieces of home mission work of the time. Where he trail-blazed so faithfully now many large and prosper­ ous congregations dot the country. Dr. O. M. Norlie credits the following North Dakota congregations to his ministry: Fron and Buffalo at Buffalo Hemnaes at Christine South Hemnaes at Christine Trinity at Portland Our Saviors at Grafton Trinity at Grand Forks Ox Creek at Rolette Wolf Creek at Wolf Creek Bethany at Minot Manager at Bottineau Emmaus at Maddock Heretofore folks interested in the early church history of North Dakota accepted the report by Dr. O. M. Norlie published in 1918 when he recorded the establishment of three Norwegian Lutheran Congregations in North Da­ kota as of 1871 and lists them as Hemnaes, the Nora Church of near Gardner, North Dakota, and the Trysil's Church of Cass County. However, the Reverend Thomas Anderson of Nora Church recently checked the official record of the church. The first page of the minutes dis­ closes that the Nora Church was founded in 1873 and the records of the Trysil's Church .show that it was founded May 10, 1874. (We are indebted to the Reverend O. E. Dolven of Horace for this interesting information.) While the original Hemnaes congregation is no more, it was that group that founded and who "broke the sod" for Lutheran development in our state. The old log cabin where the first meeting was held stands on the river bank on the present Ole Knutson farm, about 2% miles north­ east of Christine, still in fairly good condition. Reverend Anderson presented his resignation in 1884 and Reverend Thomas Skjei accepted the call and served 19 until the spring of 1890. At a congregational meeting in August 1890 a call was extended to Reverend Gustav Westerlund as temporary pastor and in 1891 he accepted the call as permanent pastor. He served until the spring of '93. For three years the church was without its own pastor but was otherwise served. On July 17th, 1896, a call was sent to Reverend Carl Winther who served until the year 1903, Since then the following pastors have served: P. G. Arnstad-1903-1905 O. J. Malkevik—temporary }. H. Johansen-1907-1924 H. F. J. Ellingson-1925-1930 W. B. Dahl-1930-1931 Merland T. Johnson-1933-1935 Christian Notsund-1936-1943 The Reverend O. E. Dolven is presently serving.

« a a On September 10, 1872, the Reverend Niels Thorbjorn- son Ylvisaker said farewell to his congregation in Min­ neapolis to start his missionary journey to the Red River Valley. He boarded the St. Paul and Pacific at 8:35 a.m. on Thursday, September 12th. His first stop was Herman, Stevens County, to visit a former member of his Minneap­ olis congregation in the hope that there might be Nor­ wegian settlers who would like the services of a pastor and also to seek information about settlers in the West. To his dismay, he found very few Norwegians and cer­ tainly very little information. The next day he proceeded to Breckenridge (then the end of the St. Paul and Pacific line), and then by stage to Moorhead (on the Northern Pacific), which had been founded just one year before. The town, though so young, had already acquired a repu­ tation for Godlessness and lawlessness. In spite of this a goodly group gathered for services the following day. The service was arranged by Peter Ingebriktson. After services the pastor continued to Buffalo River and held services on Tuesday but returned to Moorhead that same

20 evening. The following Sunday services were again con­ ducted at Moorhead. The pastor makes note of the fact that but one family offered hospitality. On Monday a service was conducted in Peder Nokken's log cabin. This was a very pleasant occasion inasmuch as the pastor and Peder Nokken had been friends in Norway and later in Goodhue County, Minnesota. The assembly urged the organization of a congregation so it was arranged that Reverend Ylvisaker should visit them on his way back to help organize the congregation and to administer the Holy Sacrament. Arrangements had been made for the pastor to preach at the home of Gjermund Storaasli on Buffalo River. The following day Mr. Storaasli accompanied the pastor to the O. Strandvold home near Georgetown (north of Moor­ head) where services with communion were held that afternoon. Proceeding north they called on several Norse settlers. Although they were glad to visit with this man of God they announced that grasshoppers had visited them earlier and had helped themselves to all their crops the last several years, and besides that, their men were out on "team-string" and suggested another time might be more opportune—so the pastor and his companion shook the dust off their feet and proceeded in a northerly direc­ tion where they found several Norwegian families—friend­ ly but busy! From the 19th to the 24th of September they traveled throughout the Goose River area, the Marsh River, and the Sandhill River country. Only at the latter place were services conducted. Here it was that Mr. Storaasli learned that his twenty-year-old sister had died suddenly. The pastor accompanied Mr. Storaasli back to Buffalo and preached the funeral sermon. The next day the pastor proceeded to the Sheyenne Valley in Dakota. Jens Gaare, who had known Reverend Ylvisaker in Nor­ way, offered to drive. A service was held in the home of Helge Gulliksen on the Sheyenne" and then they left for "1 mile south of Kindred on Highway 46. 21 the Wild Rice River vicinity where two services were con­ ducted. True to his promise the pastor returned to Moor­ head where an evening service was held and was well attended. The following day he traveled south accom­ panied by a number of enthusiastic Christians to Peder Nokken's home again. Here services were held, including baptism and communion. At the close of this service the "Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation" was or­ ganized. In the evening Reverend Ylvisaker left Moor­ head, where he had met much good will and Christian love, to travel by stage to Fort Abercrombie. ("The stage was full of drunken, screaming, cursing and singing rail­ road workers—Irish and Norwegian.") When he reached Abercrombie he walked to the Norwegian settlement on the Wild Rice River in the area southwest of the fort. All the settlers were summoned for services which were held on the 19th Sunday after Trinity on October 6, 1872. After services the congregation was organized and took the name of "The South Wild Rice Lutheran Congrega­ tion." (The name was later changed to St. Johns and later to Golchutt Lutheran Congregation.) Pastor Ylvisaker in his report has this to say: "There are now four congregations south of the Pacific railroad. It is to be hoped that they may soon obtain pastors. The climate is good—the soil excellent—and the beautiful prairie sur­ rounded by the trees growing along the many rivers which is nature at its best. This great field needs workers that are pious, faithful and diligent in the preservation of Christian principles. May God preserve these congrega­ tions!" Sunday evening late he returned to Breckenridge. The following Wednesday he returned to his home. He him­ self said that he was exhausted from the mission journey and yet he looked back with thanks and rejoicing to the work he was permitted to do. It has been said there are three classes in the Christian life: the men of the wing, the men of the couch, and the 22 men of the road. Definitely, Reverend Niels Thorbjornson Ylvisaker was a man of the wing. He flew before. He was a pioneer of progress! e * # Mingled feelings of amusement and even excitement tumble about in our hearts when we read or hear of the early life of the settlers in the Northwest and we have given much credit to the missionary pastors who paved the way to a Christian civilization—but what of the lay­ men of that age? Laymen we have encountered again and again—laymen for a time and then examined and eventually ordained to the Holy Ministry. But there were those who worked fearlessly, noiselessly and unobtrusively as just plain lay-preachers to their dying day. We shall tell of the life of only one, Mr. H. B. Hanson, though we know the story could be duplicated many times over. This information was furnished by his daughter, Mrs. Theodore Foreid of 666 Hague Avenue, St. Paul, Minne­ sota. Mr. H. B. Hanson left Norway at the age of 21 in the spring of the year 1866 in a sailboat arriving in Quebec after ten weeks on the ocean. He settled at New Market P.O. near Farmington, Minnesota, and lived there until he heard of the Red River Valley and its fertile wheat lands. In the fall of 1870 he and a brother, Martinius, started out in a covered wagon and oxteam across the prairies, fording streams, for as yet there were no bridges. They carried provisions to carry them through the winter. The last town along the way was Alexandria, and setting out from there they followed the Red River north to the deep ravine near Wild Rice which the early settlers called "Half-breed Valley." They then turned back and chose a piece of land by the river south in what is now Richland County (3M miles northeast of Christine). Here they built a dugout in the side of the rather steep river bank—also one for the oxen. During the winter they cut logs from which to build a log hut. Game was plentiful—prairie 23 chickens, grouse, quail and rabbits. The river was full of fish and when summer came they replenished their store, picking wild plums, grapes and raspberries. Buffalo and antelope were numerous on the prairie. The following summer Mr. Hanson walked to Alex­ andria and took a train back to Farmington to buy an­ other yoke of oxen. This time he brought with him to the Territory his older brother, Nels and family, and several other Norwegians who had come from Norway at the same time. Land was purchased from the Northern Pa­ cific Railroad and all farms joined along the river. They looked forward to the promised wheat bonanza but the grasshoppers took possession and the crop was com­ pletely destroyed. In these early days wheat was shipped by barge. The steamboat "Pluck" made regular trips up the river and the boat landing for the community was below the H. B. Hanson barn. Here the farmers brought their wheat for loading and here it was that Mr. Hanson never missed an opportunity to say a word about the "Bread of Life." An Indian was a common sight in these parts and many meals were doled out to them. From their window they often saw a company of Indians pass—sometimes friendly- looking and at other times fierce and warlike. They saw Sitting Bull and his warriors as they passed west of them to their last battle. Mr. Hanson was unmarried and often sent to Norway for families who would come to keep house for him. The nearest postoffice was Fort Abercrombie, 12 miles away. One winter day he left to get the mail which had been allowed to accumulate. A terrific snow storm arose and the temperature dropped suddenly. The "Skandi- naven" came in handy for he used it for additional cloth­ ing, wrapping the papers around his body, and he reached home none the worse for wear! At another time when he was on his way from Alexandria with a load of flour he almost drowned fording the river. The water had risen

24 so high that it raised the wagon box off the wagon. It was held only by a fraction of an inch by the side supports. Mr. Hanson was versatile. Besides farming he did car­ pentering, erecting all his own buildings, and assisting his neighbors to erect theirs. Also he had learned the blacksmith trade in Norway and soon was keeping shop, horse-shoeing, sharpening plowshares, and also tanned leather when needed. In 1884 he married Henrietta B. Johanneson, daughter of Reverend and Mrs. Endre Johan­ neson, of Rice Lake, Wisconsin. On returning from the wedding they came to Walcott by train where the hired man was supposed to meet them. They found the prairie flooded. A livery team was hired to take them to the Wild Rice river where Mr. Leum, an early settler, took them across the river in a boat to the place where the hired man was waiting for them. In 1887 he became interested in bees. He was the first bee-keeper in Dakota. He developed 200 colonies and sold honey in ton lots. His farm known today as "The Honey Bee Farm" derived its name from this industry. All this time he was a lay-preacher in the truest sense and after his marriage he became increasingly interested in this work. His neighbors said of him that he preached Christ and lived Christ. During the winter he would set out with a supply of tracts, catechisms, hymnbooks and Bibles, visiting isolated districts and sparsely settled com­ munities. Once he held services in a granary using a fan­ ning mill for a pulpit. He and his good wife were especial­ ly interested in young people. They organized many Sun­ day schools and Confirmation classes. Mr. Hanson was among the first to see the need for the transition of languages in order to keep the young folks in the church. His death occurred at Christine on June 23, 1925, but his work is marching on! « e * "Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set." PROVERBS 22:28 25 A wise man wrote the passage a long, long time ago but I agree with him even today and it is for that reason I touch upon the history of events here and there only, that we may use them as landmarks as we cover the develop­ ment of our beloved Evangelical Lutheran Church. And it came to pass that a pastor, Thorval H. Larsen, graduate of Luther College and Capital University, Co­ lumbus, Ohio, in 1887 accepted a call to Cooperstown, Dakota Territory. In June 1889 he made the long train trip to Baltimore to claim his 19-year-old bride. She was Miss Elizabeth Schlitt. The two had met while Pastor Larsen had served as student pastor doing mission work among the seamen one summer. Being proficient in the Norwegian and English as well as German he was to be­ come one of our most capable home missionaries. After weaving in and out from North Dakota to Minnesota and back again, we find him accepting a call as Home Mission pastor at Taylor, North Dakota. He established Home Mission congregations at Marshall, Ridgeway, Hal- liday, Dunn Center, Vang, Belfield, and points north and south of Belfield. He braved the winters, driving with ponies and a buggy or cutter, being away from home days at a time. Seemingly no storm would keep him from his appointments. He was rugged to begin with and tucked in his fur robes he set out on the King's business in faith and if he did not return home at the appointed time—well—that would have to be the same King's busi­ ness! The family lived at Taylor, and the Taylor Luther­ an Church, organized in 1885, was therefore the mother of the new congregations round about. The first services of the Taylor Lutheran Church were held in October 1884 out in the open and later in the rail­ road depot. Railroad ties served as pews and for Con­ firmation and Communion wagon spring seats were used as kneeling benches. The first pastor to serve the Taylor congregation was Reverend O. Nordby who came from Sims. Sims was once 26 a thriving little village east of Dickinson on the Heart river near Antelope, but you needn't look for it for it died a natural death. Next to serve the Taylor parish was Rev­ erend T. K. Gaustad until Reverend Larsen came in 1907. In 1948 the church observed its 50th anniversary and 1949 saw one of its native sons, Willard Conradson, enter the ministry. For 30 years Pastor Larsen labored among his people. He was a real pioneer pastor ministering to an area of about 60 square miles. It has been estimated that he covered some 100,000 miles with horses along the Northern Pacific Railroad from Mandan west to the Mon­ tana border.

27 Out Where the West Begins

The government had not done much baby-sitting yet and the Red Man was sitting at the door of his wigwam, smoking his pipe and dreaming dreams, until he was rudely awakened by the squatter who came uninvited and unannounced. The story of the Lutheran Church of the Northwest prairies is full of romance. We can but touch on a few episodes as we try to bring the building of this vast empire into form. For many years the Big Woods area covered the territory from St. Cloud to Man- kato and just west was the region now known as the Lake Park Region. The country was described as having a good soil on rolling plains, full of lakes with sandy beaches and an abundant supply of fish. About here we find the origin of three rivers. To the south the waters flow into the Mis­ sissippi; to the north the Red river of the north and into the Hudson. This country became a warm bed for the Norwegians, particularly the area from Willmar, Minne­ sota, to Osnabrock and McHenry in North Dakota. Someone said, "Herodotus lived in the pages of his works," and so we find our pioneers living among us even today in the dimly, closely-written pages of their note­ books and journals. It is from these we learn the first white 28 man to cross the wall was one Ole Ness. Earlier the Hud­ son's Bay Company had gleaned crops from their traps and had established a route some 400 miles to the north in Canada. These caravans consisted of from 30 to 60 wagons. These wagons were much like the "kubbe-rulle" of Norway—wooden wheels and no lubrication. Usually the teamsters were half-breeds. They would go with loads of furs and return with loads of clothing, food, and glitter- gifts for the Indians to be traded again for more furs. Ole Ness tells us in an article in "Immigranten" that very often the settlers would be awakened from a deep, peace­ ful sleep by the ungodly noise of the wagon wheels. "Get thee out of thy country . . . unto a land that I will show thee." GENESIS 12:1 It was one of the great moments of history when the eyes of the country turned toward the vast expanse of the Northwest. The township squatter was usually the forerunner. For days and days he had heard the whisper, "Go west, young man, go west," and finally he succumbs to the urge and sets forth in the pale dawn of the Dakotas' history. We see too those who are left behind, who strain wistful eyes across the broad prairies till the wilderness beyond the little wagon caravan is lost in the haze—and then becomes only a dot on the western horizon. These squatters, like Abraham of old, came to what they believed was a ver­ itable Canaan. They were sturdy, adventuresome, and de­ termined to follow the gleam for they had a vision. Their faith had seen a light and they were ready to follow that light in faith. "Where there is no vision the people perish." Faith is born of vision and hope. Their hopes were not petty and peddling—their hopes gave birth to crusades. They saw the West with glowing colors of immortal hopes and the steady trek goes to the west, now and then a little north, again straight west—maybe a little to the south, but always toward the setting sun. Like 29 bugs they creep along steadily and too, like bugs, they encounter impediments that must be surmounted—delays accepted stoically—they press on, the while scouting for suitable locations which mean good water, shelter, wind­ breaks and good soil, that a comfortable and permanent home may be established. And then there were the few exploiters who were always looking for suitable town- sites though we dare say most knew very little of the requirements of a townsite and yet we must admit there were those who chose a site wisely and lived to enjoy the music of the jingling of coins in their pockets. The Lake Park region flirted with the Norwegian im­ migrant and not a few settled there but the influx was interrupted by the Indian War of '62. Almost a thousand settlers were killed. The war began at the home of a neighbor of Ole Ness. The uprising spread, all Minnesota suffered, and it halted immigration for about three years. Ole Ness describes the after-dark burials—a gruesome picture at best! Mr. Ness left for Forest City, Iowa, to help quell the uprising there, but returned in Decem­ ber together with his family. A great MUST must have dominated his life. It is said the Ness family was the only white family for counties around outside the palisade. The farmer homes had been reduced to ash heaps and cattle wandered at will unfettered and unowned.0 So the Parkland settlement really begins over again in 1865 or '66 when, after the War of the States, the people of the South begin to look toward the north and to the west. Bravely, they too, came to face pioneer hardships and to share pioneer blessings. We are told so many soldiers came that the list of names sounds like a roll- call of a regiment. Yet we insist that in spite of the foreign-sounding names it was the Scandinavians who first hallowed this ground. It was the smell of the Nor-

*We learn that after the war 18 Indians returned and belonged to Co. A Dakota Cavalry and fought under Sully way out in Montana where the Indians were subdued. 30 wegian coffee that socialized the community and it was the smoke of the little Norwegian church rising and sending out its friendly curls that called them to worship. It was they who smelled the first fresh sod and it was they who built the crude school houses and meeting places. It is an established fact that as soon as the squeaky old wheels of the prairie schooner ceased to roll they sought to find God. Today we in North Dakota boast of the lack of insanity in our state. This we could not have done way back there when—but small wonder —what with breaking backs, prairie fires, grasshoppers, droughts, snowstorms, Indians, sickness and loneliness! As far as we can learn, the Reverend Abrahamson Jacobson was the first Lutheran minister to visit Dakota Territory. He preached a sermon in 1861 and organized a sort of congregation which did not survive. In 1864 Pastor J. Kronn of Chicago stopped on his way back from a Missionary journey in Kansas. He organized "Den Forste Norske Evangeliske Lutherske Menighed" in Da­ kota Territory, Clay County. This congregation covered an area of about 60 square miles. In 1867 the 'Reverend Emil Christenson was officially called and came to Clay County in August that year. He is recorded as being the first resident Lutheran pastor of the Dakotas. All through the years 1870 to 1880 ithe land-hungry Scandinavians answered the call of the wild, open, free prairies. From the north the Red river beckoned and its tributary, the Sheyenne, held out its hands in a friendly gesture. Eventually they held a community of dyed-in-the-wool Norwegians in their embrace. There are yet drops of "wanderlust" in their veins and the horizon widens—the Daniel Boones still live on—to the Devils Lake area, to the Missouri bottoms, farther on to the Mouse river valley, and even to the Montana border on the west to the Canadian border on the north.* *A treaty between England and the United States placed Pembina on the American side. Mr. Keating was the Geologist and Histori­ ographer of the United States and determined the line in 1823. 31 There seem to have been no dry years in the early 80's and the northern part of the Dakotas was fast filling in. Hard spring wheat was being raised successfully and garden vegetables responded nicely to cultivation. Then along came the Homestead Act of 1862 and with it the expansion of railroads and private enterprises. Transpor­ tation had been an ever present problem; produce had been carried as far as 100 miles by oxen or horses. Now with more railroads there are more people and con­ versely more people demand more railroads. It augurs well! The railroad did not come to the Red River Valley until 1871. The Northern Pacific had reached Fargo, and the St. Paul and Pacific had come to Breckenridge. The Northern Pacific came from Duluth and extended to the Missouri river in the vicinity of Bismarck. In 1880 the Manitoba Road, now Great Northern, built lines through the Dakota side of the valley. The Northern Pacific built the Casselton-Mayville branch in 1881. The Fargo and Southwestern Railway built from Fargo through Cass, Ransom, and La Moure Counties to Edgeley (financed by the N.P). By 1885 the Manitoba had reached Devils Lake. In the southwestern part of the state in the 80's the Chicago-Milwaukee and St. Paul Railways had come from the south in '85 but the Fargo and Southwestern Railroad ran along the Red river. By 1890 the Minne­ apolis, Sault Ste. Marie had built two lines into North Dakota, one to Valley City and the other through the southern part of North Dakota to Merricourt. These two lines cut through the state crossing the main lines of both the Northern Pacific and the Manitoba, going into Canada. The N.P. seems to have gotten the lion's share in North Dakota. They were faced with financial difficul­ ties because their enterprise had gone beyond the line of duty and the settlers had not as yet kept pace. We said before that the western prairies held a bit of romance in their hands. If time and space would permit 32 we could go on endlessly telling of interesting events and anecdotes. There were enthusiasts then as now, prop­ agandists who would sacrifice anything to gain a point. We are reminded of an early Legislative session where a speaker was defending the bill legalizing marriages between white men and squaws. He had blood in his eye. Jim and his cannon were both loaded that morning. He declared that what the state needed was less brains and more children and he struck his fist on the desk and moved that the legislature adjourn and take Indian wives and go out to catch up with the railroads.* They dreamed well—these dreamers of dreams— though their dreams did not always spell refinement they did see dreams come true and we think it altogether fitting and proper that the human instruments that fashioned this great Empire should be remembered from time to time, with thankfulness to the Giver of all good, and when we tour the country we ought to take time to stop to at least read the bronze plaques that mark the incidents of heroes and historic places—to honor the discoverers, explorers, trail-finders and sodbusters! By 1874 Norwegian settlers had ventured as far as Grand Forks. A "boom" fever seemed to have swept the country. "West and farther west," shouted the news­ papers. "Nine million acres choice free land are available in and around Devils Lake, the Turtle Mountain region, and the Mouse River valley." Mr. H. J. Kopperdahl kept his pen hot writing long and vivid articles in the pub­ lications known as "Amerika" and "The Decorah Posten." The May 12, 1887, issue of "Nordwesten" carried a two and a half column article giving information of the suc­ culent Mouse River valley alone. If our mission of writing this bit of history were limited to gathering and compiling such incidents and records in the settlement of North Dakota or its subsequent de­ velopment as might satisfy the demands of future refer- ° Legislative Assembly 1861, Dakota Territory. 33 ence only, we doubt whether its efforts are fully justified. The church of the future, looking forward to the merger of '60, will demand more than mere outlines of the estab­ lishments of this or that church, more than a few in­ cidents arranged in a more or less orderly fashion, more than mere sketches of the lives of a few meteors that flashed across the sky. The church of the future will demand a canvas show­ ing in clear and bold relief the full panorama of the Church of God marching on and on to the year of our Lord 1959.

34 Ye Shall Be My Witnesses

We have seen how the immigrant stream had reached the Red River Valley, somewhat as an overflow from the regions to the east. Here the rich loam lay ready for the first stroke of a plow. There were no trees to grub, no stones to be removed, and no soil that needed to be car­ ried in sacks to replenish the rocky soil as in Norway. Thus it was that the area about Goose river was set­ tled by those whose work we want to remember. Here they came in covered wagons or prairie schooners and on foot to build their first sod huts or log cabins and to plant their first few acres of grain. Almost as soon as the house was built they looked about for a pastor who would minister to them spiritually. And as they waited they made diligent use of the Bible, Hymnbook, Cate­ chism and the Hus Postil (sermons). Today we reap the harvest of their sound spiritual planting. We see that to this God-fearing group a thorough indoctrination of the children was of vital concern to them. This chapter concerns more specifically The Bruflat Academy—a fore­ runner of the school system in our Norwegian Lutheran Church. The three families which organized the Bruflat con- 35 gregation 85 years ago settled in the Goose river valley in July 1874. They were Nils N. Heskin and family, his son, Hendrik Heskin and family, and Nils Skogstad and family. They came from Wisconsin and six months after they settled in the new home they decided to organize a congregation of their own, although they had already joined Gran congregation southeast of the city of Mayville, a congregation served by Reverend Bjug Harstad since September 1873. Reverend Bjug Harstad, Bruflat's first pastor, has been described as a courageous, self-sacrificing and zealous leader and organizer. When he found no bridges he would wade or swim. He believed in thorough Christian education and organized four important schools: Three in Goose river valley (Franklin, Gran and Bruflat Acad­ emy and Parochial Department), and one on the west coast (the present Pacific Lutheran). He organized ten or more congregations in the valley, all of which he served with one assistant, walking or driving from place to place from his home in the Gran vicinity. Even so records show Bruflat alone had 24 services in one year. The biographies of these early pastors make good read­ ing. The secretaries were careful that the records be ac­ curate and complete, and in this congregation's minutes we find that when a hail storm destroyed the crops, the pastor suggested his salary be cut in two. At another time he is voted a raise and he stands to suggest the salary raise be divided evenly between the senior pastor and his assistant. Reverend Harstad was at one time District President of the Minnesota District which included the present North Dakota District. In 1893 he discontinued his work in the valley to the sorrow of Bruflat members. He con­ tinued in the work of the ministry in the West where he served as President of the Pacific District. In 1929 he published a book, "Is the Bible Reliable?" He died in Parkland, Washington, June 20, 1933, at the age of 84. 36 The congregation served by the Reverend Harstad were as follows: Bang 1881, Mayville 1881 and Norman in Clifford 1882. St. Olaf (northeast of Hillsboro), High­ land (east of Buxton), and Hillsboro were added by 1884, Elm River (Galesburg) 1891, and Washington Prairie (northeast of Haltton) by 1894. In the early years of the Bruflat congregation the Christian instruction of the children was considered of very great importance and presented quite a problem to the pioneers. The records of 1877 show that a committee had been appointed to secure an instructor for the chil­ dren and Mr. J. L. Mehus was employed to teach one month. The next year arrangements were made to have 4 months of school. Besides this the Reverend Harstad would meet with the children in the homes. By 1880 the congregation had a permanently employed teacher. Mr. Hans Krogh of Luther College succeeded Mr. Mehus and served three years, and in 1885 A. Ingberg was chosen to teach nine months in the various congregations of the large parish at a salary of $30.00 per month. Under the leadership of Reverend Harstad a boarding school committee was chosen and in December 1887 plans were laid for a school building. A three story building cost­ ing about $7500 was; erected to serve as an Academy for the confirmed and as a Boarding School for the Christian instruction of children. This institution served many young people but was closed in 1918 after many high schools had been established in the community. John Halland from Luther College served as the first principal of the Academy department. From the 1890-91 catalog we glean the following information: "The Portland Normal school and Business College had over 100 students the first year. At the same time that this school emphasizes secular knowledge, it acknowledges the fact that educa­ tion must make law-abiding citizens and true Christian men and women. The subjects required of Normal stu­ dents are: Reading, Spelling, Grammar, Arithmetic, Pen- 37 manship, Geography, Bookkeeping, Physics, Geometry, German or Latin, Debating, Didactics, History, Physiol­ ogy, Algebra, Civics, Physical Geography, and Bible study. Rooms are 65 cents per week. Board is $1.75 per week and tuition $8.00 per term of 10 weeks." By the second year the school was so crowded that the congregation recommended using the church for the overflow. We are told the beds were so close together in the dormitories that the students could run on top of the beds from one end of the room to the other. The fare was simple—a light breakfast usually consisting of bread and syrup, but a good hot meal was served at noon, while a hot porridge sufficed for the evening meal. The Academy became the focal point for all Christian activity. All church meetings of importance were natural­ ly scheduled to meet there. The Ladies Aid, the united choirs, and later Luther Leagues, all felt the Academy belonged to them, so it seemed right that when the Academy as such was discontinued and sold in 1920 to the Portland Special School District for $2500, that an agreement was made that the congregation could con­ tinue to use the building for Christian education. The main building was razed in 1939 and a new high school building erected. The dormitory which had been built in 1896 was remodeled and has since served as town hall for Viking Township. Bruflat Academy is no more but we thank God for the sturdy faith of those pioneers who worked and prayed, built and planted, that the March of Faith should go rejoicing on its way!

38 7

Three Weeks in a Tent

"And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them." Acts 16:10 There is a simplicity about God in working out His plans that is altogether awesome. Those who wait upon God shall obtain a marvelous addition to their resources —"They shall obtain wings!" And so it was that on a lovely September day in the year 1882 there is much activity abroad at the Gran par­ sonage on the Goose river, Dakota Territory. We see a well-loaded wagon equipped with bows for a canvas covering. Alongside stands a lighter, smaller wagon with half springs. People are busy packing and loading pro­ visions and equipment for a journey. What does all this mean? We shall let one of the party tell you what it is all about. The narrative was published in "For Hjem- met" in 1882. The interesting travelogue was written by the Reverend Bjug Harstad. The original was of course written in the Norwegian language. This is only a cut­ ting of the original. 39 The master of the house calls everyone into the par­ sonage. The Bible lies open. From it Pastor Harstad reads the last part of the ninth chapter and the first part of the tenth chapter of St. Luke: "And Jesus said unto him, no man having put his hand to the plow, and look­ ing back, is fit for the kingdom of God. After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two by two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. Go your ways: be­ hold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves." A prayer for those who are about to depart and a prayer for those who are to remain behind and all join in singing, " A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," and they are off. The little mother hears the stern words, "I send you forth as lambs among wolves," but she also hears the promise, "Whither he himself would come," and so the first day slips by. They are on their way to the Mouse river valley. The party consists of Reverend O. H. Aaberg of Valle, Grand Forks County, Dakota Territory; Reverend B. Harstad of Mayville, Traill County, Dakota Territory; J. Lomen of Decorah, Iowa; Ole E. Heg, Bloomfield, Dakota Terri­ tory, and E. H. Heg of Lodi, Wisconsin. The purpose of the trip is to look for Lutheran Chris­ tians who may have settled along the distant Mouse river. They carry Rand, McNally and Company's latest County and Railway map of Dakota. The itinerary is well worked out. First, in a westerly direction 40 miles or so to the Sheyenne river to visit the settlers known to be there, then northwesterly along the Sheyenne, pass­ ing its source, to the Mouse river. From there it is planned to turn homeward in a southeasterly direction past Fort Totten and Devils Lake where it is rumored a few Norwegian families are living. Their physical 40 weapons are few, a Winchester repeating rifle, both double and single-barreled shotgun, and a revolver. But! better far, they are armed with Bible, hymnbooks, cate­ chisms and tracts. The first evening finds them on the west side of Goose river. It is growing dark and just as they stop for the night a strange phenomenon occurs in the northwest. At first it looks like a shooting star but the movement is much slower. It does not shoot downward, but travels horizontally, leaving in its trail an ocean of marvelously- tinted light. Little by little it disappears but the beautiful reflection remains long afterwards. "An unforgettable exhibition," says Pastor Harstad, "and to us a reminder of the Gospel Light which is to shine for all mankind, and which is now to be brought to our countrymen far out in the wilderness toward north and west." The episode refreshed them body and soul, and they decide to drive on yet a little longer. Before long they reach the farm of Thorsten Sheldahl, who offered them hospitality for the night. After a good breakfast they are off, hoping to reach the Sheyenne by evening. That will mean a distance of about 25 miles. There is no road but they follow the course laid out by the map, watch­ ing the sun the while. The landscape changes, becoming more rolling, and the altitude rises with every mile until they enter the hill country with more of sand and stone. Here and there are fine meadows and small lakes. By noon they have reached the road that leads to Newberg on the Goose river to the Sheyenne. They drive to the highest point and get a better view of the country. They look back on the beautiful Goose river valley, whose wooded area now shows up only as a dark fringe on the horizon. They stand there gazing into the future, as it were, with the aid of a spy glass, and see houses, stacks of wheat and straw, plowed and unplowed areas, and burned areas, all dotting the smiling prairie. Soon they arrive at a little creek which is called "Grandebak- 41 ken." Here they stop to eat their own grub for the first time, prepared in their own kitchen and served in their own spacious dining hall. Toward evening they approach the Sheyenne. There is no timber to announce the valley as in Minnesota; they come to the drop suddenly—a deep valley; down below a stream winds southward with timber on both sides. Two large buttes loom up in the distance. They estimate the valley to be about 250 feet deep and one or two miles wide with steep hills on both sides. They part com­ pany for the night. The map is studied again. One wagon is to follow the route to Omund Opheim (Sec. 12-146- 85, about 40 miles from Valley City). The Northern Pa­ cific crosses the Sheyenne here for the second time. The other wagon was to proceed to Johannes E. Qvalle, a couple of miles north of Opheims. Messengers must be dispatched to tell of services at Qvalles on the morrow. Real Norwegian hospitality is dispensed. Evening devo­ tions center around Matthew 6:28, "And why take ye thought?" Together the little flock agrees that the only thing a man may be anxious about in this life is whether he is working on God's plan, doing God's work; and if that is so, all the care of everything else is back on God. And so they retire to wake the next morning re­ freshed and eager to go on. The weather is murky but people are gathering to hear Reverend Aaberg bring them the Word of God. After services a meeting is called to organize and delegates were elected to attend the church meeting at St. Johns Congregation, Goose river, to request regular services of Reverend Gronlid. After a hearty dinner the group wend their way north along the valley where the land seems to be good with quite a bit of timber. By evening they were about to pitch their tent when along came a man to guide them to Rolf Johnsons where they got hay, food, and a roof over their heads. Friday, September 30th, they continue north with the valley, meeting Norwegian settlers now 42 and then. At about mid-forenoon they came to A. C. Olson's store where they buy food and ammunition. Pres­ ently they arrive at the big bend of the Sheyenne in the southwest corner of Grand Forks County on the border of Foster County. They experience a feeling of loneli­ ness as they realize that now they are as a little isolated society—here they must establish, by common consent, their own rules of behavior and conduct. An organiza-' tion is perfected. Mr. Lomen is to be Captain—his word is law. With this high position is thrown in the job of cook; Reverend Aaberg and Ole Heg will be baggage­ men and take care of the tents, and incidentally bring in wood, water and fresh meat; the others are hostlers. A little before sundown they have almost reached the camp of some half-breeds. They have lived here undis­ turbed but now are surrounded by these Norwegian set­ tlers. An arm of the timber projects out a little beyond the Indian camp and this is the place where the captain orders the company to camp. Two of the party proceed to one of the miserable Indian huts to seek information about the route. There might have been a strong tempta­ tion to run away, first, because of a pack of howling dogs, and second, because of the strong smell of skunk. To the Indian the flesh of the skunk is a delicacy so this stench is inseparable from the half-breed. As they ap­ proach, a corpulent old man with an abundance of straight black hair rises to greet the visitors. He speaks English fairly well. They present him with a large chew of tobacco and he becomes animated and friendly. He tells them the Mouse river is about 40 miles with the sun and cautions them not to try a short-cut because of the lowlands. He advises to go via Fort Totten and fol­ low the old trail which will run north and a little west, and estimates this will be a three-day march. The old man says he was at Mouse river two summers ago and one day while he was at work cocking hay some bad men came from the Missouri and shot and killed two

43 of the settlers. "These settlers were of the same blood as I," (French) said the Indian, but showed no bitter­ ness. In spite of the Indian's warning, the party decides to change their course to try to reach Fort Totten the next day. Horses tied to wagon, fires out, stomachs filled, prayers said, they slumber undisturbed to wake to a beautiful Sunday morning. After the usual chores and the "grub-pile" call, they are off again. "A journey well begun is half finished!" Just after they pass the arm of the timber they discover a settler's shack. They stop to visit him. He came out last summer and says there are more Norwegians farther west. He speaks well of his red neighbors and assures them that there is plenty of good land with timber along the Sheyenne. He is friendly but does not mention coffee! At this point they leave the Sheyenne and follow the old military road to Fort Tot­ ten. All the land from Sheyenne to Devils Lake is an Indian Reservation and is not open to settlers. By noon they reach an arm of Devils Lake. Here is a sort of stopping place for travelers between Fort Totten and Devils Lake. The host is Indian and speaks very lit­ tle English. Shortly after they stop for the noon meal there arrives from Fort Totten a great company of In­ dians in wagons drawn by oxen. There are about 40 wagons in the caravan. They are on their way to Grand Forks to transport merchandise for the Government. Among them are hideous-looking warriors, Sioux, in all their regalia. However, they are a friendly lot. Since the weather is fair and roads fairly good, they hope to reach Fort Totten at the end of the day. The land be­ comes more rolling—now and then a pot hole—a ravine with a sweet-sounding trickle and occasionally a lake with at least a patch of timber. All afternoon a butte has intrigued them and presently they find themselves at the foot of it and day is dying in the west. Far off to the north they see a very large house and over in the hills many small poor houses and around the small houses a 44 number of tepees. They decide to camp near a clump of trees. The water supply is almost exhausted so the bag­ gagemen who are also Waterboys go to look for some. An old Indian comes to meet them. With the sign language they are able to make their wants known and the Indian lopes to a nice cool spring. Later he sits by their wagon smoking his pipe. He is invited to stay for supper and he sits in the Captain's seat. He seems to be exceedingly fond of the flat bread. The knife and fork at his place he does not need for he has adept fingers. They wonder if those fingers are stained with the blood of a white man! Saturday morning finds them still on the trail. They guess tomorrow's congregation will consist of the crew only. Feeling that the Indians are a peaceful lot, they go to bed in the tent with the weapons within reach. Sunday, with shimmering sunshine, reveals hill and dale dotted with Indian huts and wigwams—a beautiful land­ scape. It is almost frightening to know they are near Devils Lake, within the boundaries of the fearful Sioux Indian, whose miserable huts and tents indicate their primitiveness and savagery. But here too the Lord lets His faithful sun rise over the good and the wicked and has surely commanded that the Light of the Gospel should shine also on this people. Gross darkness is here! Can something be done for them? "Only ten to twelve years ago the Red Men owned the whole of the Red River Valley where fertile fields now belong to the Norwegian Lutherans. Is it right that we, who inherited so much of material good from the Red Men, send all our mission contributions to far distant lands and forget these of our own household?" asks Reverend Harstad. "Have we a right to build our houses on the site they selected for their wigwams?" says Rev­ erend Aaberg. The conversation and discussion goes on until way into 45 the night but finally they retire, weary and worn in body and mind. Breakfast over, they prepare the tent for Sunday serv­ ices. The gospel lesson for the day concerns the death of the son of the widow—her sorrow is presented graph­ ically but so is her joy as life through Jesus Christ is pre­ sented—His infinite compassion and help. Physical death is certain but just as certain also is victory over death through Jesus, our Savior. After a noon meal they break camp and finally reach the butte that has beckoned them so long. This is about 100 feet high, very flat on top, slanting evenly and steeply on all sides. This top affords a splendid view of the natural scenery of the reservation. A few miles to the northeast stands a large house with fine grounds. It is a missionary institution. Seven Sisters of Charity supervise the school for children. The Sister Superior tells us there are about fifty Indian children at the sta­ tion. In the winter they have about 100 children. They are given food and clothing. Classes are conducted every day. They teach reading, writing, arithmetic, geography and religion. The children, directed by a French nun, sing, "Welcome here," and then follow this by the sing­ ing of a hymn in the Sioux language. Everything is spick and span and the discipline is fine. The Norwegian Lu­ therans are impressed! At last they reach Fort Totten! This fort is said to be Uncle Sam's finest in the West. About half a score 2-story brick buildings have been built in a circle and in the mid­ dle stands a large house with a zinc-covered dome from which a flag on a high pole waves. Many smaller houses are scattered here and there. There is a trading post and a postoffice. The agent gives them much valuable information advising them that the Fort Stevenson trail is a longer but safer route to the Mouse river. They have yet a hundred miles to go if they go as the agent directs. 46 They are cautioned to carry wood and water for "the whole country is wild, barren, desolate land." October 3 on a Monday they are on their way. The bright October sun glorifies the hills about them. On one of these hills they come upon two Indian corpses. The Sioux do not bury their dead but carry the corpse to a hill and lay it on a platform built on four tall crotched posts. Two Indians sit at a polite distance—perhaps to sorrow, as they have nothing better than hunting grounds! After an hour or so the party reaches Stony Lake. They should reach Fort Totten soon. They come across a good spring and replenish the water tanks. They meet an old Indian, leading his lame pony, who tells them they have 50 miles yet to go. They continue, no banter now, little conversation—weather looks threaten­ ing, the horses lag and provisions are low. October 5 brings lovely weather and renewed spirits. The Captain has felled three fat ducks and promises them a good evening meal providing they can find water which will offer something better than alkali. The spring is discovered and a sumptuous dinner is served: fried ducks, navy beans cooked with salt pork, black Indian bread bought at the trading post, and coffee. The new morning dawns, dark, cold and dismal, with a forebod­ ing of snow. Where are they? Which way is the sun? Which way does the water drain? By means of a tin plate filled with water they are able to determine in which direction the land drains. It declines to the north­ west so they strike out in that general direction. They trek all day long, along what they think is the Steven­ son trail, though much of it is overgrown with long grasses. They are weary and retire early. No sun during the day—no moonlight during the night! Rudely awak­ ened from their sleep they discover a prairie fire whose fierce glow shines through the door of the tent. They have no time to dress. They grab sacks, overcoats and bedding in an effort to fight the fire and save the camp. 47 The battle rages for quite a spell when the weary fire reaches the swamp grass and apparently dies down. Some clothing is ruined, some bedclothes mighty dirty, but what of that? Lives have been spared. Thank God! The dusk is falling—horses are tired—there is no water and very little fuel. They have driven four days and yet no Mouse river! Things are confusing. Why does the country slope northwest when they know the river runs the opposite direction? Friday the 7th. They start without breakfast. The cook is in bad humor. There is nothing to cook, no water for the horses. He questions their going on—"more to the west," says he. So they listen to his whining and go "more to the west." Presently they come upon a swamp and let the horses drink. They take a few sips, bare their teeth and back up away from the water. The company stops for a while to eat a dry breakfast—no coffee! At noon they come upon a trail running northeast and shortly after they see a fringe of timber along what must be the Mouse River. They stop for dinner and rest an hour or so. Plenty of wood now and good drinking water. The valley seemed to have opened up all of a sudden. Here are hills on both sides. There are oaks, elms, ash and boxelder in abundance. It is good to camp here for the night. The next day the party is up bright and early. Go­ ing eastward they cross a high ridge just south of the bend of the river, cross a creek called, according to the map, Wintering river. They see sand hills covered with small bushy timber. The sandhills form a chain in a northwesterly direction. They are a few miles east of the river. After dinner they drive towards the river again. The land is richer. Some houses can be seen on the west side and they ford the river to find a settler comfortably located on the little rise. Evening again and they pitch their tents and purpose to spend the week- 48 end. There is a bit of laundry to be done and a few singed whiskers to be trimmed. Sunday, October 9—bright skies—weather cold but calm. Soon after breakfast they gather inside the tent to conduct worship. After a hymn has been sung and prayer offered they meditate on the story of the man with the dropsy (the gospel selection for the day). They are told to walk worthily to the call to which they are called. The question then arises, is the trip they are making worthy of their calling? After much discussion they agree to make public what "they have seen and heard" in the hope that it will benefit others. Here they sit, the five of them, at least two hundred miles from their starting point—a hundred miles from a settlement of any kind—and the snow is coming down in large beau­ tiful flakes! Will they be forced to camp here on the wild prairie through the winter and live on wild game? What of a climate that boasts a brilliant sunshine in the morning and by noon a sky overcast and threatening? But even as Ithey ponder, the snowflakes move on and the sun peeps out again. Monday morning is cold and dark. The Captain orders two men to spend the day inspecting the land on the west. The horses are hitched to the lighter wagon and they start on their inspection tour. They ford the river a few miles up and encounter quicksand. The horses finally make it and they are off. One man goes east to look for a trail to Fort Totten. The trail is almost obliter­ ated by the frequent whirlwinds. Tuesday, Oct. 11. Bright sunshine makes for good spirits. They chop wood and fill the water tanks. They eat their dinner at noon at Wintering river south of the great bend of the Mouse. It seems good to feel they are retracing—even Wintering river seems familiar! Presently they leave the timber area and venture out on the wild prairie again. The snow begins to fall, the cold increases, and the wind blows. As yet they have not come back on the trail. They 49 shiver and shake and the Captain orders the crew to pitch the tent and build a fire. A meal is prepared. They stand around the camp fire to eat. Early they crawl into their beds to rest. The snow continues to fall, the tents flap unmercifully, and the coyotes blend their voices with that of the wind, and yet they sleep well! The next morn­ ing they wake to find a huge blanket of snow—the cook­ ing utensils are filled with the white stuff too but the weather has cleared. Coffee is ready and they are off again—no trail as yet. At four in the afternoon they find the Fort Totten trail again just where they left it the other day. Now there should have been much re­ joicing but alas—an inventory showed there was no more water in the keg and provisions very, very low. They pitch their tent on the shore of a small slough. Pan­ cakes again? Yes, pancakes again, but they are hard to fry because of the high wind. The cook serves and the guests partake with mittens on! We said the provisions were low—the recipe for these particular pancakes: Flour, water and salt. The water in the slough has made un- drinkable coffee. The pancakes are nauseating and the cook had promised them apple sauce for supper! Morning comes as usual. The day is clear and cold. They nibble at the left-over pancakes and eat a few dried apples. The horses seem to like the pancakes that are left over. They drive on—the crew is hungry and the horses slow up because of the lack of water. Their thirst had compelled them to drink a little of the slough water but they refused to drink their fill. Later they find a stream with a mere trickle of water but it is greedi­ ly dipped by dipper and the kegs are filled. Friday noon they reach Stone Lake. They should be about a half day's journey from Fort Totten. While the baggage-men are hunting, a large troop of Indians come along. They are evidently on a hunting expedition. One of them must be an old chief. He is ornately dressed even to the feather head-dress. He is attended by a squire who hands him 50 his gun when he dismounts his pony. Some are riding, others are afoot. They have good breech-loading shot­ guns. They lose no time firing at the prairie chickens. Their guns seem noisy. The Norwegians camp not far away and an Indian scout comes to scout! He appears to be unarmed but he has an ammunition belt around his waist. He grunts a bit but there is no interchange of secrets, military or otherwise, for neither can understand the other! At twilight our group reaches Fort Totten again; and they call on the camp agent, who is very talkative and friendly. He says all land at the Moose river and north of Devils Lake belongs to an Indian tribe called "The Chip­ pewa and Turtle Mountain Indians," and does not advo­ cate settlers coming in until the United States has complet­ ed the bargain with the Indians. Under this jurisdiction are about 1500 Indians—all Sioux. The government allow­ ance to them is paid out in the form of food, clothing, axes, wagons and farm tools. The Mission Station was estab­ lished in 1874 or 1875. The Sisters of Charity receive a very small salary from the government. The Sioux are a very religious people. They respect and observe the ancient traditions and customs and are scrupulously con­ siderate of each other's property. The Sioux are said to be exceedingly cruel—but what of us? They revere the Great Spirit. They know no hell nor its housekeeper, the devil! They have no expressions equivalent to our swearing or cursing. Their women are chaste. Marriage is consummated by a sort of agreement involving sell­ ing and buying which is managed by relatives and friends on both sides. Oct. 14, 1882. The 16th anniversary of Luther College. Late that night they seek their rest only after observing the anniversary. They have discussed their care-free days at Luther College. Three of the group have been stu­ dents there. They remember, with thanksgiving, the sac- 51 rifices made to make a college possible. At midnight they are sleeping soundly. October 15—Four o'clock a.m. finds them on their homeward way—definitely homeward this day. After an absence of three weeks they are home safe and sound. The home folks are overjoyed to see them though they do claim they smell awful and look worse!

52 8

We Follow the Gleam

Now we meet another man of God in the person of the Missionary Pastor O. H. Aaberg. We quote from a letter written to the writer of this history dated February 21, 1933: "When I recall tire good old days (note the expression) of 50 years ago there could be many things worth men­ tioning, but to make a detailed account would be too expansive; for that reason I shall mention only a few things." From his journal we give this information: In the fall of 1881 there was only one white family north of Devils Lake. This family had come from Fort Totten looking for free land. They had crossed over the lake at the Narrows on a sort of ferry and had settled on a piece of land. Land seekers had reached only about 15- 20 miles west of Grand Forks so far, (farther north, we remember, a few Norwegians had settled at Park River and around Grafton), but by '83 the influx had reached Devils Lake and 20 miles farther west. There were supposed to be Norwegians living 100 miles west of Devils Lake. Late in the fall of '83 Reverend Aaberg set out on a missionary journey from the Red River Val- 53 ley to Devils Lake and way out to what later became Minot. On the 29th of October he arrived at the Vil- lard Postoffice and made arrangements for services to be held on November first. Proceeding westward he came to the home of Olav Spoklie. He baptized Spoklie's son, Charles Oliver, and also baptized a son of Henry Gasman, but did not conduct services since he was sched­ uled to be back at Villard Postoffice on November 1st. That night he slept out on the open prairie but reached Lars Hanson's in time for the service. Several children were baptized. In 1884 he made two trips to the western part of the state, preaching at Villard and at Mouse River. On the third day after Christmas 1884 a congre­ gation known as "Mouse River Norwegian Lutheran Church" was organized under the leadership of Mr. Hans Kopperdahl. In 1885 the Villard congregation was organized as the "Norway Congregation." That summer Pastor Aaberg moved to Devils Lake. In July that year a call was extended to Reverend Torjus S. Reishus to become the resident pastor. The opening of the western part of North Dakota found many of the founders of our congregations the first also to "break the sod." Today we marvel at the bravery shown, not only by these missionary pastors, but by the settlers as well. There were the dry years—the hot winds that turned the fields a deep brown instead of the golden tinge so much desired—and the hail which would come upon the fields all of a sudden; the blinding snowstorms in winter accompanied by intense cold when "guide ropes" would be stretched from building to building. And the prairies—now beautiful and then not so beautiful —covered with buffalo bones which settlers gathered and hauled to market. Having found his way to Mouse River, Reverend Aaberg proposed to extend his lines and so it is on one of these trips on his way home from Minot he took a course across the prairies in order to get to Dunseith 54 that he might from there take a stage road back to Devils Lake. He hoped to reach Dunseith by nightfall but sud­ denly his buggy broke down and the journey had to be delayed. He set out on foot to look for help to repair the damage and came upon the house of a French-In­ dian who said he could not help him but that a Norwegian not far awav was handv at such things. So Pastor Aaberg proceeded to the home of Mr. P. P. Svingen. Delighted to meet a Norwegian minister, Mr. Svingen hurried to his neighbor, Mr. Knut Aamodt, and these two persuaded the visitor to remain for a day or two that he might preach to them and also baptized two children. The services were to be held at the home of one John An­ derson. In the fall of the same year Pastor Aaberg again visited the settlement. At this time the congregation was organized in the home of Christ Cleveland and took the name "Willow Creek Congregation." Later a call was sent to Candidate T. E. Tonneson. In July 1886 Mr. Tonneson was ordained and installed as the first resident pastor of the congregation by Dr. H. J. Stub. From 1891 to 1893 the congregation had no pastor of its own but was served temporarily by Reverend Reishus of Minot and by Reverend Oxendahl and Reverend Blegen of Leeds. In 1893 a call was extended to Reverend C. D. Eikenes who served the congregation faithfully for 37 years. For a time he lived near Overly and then moved to Bottineau to live for a time after which he returned to the Overly home. Reverend Eikenes' parish was ex­ tensive including the sand hills near Willow City and Rolette as well as the Valle Lutheran Church. In 1920 the church became citified and moved to Overly. The first dedication service was held June 29, 1920.

ft a « The Bridston Lutheran Congregation was organized on a temporary basis on Jtilv 1886 at the Bridston home near Overly. On August 13, 1887, the congregation met 55 at the Steen Tweten home in Rolette County and a call was extended to Student Ole P. Svingen who served un­ til 1891. The congregation was served temporarily by P. C. Romo until 1892 and then by Reverend B. Ander­ son until 1894 when it was disbanded. From the years '94 to '96 the congregation was served by Reverend J. F. Adrianson. On April 1, 1896, the congregation was reorganized and named the Ebenezer Lutheran Congre­ gation. Reverend Lars Langehaug served from 1897 to 1902. He lived in Bottineau. During his pastorate the congregation was reorganized again and affiliated with the Hauge Synod. Reverend Langehaug left in 1902. During 1902-1906 they were served temporarily by Reverend K. T. Strand who organized the Ebenezer Con­ gregation on August 12, 1906, and this congregation affiliated with the United Church. Reverend O. T. Nel­ son served from 1906 to 1911. At this time the church was built in the town of Overly. This church is today the present house of worship of The Bethel Congrega­ tion near Rugby. In the fall of 1930 the Ebenezer Con­ gregation voted to merge with the Willow Creek Con­ gregation of Overly, and at last we have come to the real merger when the two congregations at Overly, the Ebenezer and the Willow Creek, unite into one congrega­ tion. a * « On February 7, 1882, the Reverend Ibriam L. Lundeby organized the Sheyenne Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. The meeting convened in the log cabin, the home of Torger Mikkelson. The little cabin has been moved to Alfred Enstad's grove and is still used occasion­ ally for open church meetings and picnics. Reverend Lundeby also served the Sigdal Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. In 1884 plans for building were in progress. Each member was assessed $5.00 cash and two logs 16x20. That year the congregation affiliated with the Norwegian 56 Lutheran Conference which had been organized in 1870. In 1890 the Conference united with other Lutheran bodies to form the United Lutheran Church and this congregation voted to join the united group—later, of course, also falling in with the merger of 1917. In 1939 the Pekin, Sigdal, and Sheyenne congregations combined to form the Pekin parish. A memorial has been erected on the site of the first church in memory of Pastors Lundeby and Wold and pioneers. The cemetery committee has had the ground landscaped and the beautiful shrubbery and flowers are tenderly cared for from year to year. A beautiful church was dedicated on Easter Sunday 1946. June 20, 1954, was a red letter day for the congregation when their native son, Percy Ensrud, son of John Ensrud and Mrs. Ensrud was ordained in the Sheyenne church. » • * The Sigdal Congregation was organized in July 1882 in the Elling Fjeld home. Eleven members comprised the congregation. In November that year a committee reported that they had secured a one-acre tract of land, one-half acre of Gunder Flaagan's land and one-half acre of Fjeld's land. Helge Rude and Fjeld offered 25 native posts and $10.50 in cash to enable the tract to be fenced. The trustees offered to do the work. This event­ ually became the cemetery. A constitution was drawn —very complete and explicit—several meetings were giv­ en over to the revisions—one item stated specifically, "No sermon shall exceed one hour." The Reverend Lundeby was called in 1884 to conduct one service per month. They were an ambitious lot, these few, for we find that lumber for benches had been donated and pews built, and groups took turns carrying these from house to house for services. On July 11, 1888, Reverend Lundeby announced that the Sigdal Congregation had been accepted into the Lutheran Synod in Minneapolis—"So now you are no 57 longer a Mission church—you are grown up." In March 1884 Helge Rude gave the site of the present Sigdal Church and cemetery—two rods along the south was designated to be used for tethering the horses. The church was completed in 1891. On September 22, 1897, the Reverend Lundeby passed away and in 1898 Reverend Wold took over. The years 1899 to 1903 were busy ones. The church was found to be too small so it was cut lengthwise along the ridge and one side moved out. A steeple was placed on the west end, a chancel and two smaller rooms on the east, the ceiling raised two feet and made dome shaped, and a gallery added. On August 3, 1916, a cyclone demol­ ished the church but left the bell intact. For a time the Gethsemane Church was used for services but a new church was erected and dedicated in 1918. That year the Bergen Congregation asked to join the Sheyenne- Sigdal parish and to share their pastor. The request was granted. Later the Pekin Congregation joined the parish. (The Bergen Church has been discontinued.)

The Milnor Lutheran Church was organized on June 6, 1885. It is not known who was the first Lutheran pastor to call on them but the first regular pastor to be called was Reverend C. G. Seltveit from Norway. The following pastors served the congregation:

R. A. Lavik-1892-1913 Jacob Tanner-1913-1916 T. T. Roan-1916-1919 A. W. Eggen-1919-1923 J. Mueller Eggen-1923-1925 A. J. Gravdal-1925-1947 E. O. Urness-1947-1958

We are unable to obtain much data on this congrega­ tion but we know it has been an energetic and faithful congregation for out of it has come five sons for the min- 58 istry. These are J. R. Lavik, I. A. Lavik, M. Grimsrude, Bernard Gravdal, and Marcus Gravdal.

The Highland Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Con­ gregation was organized in 1891 and later joined the Nor­ wegian Evangelical Lutheran Church. The first regular service was held on June 8, 1891. Reverend E. J. Orvie served the congregation temporarily. The first resident pastor was T. T. Wiprud and later Eden Holie and R. H. Holie and by Reverend Moller until 1918 when the con­ gregation of Hi Township consolidated with the present Concordia Congregation in Shuman Township.

e e * The Immanuel Lutheran Church of De Lamere was organized on January 4, 1883, at the home of Christoffer Nummedal with a membership of some over 40. For many years it was not affiliated with any church body but in 1902 joined the United Church. Then the Immanuel and De Lamere united to form one congregation and changed the name to Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Congrega­ tion. Reverend R. J. Wisnaes who served at Hickson be­ came the regular pastor. In 1878 the Reverend Nils Forde set out on a missionary journey along the Red river to Valley City and south­ ward along the Sheyenne river. After spending consider­ able time among the Norwegians settled there and ad­ ministering to them spiritually he organized The Sheyenne Valley Congregation which same would include anyone interested from the surrounding area. The records show "Many came from the east and the west to sit at the feast of salvation . . . obeying the Lord's invitation." We are told that when the pastor had announced the first meeting with those of confirmation age, he looked out that morning to see folks coming from four directions. Reverend Forde came to visit the congregation as often as he could until 1881 when the Reverend J. D. Bothne 59 came as a missionary pastor to take over. We consider the Sheyenne Valley Congregation the "Mother church" of all the congregations round about organized later. Reverend Bothne was a real missionary—he traveled across the prairies east and west, preaching, teaching and reaching. On February 22, 1883, the East Prairie (now Immanuel) Congregation was organized in the sod home of H. Christoferson. A few of these had been members of the Sheyenne Valley Congregation. Pastor Bothne re­ signed in the summer of '83 and left them with no resi­ dent pastor until '84 when H. O. Nordby came and served until 1911. For a time now the congregation was served by the Reverend P. A. Hendrickson, at that time President of the North Dakota District. In 1912 Reverend E. Struxness was installed as pastor. From time to time the connection with other congregations has changed but they were served by the same pastor from 1912 to 1925. Other pastors who have followed are: Reverend G. Hegg who came in 1925 and served until his death in May 1937; Reverend R. A. Ofstedal of Valley City who served the interim 1937-1938; Reverend O. A. Jordahl who served 1938-1948; Reverend Conrad Aamodt came in the fall of 1948 and served until 1951 when he left to do mission work in Japan. For a year they were with­ out a pastor. Dr. R. Thomte from Concordia College served them temporarily in 1951-1952 until Reverend James R. Peterson came and remained until 19.55. He was succeeded by Reverend Alexander Thompson who stayed but one year, and Reverend Eugene Floistad accepted the call and is currently serving the congregation. In the Valley of the Sheyenne

It was at the beginning of the last quarter of the nineteenth century that Norwegian immigrants began to settle along the Sheyenne river in the northwest part of what is now Ransom County. Pastor Ibraim Livius Lunde­ by lived in Valley City at that time and served as a home mission pastor. He covered a territory the size of about seven counties, from Fort Ransom to the Turtle Mountains. Some time in 1881 he conducted services in the Fort Ran­ som vicinity and returned to hold services on the 23rd of February the following year and organized the Stand­ ing Rock Norwegian Evangelical Congregation. By May that same year a constitution had been adopted and a request was sent to Missionary Lundeby to assist them in the calling of a pastor. Negotiations widi neighboring congregations were started for the purpose of forming a parish. Reverend L. Hill was called as permanent pastor in June 1883 with a salary of $125.00 and services were to be held every fourth Sunday. From its very beginning Standing Rock congregation affiliated with the Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Confer­ ence and supported its work, especially the Seminary and Home and Foreign Missions. In 1885 the congrega- 61 tion adopted the constitution of the Conference and ap­ plied for membership. In 1889 the union articles were adopted and also the constitution of the United Nor­ wegian Lutheran Church. Thus the congregation became a member of that church body. Then came the split of 1890 with the resultant withdrawal from the United Church in 1898. According to the information we are able to gather, the congregation did not exert itself in this strife to any degree but for five years sat on the side lines, more or less; but it did continue to support the work of the United Church even though it was not a member. It was not until the annual meeting on November 15, 195.5, that the congregation voted in favor of formally applying for membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the final vote in the matter was taken at the annual meeting on November 20, 1956. Dur­ ing the time of non-affiliation after 1917, however, it was a faithful contributor to educational and missionary en­ deavors and the Ladies Aid has been active in the Evan­ gelical Lutheran Church Women's Missionary Federation of the Oakes Circuit since the early 20's—some members having served as officers of the Women's Missionary Federation. They have also supported the foreign mission work of the Lutheran Free Church. The Fort Ransom parish now consists of Standing Rock, Stiklestad, and Preston congregations and is served by the Reverend Roger E. Paulson. The congregation has had the honor of being visited by many prominent men during the years. Of these we mention Dr. Sigurd Odland of the University of Oslo in 1911; Carl Hambro, the Editor of "Morgenbladet," and later President of the League of Nations in 1913; Professor Dr. Bernt Stoylen, later Bishop of Norway, in 1913; in 1925 a visit from Bishop Johan Lunde, Primate of the Church of Norway, representing the Church of Norway at the Centennial, preached in the Standing Rock congregation on August 62 6th. Earlier Pastor Lars Skrefsrud, the founder of the Santal Mission, also visited Fort Ransom. A history that man may write of a congregation will at best be very incomplete, because we fail to record the most essential—the spiritual phase of the work of the church. That too is recorded in the Book of Life and will be revealed. The Standing Rock congregation faced many problems and floundered a bit now and then but even during the period of non-affiliation with any church body, it continued to grow and to serve and now rests in the fond embrace of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. It proved that it was a true Christian congregation and accepted the divine commission to work the works of Him that sent them! Would that God increase the mortals Inside of His temple's portals; Sanctify them from above, And increase their mother love.

The history of the Trinity Lutheran Church at Forman is of necessity intimately connected with the life of her people in their ancestral homes to the time of their settle­ ment on the North Dakota prairies. These early settlers who constituted the nucleus of the Forman congregation came in the 83's to 86's having stopped on the way for a while in older settlements in eastern Dakota and Minne­ sota. For the most part they came from the Toten and Nordland in Norway and some from Sweden and Den­ mark. They came in true immigrant fashion—by foot, by oxcart, by covered wagons, and settled mostly in Forman Township, Rutland Township and Weber Township. Look­ ing for and finding suitable land, they proceed to build their humble homes, put in a little crop, and prepare for the winter. They were poor but they were young and had inherited a faith that nothing could destroy. They were Lutheran by inheritance which meant faith in God, 63 love for His Word, and devotion to His church. They coveted a chance to preserve not only that faith but all the appurtenances of the homeland which meant art, books, foods, language and the mode of living in gen­ eral. Their first pastor was the Reverend Gustav Westerlund. He was born in Sweden and had attended a Bible or Mission School and served for a time as a lay preacher. He came to Rutland in 1883 from Sweden. After being ordained as a pastor at the annual meeting of the Hauge's Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Red Wing in 1886 he was called to shepherd the folks at the congregation which was organized in 1885, Nordland. During the summer he also conducted services in the Brandt Schoolhouse 2M miles south of Forman. The pastor did not own a horse but walked to and from his homestead to his various preaching places. In November 1887 an organization meet­ ing was held at the Brandt Schoolhouse, a constitution adopted under the guidance of Pastor Westerlund, and the name, "Scandinavian Lutheran (Free) Church" se­ lected. Reverend Westerlund also served this congrega­ tion until 1891, holding services regularly once in three or four weeks at Brandt and Nordland. In 1890 a merger was effected when the Norwegian Lutheran, the Anti-Missourians, the Norwegian-Danish Conference, and the Augustana Synod, formed The United Norwegian Lutheran Church. There were many long and lively meetings but the congregation finally decided joining the United Church would mean more effective work at home and abroad. On the advice of Reverend Westerlund and on recommendation of Rev­ erend Anderson, the Home Mission Superintendent of the United Lutheran Church, the congregation applied for membership and decided to call a pastor, together with Milnor and adjoining congregations as they should come into being. Reverend Rasmus Lavik was installed on February 21, 1891, and served the congregation 20 64 years. Services were held alternately in Forman and the Brandt Schoolhouse until '95 when the services in the country were held in the Sannes Schoolhouse until the South Trinity church building was erected in 1906 and dedicated in 1907. We begin to see the transition from country to the towns and the need for more frequent services. Then too the need for services in the English language was be­ coming more evident and so in 1914 the church was built in the town of Forman where lots had been purchased for a church and parsonage. In 1912 Reverend Lavik's call was divided. The Reverend Sander Tollefson had served two summers as parochial teacher and student pastor and a call was sent him to serve Trinity Lutheran at Forman, Nazareth Lutheran Church at Cogswell and the Brampton Lutheran Church. He served until 1916. The new church at Forman was used for the first time on Christmas Day 1914. Reverend Tollefson had taken over the Nordland congregation at Rutland temporarily in 1915 besides his own so when he resigned the charge was rearranged. Cogswell and Brampton formed an in­ dependent call and Trinity and Nordland sought a new pastor. The charge was vacant until 1917 when it took advantage of the 1917 merger. A call was sent to the Reverend K. O. Gjernes, then a candidate in theology. He was ordained and installed at Forman on August 12, 1917, by Reverend I. D. Ylvisaker, President of the North Dakota District. Reverend Gjernes served the Nordland congregation organized in 1885 faithfully for 38 years, is now retired, and living in Fargo. He still finds time and opportunities in various capacities, being at this time a member of the committee compiling this history. On July 31, 1955, the Reverend John T. Rotto was in­ stalled as pastor of the Trinity and Nordland congrega­ tions. Under his able pastorate the congregations are by God's blessings growing in inward grace, and outward ex­ pansion. 65 10

The Church Marches On

"The Hillsboro Banner" of Hillsboro, North Dakota, the oldest newspaper in North Dakota, in its issue of Thursday, June 28, 1956, gives several pages to an article entitled, "1917 Merger of Congregations forms our Sav­ ior's Lutheran," but it would be very wrong to assume that the history of the church dates back no farther than 1917. Actually it began way back when missionary pastors in the 70's invaded the territory looking for settlers who might be Norwegian Lutherans. When we speak of the '17 merger we have in mind the Immanuel Lutheran Church often referred to as the Synod Church because of its affiliation with the Norwegian Synod, and the Hills­ boro Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church often called the "United Church" because of its affiliation with the United Lutheran Synod, which in 1917 merged to form Our Savior's Lutheran Church. Obviously, no history of Our Savior's Lutheran Church woidd be com­ plete without a bit of information concerning the "par­ ent" churches. We begin with the older—The Hillsboro Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Reverend Bernhard L. Hagboe responded to a call to serve the early settlers of the Red River Valley, 66 more specifically those who had settled in and around the vicinity of Hillsboro. In 1872 under the direction of Reverend Hagboe a congregation west of the city was organized and given the name of Aal Lutheran Church. Though the records are incomplete it is believed that Reverend Hagboe may have assisted also in the organ­ ization of the Hillsboro Congregation. So far we have been unable to learn just where the organization was held nor the exact date, but later records on hand show that the Reverend Jens Lonne was called to be the first resident pastor and began his ministry in December 1883. Pastor Lonne also served the aforementioned Aal congre­ gation and also the Audal Lutheran Church in Portland. During his first year's ministry, 1884, the congregation ventured into a building program. An issue of the "Hills­ boro Banner" of March 7, 1884, has the following inter­ esting item: "The new Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hillsboro is to be erected in the spring. It will be quite an imposing edifice. The main building will be 32x78x18 and the steeple 60 feet high." The May 23, 1884, issue has this to say: "The lumber is on the spot for the erection of the new Lutheran Church. It will be an extensive structure and its high steeple will add greatly to the appearance of the city."* A generous contribution to the building fund resulted from the sale of a forty-acre tract of land west of the city. This land had been given the Aal Lutheran Church by the Northern Pacific Railroad and was sold by the con­ gregation when the decision was made to build the Aal Church farther west. The transaction netted $175.83 but it cost a little too for because of this decision several Aal members withdrew and joined the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hillsboro. Pastor Lonne was suc­ ceeded in 1897 by Reverend Christopher Ytrehus who served from '97 to '99. He was followed by Pastor Anders

"These details are mentioned primarily to show the then criterion of a church edifice. 67 Haukom and in 1906 he was followed bv Pastor L. M. Skunes who served until the merger of the three large church bodies in 1917. Now let us turn to the history of Immanuel Lutheran Church which we mentioned before it was united with the Hillsboro Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congrega­ tion to form the present Our Savior's. The pioneer pastor serving this branch of Lutheranism was the Reverend B. Harstad. He had organized the Gran Lutheran Church some miles west of town and sought to minister also to Lutherans living in and near Hillsboro. Traveling mostly by horseback he tried to make visits once a month or so, holding services in homes, and later services were conducted in a large room over a livery barn in the city. His pastorate here included the years from '78 to '82 and continued with a similar visitation ministry until 1884. The congregation during the years '84 to '92 were served by Pastors J. Halvorson, H. Allen, and Reverend Thingelstad. It was the last mentioned who was instru­ mental in bringing about the formal organization of the congregation. Under his leadership about 40 interested people met on June 12, 1892, in a building known as Nels Acker's Hall and organized The Immanuel Lutheran Church. (Synod Church.) The new congregation called the Reverend J. R. Rorvik to be its first resident pastor. The congregation consisted of about fifteen families. Services were held in the American Methodist Church building until '93 when they built their own church. Pastor Rorvick served faithfully and well until 1902 and was succeeded by Reverend George Lane who remained un­ til 1907. During his pastorate the English language was first used in the Synod Church of Hillsboro. Others who served as pastors from 1907 to 1917 were Pastors L. A. Haatvedt, Olaf Turmo and S. K. Tollehaug. Now Hillsboro had two Norwegian Lutheran churches. They had evolved in a very natural way but now it seemed that one united church would serve the purpose 68 9m. ..-Wk

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Harvest Time (B.C.—Before Combines)

Dr. I. D. Ylvisaker, first president of the district following the union of 1917

Dr. Loyal Tallalcson president, North Da­ kota District Dr. David Stoeve, pres­ ident of the district 1926-1951 Mouse River Valley

The Prairie Country "Where Steeples Rise"

First Lutheran at Williston Home Mission "Fruits" in Grand Forks—Calvary Lutheran, organized in 1954

High Pulpit at Walcott

President Tallakson dedicating First Lutheran at Rugby 1956 Cattle Run Along the Missouri

Bruflat Academy, once an important part of the prairie church

"Steeples Rise" above St. Olaf Lutheran at Devils Lake Gran Lutheran, one of the oldest, built in 1881 at Mayville

Grain elevators at New England, North Dakota- Symbol of agricultural production

Modernity at Mayville .ii HHUMCHII

"For amber waves of grain, O Lord—We Thank Thee"

Aerial view of Garrison Dam— Key to future economic stability in Central and Eastern North Da­ kota

The "Old" and the "New" at Hettinger St. Peter Lutheran— Minnewaukan

First Lutheran at Fargo

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>-«.^jyLsy Threshing "A.C." North Dakota Badlands—Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial (After Combines) Park

Ness Church at Cooperstown 75th Anniversary in 1958

"Kvindeforening" at Verendrye "Newness on the Prairie" Our Savior's at Williston in 1897 A New Church at Buford-Trinity Lutheran The Old Gave Way to the New g, at Rugby—February 1953

The new "First Lutheran" at Rugby

Immanuel at Buxton—"Two in One" wmmnmmmi View of formal gardens at International Peace Gardens

"The Largest Assembly of Lutherans" at Reformation Day Worship—Minot, 1958. Total Attendance 6,300 First Church in Crosby The New Concordia in Crosby

First Lutheran at Minot k

North Prairie Lutheran—North of The oldest west of the Missouri—Sims Velva

A new Church "West of the Missouri" at Alexander

Signal Oil Company—Natural Gas Refinery—at Tioga t •ill- A ^L'v, ." jv '•' sF 1ft 11 III BfflH , af * * )

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First Lutheran of Watford City, built 1949

Landmark at Reynolds "St. Olaf Lutheran" SJ&-

A new and modern church—Lakota

Hoff Church at Heimdal

Valle at Rolette Trinity at Binford

Fine Gothic style at Bismarck- Trinity Lutheran

Capitol Building—Bismarck

PSHIPIsP^^aa. ! 111 *m • It 111! III! 111! i i in 111! i • In 111! • • in pill P • ••• 111! * • in 1111 i • up fill • Mil* • imn fill! • in • IMP tin f 111 f • Hi it 111 • • in 1 1111 1 • • pit 1 111 I 11 I Ml llllill •Mi mi pit better. For a long time it was a matter of conversation only and then gradually grew to be a matter for discus­ sion but it was not until the merger of 1917 when the three bodies formed the new church body that the mat­ ter of union really took shape. On June 25, 1917, the members of the two congregations, Immanuel Lutheran Church, and the Hillsboro Norwegian Evangelical Lu­ theran Church, at a joint meeting voted to unite. A con­ stitution and by-laws were adopted. The church build­ ings and parsonages of the uniting congregations were deeded to the new church and thus was born Our Sav­ ior's Norwegian Lutheran Church of Hillsboro. With the resignation of the two pastors who had served the uniting churches, Pastor L. M. Skunes and Pastor S. K. Tollehaug, the new church called Reverend O. P. Stavaas of Thief River Falls, Minnesota, who came to Hillsboro in the fall of '17. The future looked bright. The congregation was fast becoming a leading spiritual power in the community, Pastor Stavaas resigned on May 6, 1920, to accept a call from the Foreign Mission Board to serve as a missionary in Madagascar. Pastor N. G. W. Knutson of Larimore was called and began his duties in the fall of that same year. It was during this pastorate that misfortune befell the congregation. On Sunday morning, January 13, 1924, while the Sunday school was in session a fire was detected coming from the basement. While no lives were lost the building itself was destroyed. With thanks to God for saving the lives of the children, the\ set about looking for suitable quarters for services again. In November 1928 the Right Reverend David Stoeve dedi­ cated the new church. This pioneer church has continued to grow physically and spiritually and is now served bv Reverend C. F. Savereide. In 1884 a letter of call was sent to Reverend O. H. Aaberg to come to minister to the saints at Crary. This congregation had previously been organized by the Rev­ erend B. Harstad, then President of the Minnesota Dis- 69 trict which included all of North Dakota. The call was accepted but it was not until a year later that Reverend Aaberg found it possible to come. At this time he was the official missionary pastor of western North Dakota, having preaching places at Devils Lake and Mouse River specifically, but had also organized and established nine congregations within the boundaries of Ramsey County alone. It was in June 1885 that Reverend Aaberg estab­ lished his residence in Devils Lake and on July 20th that year a congregation was formally organized and took the name of St. Olaf. This was the one and only Lu­ theran congregation in Devils Lake at that time but later there were a few who wished to belong to the Norwegian- Danish Conference. (This is the same as the Lutheran Free Church today.) This loose organization continued for some time but later it was requested that both the Norwegian congregations dissolve and unite into one con­ gregation. The amalgamation was perfected and the name St. Olaf retained. By 1888 another congregation got a foothold—the St. Petri belonging to the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood. After a bit they too sought to merge with the St. Olaf Con­ gregation. Reverend G. Hoyme, President of the North Da­ kota Conference and Reverend L. M. Biorn, President of the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood, met with the congre­ gations and again effected a merger so on April 8, 1889, nine families of the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood joined St. Olaf. A church building had been completed in 1888 and Reverend Lavik, who had served St. Petri before the union, supplied for Reverend Logeland in a temporary capacity. Reverend Madsen conducted regular services in the St. Olaf church but also served other congrega­ tions in the parish, notably in the Thompson Schoolhouse where the Vernes congregation was later organized. Rev­ erend Logeland seems to have conducted services in the Grand Harbor Lutheran congregation. These meetings were held in the Morgan Schoolhouse. The first reference 70 to an English service being held at St. Olaf is found in the records of the year when Reverend Quam preached on January 25, 1898. In 1899 the parish consisted of St. Olaf, Ringsaker, Bethlehem, Zion, and Vernes congrega­ tions. In 1908 the Bethlehem congregation at Doyon with­ drew from the parish that they might join the Hamar and Warwick parish. In order to get the right perspective on the St. Olaf Congregation it may help to know that the Vernes Con­ gregation disbanded on January 1, 1931, and all except two of the members joined the St. Olaf Congregation in Devils Lake. From the time of the pastorate of Reverend J. Madsen, 1891, to that of Reverend A. C. Barron, 1918, all the pastors were members of the United Lutheran Church (so also the congregations belonged to the United) until the large merger of 1917 when it auto­ matically became a member of the new body. The Rever­ end E. L. Rude came to Devils Lake on August 2, 1938, and was installed by District President Dr. David Stoeve on August 21st, 1938. He has continued his ministry to the present. • * # "Spread the SaiV—ISAIAH 33:23 A group of Norwegians had settled in an area west of Oakes which included all of Norway (now Clement), part of Yorktown, Wright, James River Valley and Bear Creek Townships. Our Savior's Lutheran Church was organized in July 1884, by the Reverend N. A. Ofstedal. The first meeting was held on November 30, 1885, at the (then) town of Hudson, 2 miles west and 3 miles south of Oakes. At this time there was no Oakes and no railroad or towns nearer than Ellendale, North Dakota, and Columbia, South Da­ kota. On November 10, 1886, a meeting was held in the home of Mary Bergan and on May 7, 1887, services were held at the home of John Morgan. On September 4, 1888, a special meeting was called to discuss the possibility 71 of organizing so as to be served oftener. The question- should they continue to be served by a pastor from Ellen­ dale or should they join with the James River congregation at Glover, perhaps also include the area south of La Moure, and call a resident pastor for the enlarged area? Reverend Erik Rogne (Norske Synode) had been sent by the Home Mission Board to Ellendale to serve the areas as best he could. Times were hard and at this time no funds from the Mission Board were available. Sod houses were the order of the day. There were no sec­ tion lines, no roads, no fences, and certainly no snow plows, so services were confined almost exclusively to the better seasons. Reverend Rogne resigned in 1887. Shortly after a joint meeting was held. Delegates came from James River Valley and Our Savior's to call a pastor. The question as to whether the minister was to be an Augs­ burg or a United could not be settled that day and it was not until another meeting held on March 20, 1888, that the committee voted unanimouslv to call Reverend J. D. Swalestuen at a salary of $100.00 per year. The call was not accepted at this time. Things went along more or less haphazardly and the question of rearrangement came up again. Would it be feasible to make one call of Our Savior's, St. Ansgar's, James River and Oakes? At a meeting on December 4, 1889, the delegates met to call one resident pastor—but again which shall it be— the Norwegian Synod, the United Church, or Hauge's? Many of the settlers were strict disciples of Hauge. Final­ ly it was agreed that a call be sent to Reverend J. D. Swalestuen, who accepted and served until 1892, after which Reverend P. T. Stensaas was called and remained until Reverend Thueland took over. Now came a period of hard times and they found themselves without a pastor for quite some time. The Reverend J. H. Lindlaud, living at Ellendale, but also serving Clement, succeeded in reorganizing the con­ gregation on January 16, 1893. A new constitution was 72 adopted but the name was retained. In 1904 Reverend Lindland moved from Ellendale to Oakes and there or­ ganized the Ebenezer Congregation in October 1906. Rev­ erend Lindland used the Norwegian language exclusively so in 1921 the Ebenezer congregation in Oakes joined with the others to form The First Lutheran Church of Oakes. In 1923 a joint meeting of The First Lutheran Church of Oakes, the English Lutheran Church of Bramp­ ton, and the Nazareth Lutheran Church of Cogswell, represented by delegates, was held at Oakes to call a pastor. Reverend E. S. Estrem accepted the call and re­ sided at Oakes. In October 1929 the four congregations, viz: Oakes First Lutheran, Cogswell, Brampton, and Clement, called Reverend J. O. Ronsberg of Perley, Min­ nesota, who did much to "spread the sail." He was in­ strumental in organizing a Men's Club, a Lutheran Broth­ erhood, and carried on an extensive Evangelistic program. The Mouse River Norwegian Lutheran Church was organized the 27th day of December 1884 under the leadership of Mr. Hans Kopperdahl. Reverend Aaberg of Devils Lake was unable to be present because of inclem­ ent weather. The Reverend Torjus S. Reishus was called as the first resident pastor. This congregation later changed its name to The First Lutheran Church of Minot. In 1886 Ibriam Livius Lundeby, the missionary pastor who had worked in the territory west of the Red river in the district north of Fort Ransom to the Turtle Mountains, visited Minot and organized another congrega­ tion which took the name, "Minot Norsk Evangelisk Lu- thersk Menighed." Later this name too was changed to "Bethania Skandinavisk Evangelisk Luthersk Menighed." Pastor Lundeby appealed to the Church Conference to send them a pastor and in 1887 Reverend J. U. Peder­ son came as their resident pastor. It is interesting to note that in Reverend Pederson's report covering his first eighteen months he announced that ten congregations had been organized in the western district. We see that 73 from the beginning this missionary zeal for spreading the gospel was evident. Other congregations to the east, west, north and south, were organized and as soon as the organization was perfected and a pastor secured, the mis­ sionary pastor went on to new undeveloped fields—he truly was his brother's keeper! In the history of man, the idea of responsibility toward our fellow-men has emerged in various cultures at various times. It was proclaimed by the Israelite prophets of the 8th century B.C. Jesus Christ taught that we were obligated to all human be­ ings, and this has always been an integral part of the Christian system of ethics, not least in our beloved Lu­ theran Church. We merely touch on the history of the church at Minot—complete histories of each congregation can be found in the church offices, but we would like to think of the congregations at Minot as being a mother with a large family for out of her generosity and loyalty have sprung up congregations to Canada's border on the north and to the jewel state on the west. Today people are seriously thinking of making trips to the moon. The first plans to go into McKenzie County to administer to Lutherans there seemed almost as ro­ mantic as our plans for a trip to the moon today. A group had settled in the vicinity of Keene, McKenzie County. A spokesman had visited Minot and had suggested there might be some interest in church organization there. He was an ambitious advertiser for his people. Said he, "We are a strong stubborn bunch of suckers—we dig our way —we putter and pat the soil and search the Scriptures when we have time—we dream a little and sweat a little and leave the rest to God." Well—his philosophy of life and the testimony of his faith awakened the interest of the First Lutheran Church and at a congregational meet­ ing they voted that their pastor might devote one week out of four to do missionary work, looking particularly to the west. And so it was that the Macedonian call was heeded 74 and the first congregation in McKenzie County was or­ ganized in the spring of 1905 by the Reverend N. Astrup Larsen, then pastor of First Lutheran Church of Minot. It was fitting and proper that the name of the congrega­ tion should be "The First Lutheran Church of Keene." On July 28, 1905, the Reverend I. Buckneberg was in­ stalled. The call consisted of three organized congrega­ tions, namely, First Lutheran of Keene, Tioga, and the Stordahl Congregation north of Ray. There were also what Pastor Buckeneberg referred to as "whistle-stops." These preaching places were near Palermo, Ray and Wil­ liston. The first church of the call was built in 1906 by the Immanuel Congregation in Williams County near the present site of Wildrose. Reverend Buckneberg was a pioneer in the real sense. His pastorate consisted of 17 congregations (this included Williston) and several un­ organized preaching places. His parish reached from White Earth west to Mondak and into the Yellowstone Valley in Montana. By broncho, team, bicycle, skis and on foot, he seldom missed an engagement. This reminds us of one time he "nearly didn't make it"! He had come 14 miles by bicycle to meet with the confirmants and to hold services. From a distance he saw the friendly steeple of the little church which stood on a prominence just across the river. When he came to the fording place he beheld one of his trustees sitting complacently on the opposite bank and then he realized the recent rains had made an Amazon of the little stream. "Sorry, Pastor, guess there won't be any service this time." "Can you get me a pair of pants and a shirt?" said the pastor. No sooner said than done. Swimming was no new thing to Reverend Buckneberg and as far as we are able to learn his pastoral outfit was retrieved from a tree after the service. During the summers of 1907 and 1908 a young student by the name of T. A. Hoff was sent out to assist Reverend 75 Buckneberg. He acquired a homestead during this time and so the young ranch hands felt a kinship with this young bachelor. Reverend Buckneberg had made arrange­ ments for him to conduct services in or near a large ranch in the hopes that they might become interested in an organization. Transportation had been promised and we surmise the student had looked for a buggy at least when to his surprise he found he was provided with a saddle horse. The boys on the ranch had selected a notorious bucking broncho from the range. That didn't Hoor Mr. Hoff. We are told he and the horse had a few whispered words (maybe there was a lump of sugar) — anyway, off they went to services and back again. The cowboys and the young pastor were good friends from then on. When we brief the early history of our various congre­ gations, we are prone to think the early organizations look like a tangled mess of ticker tape but a careful study makes the picture quite clear—everything has its begin­ nings and these beginnings eventually become a part of the past, and there is only one place where the past ever makes sense and that is inside the creative mind. The landscape has changed since 1905—the flick of the fhckertail has given place to the flick of the pump of a producing oil well, for the area served by Reverend Buckneberg way back when is now a busy oil-producing territory. The folks in this industry too have heard the Word of God for when man will listen, God speaks. When God .speaks, men are changed. When men are changed, nations will change. Yes—the landscape has changed— for the better—because of the zeal of the pioneer mis­ sionary pastors who labored that their fellow-men might have life and have it more abundantly.

76 11

The First Lutheran of Fargo

The First Lutheran Church of Fargo is the result of the consolidation of two antecedent Lutheran churches of Fargo. One of these reveals a continuous history from the beginning of Lutheran Church work in the Red River Valley. We go back to the first public worship of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in this area. The first serv­ ice was held late in 1871. Another chapter in this history tells of the missionary journey of Reverend Niels Ylvisaker who organized a congregation at the home of Peder Nok- ken in Moorhead on October 4, 1872. This organization took the name of "Moorhead Norwegian Evangelical Lu­ theran Congregation." The articles of incorporation were filed in Minnesota since this was Moorhead. In 1873 Reverend Johannes Hellestvedt accepted a call and served until 1876. The early part of his pastorate saw the desire to have a church come true and by the summer of 1874 a meeting house was built. The financial burden became heavy for the small membership. In September 1878 a committee was chosen to sell the church building. Later another committee was chosen to select a site for the church at Fargo. While no site was immediately secured

77 and while no church building was immediately built, the congregation in this way came to move to Fargo. On September 25, 1878, the name was changed to "Our Savior's Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church," and articles of incorporation were acquired under the laws of North Dakota. Thus we see the roots of the present First Lutheran were transplanted from Moorhead to Fargo. The congregation still had no church building but in 1882 a call was sent to Johan Olai Haugen to serve the Norwegian Church. In 1882 Fargo was a wide open frontier town, full of saloons and gambling. It was the supply depot for the rapidly growing West. The Da­ kota Territories were rapidly opening for settlement. A year or so before Reverend Haugen's arrival, Nor­ way's famous poet, Bjornstjerne Bjornson, had visited Fargo and had publicly denounced the immigrants as slovenly, ill-cultured and drunken swine. This outburst detracted from Bjornson's popularity, you may be sure. Many years later when Reverend Haugen served as a Board member of St. Olaf College he proposed erecting a monument to Bjornson on the campus. In this he was severely denounced by the belligerent editor of "Amer- ika," Rasmus B. Anderson. While at Fargo Reverend Haugen served the widely-scattered rural churches in the Valley, including Lower Maple River, Salem, Buffalo River, and Zion. The winters were extremely cold and summers hot. The ten years of Reverend Haugen's pas­ torate in Fargo from 1882 until 1892 were strenuous in­ deed. These immigrants took their religion seriously and were well-informed. Many were discontented with the formality and coldness of the state church in Norway. Many pastors were "servants of the state" with no close approach to the peasants and unwilling to share the aus­ terity of rural life. In America the spirit was different— here was real religious freedom! In 1893 Reverend J. J. Heie was called to the pastorate and at last the con- 78 gregation was to have a home. In May 1895 cornerstone ceremonies were carried out. One can be led to ask the question how long a congregation could so long main­ tain itself without a suitable and permanent church home —from 1872 to 1895. The answer must be found in the characters of its members. In observing the earnestness and dignity with which they carried out the problems of the congregation, as revealed in the carefully prepared minutes, one is impressed with their seriousness. Nothing illustrates this better than the "discussions" held with die members of Pontoppidan Congregation. In considering the question of consolidation these discussionists did not devote their attention first to debt adjustment or property consideration, but to questions of unity in faith and in practice. In the beginning the congregation had no synodical connection although die first constitution provided that the pastor chosen should be from the Norwegian Synod. However, in 1890 they affiliated with the United Evan­ gelical Lutheran Church and retained their connection un­ til the merger of 1917. In 1892 the name was changed to "First Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Fargo." In 1903 another Norwegian Lutheran Church was es­ tablished in Fargo. This was St. Paul's, organized in the home of C. J. Narum. This organization comprised a group of churchmen who had been reared in different churches of the Norwegian Synod and had moved into Fargo from various communities. The organization numbered 23 souls and their first pastor was Reverend E. A. Boyd, and an aggressive church it came to be. The First Lutheran of Fargo stems from these two churches. The records do not show any formal negotia­ tions for union until 1917. Thus the history of First Lu­ theran of Fargo is unique, in that it was not a Home Mission congregation made up of members brought back to the church by zealous home mission pastors. On the 79 contrary it was made up of mature churchmen, well- grounded in Christian doctrine, devoted to congregation work and organizational promotion. The second phase may be characterized as a period when the elements making up the congregation were completely unified and the organizations were articulated and solidified. These two periods extend over the pastorates of Reverend J. D. Runsvold and Reverend S. A. Beige. At Christmas 1921 the first services were held in the new church. In 1918 Reverend J. D. Runsvold had been called to serve First Lutheran and the congregation pros­ pered. With the growing membership, new organizations, new services, it was natural that there should be grow­ ing pains also, but as Reverend Runsvold directed the work of the parish he must have felt God had been good in the era just completed. On October 1, 1931, Reverend S. A. Berge entered upon the pastorate. His administration was characterized by acts looking to the strengthening of the work of every organization and to the improvement of the service of every group. The Reverend J. N. Quello succeeded Rev­ erend S. A. Berge. The overt acts of leadership of the shepherds of First Lutheran bear testimony that the pas­ sionate concern of each was not numerical growth nor organization, but soul winning.

80 12

First Lutheran Church Williston, North Dakota

First Lutheran Church of Williston had its beginning as the first congregation to be started in this northwestern part of North Dakota. Homesteading had begun in this area about 1903 and during the next five years most of the land in this corner of North Dakota was taken. It was during these years that most of the congregations of this area were organized. The Great Northern Railroad had come through in 1887 and the town of Williston had been incorporated and platted in 1890. During these early years, the popula­ tion of the new town consisted mostly of people of earlier American stock, who established businesses of various kinds in the new frontier town on the prairie. By 1903 the westward moving wave of Norwegian im­ migration reached this area with a steady influx of Nor­ wegian Lutherans coining from older settlements in the eastern part of the state and in Minnesota, as well as those coming directly from Norway. Inside of five years Norwegian Lutherans had possessed the land, homestead­ ing perhaps ninety percent of the prairie acres in most of the countries in the Northwestern corner of North Da­ kota. 81 With the Norwegian immigrants fanning out over the prairie came Norwegian Lutheran pastors representing the different Lutheran Church groups as they existed at that time. By the time the homestead land was all taken, there were Norwegian Lutheran congregations completely covering the new territory, many in competition with each other. After beginning with services in homes, they soon built places of worship, often starting with only a basement but also with many completely built churches. It was the birth of a baby boy in a homestead shack on the prairie which was the occasion for the organization of this congregation. Among the early settlers were four families which came from the congregation of Rev. R. J. Wisnaes at Wild Rice, North Dakota, and homesteaded southeast of Williston. The first son of one of these fam­ ilies was born on July 4, 1904. Back at Wild Rice, the grandfather of the baby got news of the birth of his grandson in a prairie homestead shack. Being a devout Christian man, he was concerned about the spiritual well-being of his own family, as well as others who had moved west. He suggested to his pas­ tor, the Rev. R. J. Wisnaes, that he would pay the railroad fare if the pastor would make a trip to the new settle­ ment to baptize his grandson and otherwise look into the spiritual needs of the family and others who had settled there. Rev. R. J. Wisnaes made the trip to Williston as arranged. On Sunday, August 14, 1904, a service was held in one of the homes and the baby was baptized. On the following Wednesday, August 17, a meeting was held at another home and Zion Evangelical Luther­ an Church was organized and a constitution was adopted. This became a congregation of the Norwegian Synod. The first year Rev. S. S. Svenungson, who had just come to Palermo, North Dakota, served also the congregation at Williston. In 1905 Rev. I. J. Buckneberg came to Ray, North Dakota, as the first pastor living there. He served 82 Zion until the summer of 1906. At that time Williston got its first resident pastor when Rev. M. L. Holey came. He served until 1909. During his ministry the first church was built, the first service being held on Palm Sunday of 1909. He was succeeded by Rev. J. A. O. Wulfsberg who served until the congregation merged in 1912. The second Norwegian Lutheran congregation to be formed in Williston was the United Norwegian Lutheran Church which was organized in 1908, four years after the first. Rev. Albert Johansen served this congregation from 1908 until it merged in 1912. The third congregation came soon after. Rev. J. B. Falkanger organized the Hauges Lutheran Church in 1910 and served it until 1913, when he was succeeded by Rev. A. E. Ristad who served it until 1916. Within a short time the members of these congrega­ tions began to see the futility of three competing synods in the new western town and already in 1911 there got to be talk of uniting the three. By that time there was talk of a general merger of the three synods which was consummated in 1917. It is significant that the local union took place five years ahead of the union of 1917 which formed the Nor­ wegian Lutheran Church of America. In 1912 the Zion congregation of the Norwegian Synod and the United congregation merged to form the "Norwegian-American Lutheran Church." Four years later the Hauges congre­ gation disbanded and their members joined the merged congregation. The first pastor after the union of the congregations was Rev. I. G. Monson who served from 1912 to 1917. He was succeeded by Rev. G. S. Natwick who was pastor from 1917 to 1921. Rev. L. N. Field came to the parish and continued as pastor nearly ten years, until 1931. During his ministry the transition was made from the Norwegian to the 83 English language. In 1921 the name of the congregation was changed to The First Lutheran Church. The English language soon replaced Norwegian as the principal medi­ um of preaching and worship. This transition opened up new opportunities for the congregation and ushered in a period of growth which has continued steadily ever since. In 1922 the second church building of the congre­ gation was completed and dedicated. Rev. E. B. Steen served the congregation from 1931 until 1939. During his ministry the congregation continued to grow, the church debt was gradually reduced and new furnishings were provided for the church. Rev. G. E. Frost became the pastor in 1940 and served until 1944. In the last year of his ministry the final pay­ ment on the debt of the church was made and the first offering for a new building fund was taken up. Rev. Casper B. Nervig came as pastor in 1944 and has served until the present time. These years have wit­ nessed a significant growth which has brought the mem­ bership to 2500 baptized, with the confirmed total being 1,679. The Sunday School Enrollment is 852 children who are instructed by 76 teachers and officers. In 1955 the congregation dedicated its new church. This church has been fittingly called "The Cathedral of the Plains." It stands at a strategic point in the city which is the center of an area reaching about a hundred miles in every direction. Its imposing beauty bears wit­ ness to the growth and strength of the Evangelical Lu­ theran Church in this whole area of the Great Plains. Built in contemporary design, the sanctuary gives a feel­ ing of warmth and earnestness to those who worship at the same time that it draws their thoughts to the heights for adoration and praise. The symbolism of design and ornaments is both extensive and unusual in the manner in which it illustrates the work of the Holy Spirit. The sanctuary as such has a normal seating for about 84 900. Besides this, it has a complete educational build­ ing with other sections of the plant providing space for fellowship and recreation, as well as several offices for the pastors and church staff. The cost of the new church plant is about $700,000.00 as it stands today. During these later years First Lutheran Church has been in the forefront with leadership and financial sup­ port for all the causes of the church which have been pre­ sented. In its own area First Lutheran has been joined with other congregations of the Williston, McKenzie and Crosby circuits in the building up of the Upper Missouri Lutheran Bible Camp near Epping, the Bethel Lutheran Home for Aged at Williston, and the Good Samaritan Hospital of Williston, all of which are owned and oper­ ated by corporations consisting of ELC Congregations in the area. Today First Lutheran Church, which once represented a minor fraction of the frontier town and which used a foreign language, has become a dominant force in the life of its community. A recent religious census showed that one-third of the population of Williston looked to First Lutheran as their church. Perhaps an even larger per­ centage of the business and professional men of the city are members of the congregation. From the surround­ ing rural congregations have come the sons and daugh­ ters of the homesteaders to make their homes and build the community and their church. With the advent of the oil industry, a larger number of people came from far distant places. Many of these, without a previous contact with the Lutheran Church, have chosen to make it theirs. Today the congregation and its magnificent church bear witness to the leadership and the sacrifices by congrega­ tion members and pastors, and also bear silent testimony to the worth of 50 years of church life and work in the little churches on the prairie. For the future, it prays that it might be that which its symbolism illustrates—a Church of the Holy Spirit. 85 13

The United Lutheran Church of Grand Forks

From a special issue of the Norwegian weekly, "Nor- manden" dated the 17th of May, 1906, we glean the fol­ lowing information: "Thirty-six years ago the ground on which Grand Forks has been built stood barren. A Mr. George Aker was the first settler. He settled in 1871. In 1874 the Hudson Bay Company made Grand Forks a sort of headquarters and built a hotel. In 1879-80 the railroad reached the city and the year after that Grand Forks was incorporated and Colonel W. H. Brown elected its first mayor. Ac­ cording to the 1905 census there were 10,127 inhabitants and Grand Forks was the second largest town in the state. With respect to educational institutions, Grand Forks takes the lead over all other towns in North Dakota. The city is served by a number of fine churches, the principal among the Norwegians being Zions Kirke, Synode Kirken, Hauges Kirke, Metodist Kirken and Baptist Kirken. Thus we see that, while the festivities announced in this issue of our Parish Paper are designated as the Thirtieth Anniversary of the United Lutheran Church, it is obvious that the roots of this congregation reach much farther back—to twice thirty years, and then some! 86 Indeed there seems to have been a thriving congrega­ tion among the pioneer Scandinavians in the community, called simply the "Grand Forks Menighed," as early as 1879—77 years ago! Pioneer pastor of this congregation until 1883 was the Reverend O. H. Aaberg. Trinity Congregation was begun in 1886 under the auspices of ihe Hauge's Synod. An illustrious list of pas­ tors, beginning with such names as the Reverend G. C. Gjerstad and the Reverend N. G. Hanson, served this congregation until 1918, when following the merger of the three synods in 1917 and under the leadership of the Reverend N. J. Lohre, Trinity united with what had become Zion Lutheran Congregation to constitute the Bethany Congregation. Bethany's first and only pastor was the Reverend David Stoeve now retired and living in California. Zion was one of the two groups growing out of the original Grand Forks Menighed mentioned earlier and which had apparently divided along synodical lines, the Zion group organizing in 1890 with the Rev­ erend Fingar Jorgeoson as their pastor and affiliating with the old United Lutheran Synod—and the second group organizing in 1893 and affiliating with the Nor­ wegian Synode group. This second congregation became known as First Lutheran and built the church now oc­ cupied by the Evangelical and Reformed Congregation on Belmont Road. Among the first pastors serving First Lutheran Church we find the name of the Reverend A. A. Oppegard, 1894-97. Later we find the Reverend L. A. Haatvedt- who is still active in the ministry—serving two terms, the first 1904 to 1907 and then again from 1910 to 1912. Following this we find the names of Reverend H. B. Thorgrimson, whose family is still among us, the Rev­ erend S. L. Tallakson, older brother of our District Pres­ ident and also former pastor here, and the Reverend M. Lyle Halverson who stayed on to serve as interim pastor following the merger of 1926 until the coming of the 87 first regularly-called pastor of the new congregation, the Reverend Orlando Ingvoldstad. As noted earlier, Bethany congregation had come into being the year following the big synodical merger of 1917. It was the election of their pastor, the Reverend David Stoeve, to the Presidency of the North Dakota District in 1925 that precipitated consideration of the final step that led to the consolidation that we are cele­ brating these days—the organization of the United Lu­ theran Church of Grand Forks. Someone has suggested that one of the values of his­ tory is the perspective it gives us—much as an occasional glance at the rear view mirror helps the motorist of to­ day to drive more safely and sensibly forward. No an­ alogy is perfect but in a certain sense that is what we are doing on these anniversary occasions—taking a look into the mirror of the road over which we have come so that we may guide this vehicle we call the United Lutheran Church more safely and purposefully over the road ahead. Perhaps we ought to remark at the outset that if all of us could be made more conscious of what it cost our fathers and mothers to "purchase" this vehicle in the first place, not only would we have a greater sense of appreciation but we would be more jealous to preserve its luster and integrity. But even as the mechanism of an automobile must be overhauled from time to time, so must the mechanism of a growing church be adjusted to meet the needs of a new day and a larger family. One of the things we are continually insisting upon is a more constant and intelligent use of our Divine Road Map—the Word of God—with its guidance along the way, its helpful observations on die history of the places along the road that has been traveled, its suggestions as to the safe places to eat and to rest and its thrilling description of our ultimate destination. Another thing of grave concern to us is that we make this journey as a family. One of the watchwords of our ministry has be-

88 come not how many but who? Our constant fear is that any of those entrusted to our spiritual care might be­ come lost and the prayer of Jesus quoted in John 17 per­ petually haunts us. Obviously the application of this similitude is limited and we do not want to draw the analogy too far. The life of a congregation is no more a perpetual joyride than are the lives of individuals—in this kind of world. Perhaps the figure of a boat would have been more apt and more in keeping with the life and times of Christ. We are trying, under God, to become the "Body of Christ"—as the church was intended to be —doing and saying for our generation the things Jesus said and did for His!" 14

The Concordia Lutheran Church of Crosby

Already in die summer of 1903 there were several families of Norwegian descent which had settled in the vicinity of Crosby. A Mission pastor, Reverend S. Peter­ son, stationed at Flaxton, visited the community on No­ vember 1st that year and conducted services with Holy Baptism at the home of Lars Lokken. Services were held from time to time and on May 12, 1904, at the home of Ole Thorson, Sr. (about 5 miles northwest of Crosby) an organization meeting was considered but it was not until May 31st that a constitution was adopted and signed by 17 pioneers. Now the question arose as to which church body the congregation should affiliate with since there were folks representing each of the three church bodies. Since Pas­ tor Peterson was helping to organize and was a pastor of the Norwegian Synod, the group graciously decided to join that group. Reverend Peterson served as their pastor until the fall of 1905. In the spring of 1906 Rev­ erend Olaf Ylvisaker was called as the first pastor. This was the year the Dakota and Great Northern Townsite Company platted the city of Crosby. The congregation soon after acquired four lots for a church site where the 90 present edifice now stands. The first church built was a tar-papered structure, 24x18x10. It was built by the members of the congregation. The cost of the building including pews, pulpit and altar, was $204.94. The Crosby parish included three country churches, Glenwood, Troy and Bethlehem Congregations. Under the able ministry of Reverend Ylvisaker the congregation prospered in numbers and spiritually. Soon the need of a larger church was felt. The second church was completed in 1915 at a cost of $10,000. Reverend Ylvisaker was granted a leave of absence and Reverend M. B. Bakkerus took over the work. Later Pastor Ylvis­ aker resigned and Reverend J. W. Rosholt accepted the call and was installed on August 13, 1913, by the Rev­ erend A. Buckneberg. Reverend Rosholt guided the work for 15 years. His resignation was regretfully accepted in 1928 and Reverend M. B. Ranum was installed as pastor remaining until June 1936 when he moved to Osakis, Minnesota. The sudden death of Pastor Ranum in the fall of the year brought sorrow to all hearts. In the advent of Reverend Sorgen in August 1936 the congregation felt they had received consecrated leader­ ship. This anticipation was fully realized during his six years of service. In January 1942 he bade his congrega­ tion farewell as he departed to a new field in Valley City. For a time the congregation was served by Missionary George Holm from China who served from February until September 1942. From September 1942 until March 1943 Concordia was without a pastor. The various organ­ izations kept up their regular meetings and held serv­ ices every Sunday at which members took turns in read­ ing a sermon for the day. Sunday school met regularly. One member at the request of Reverend Holm met with the Senior Confirmation Class every week and gave spe­ cial help and tests at her home for absentees so that when the new pastor, Reverend E. O. Gilbertson came in March 1948 the class was examined and confirmed. 91 Reverend Gilbertson preached his farewell sermon on Easter Sunday, March 28, 1948. He himself said his final address was not a farewell sermon but an Easter sermon. It was delivered for the whole parish. During the interim the Reverend S. Tverberg, a retired Madagascar mis­ sionary, served and Student Cecil Johnson served during the summer months. In July Reverend I. M. Thvedt of Madison, Wisconsin, accepted the call and remained un­ til 1953. Increasing activities in Concordia necessitated the calling of another pastor to serve the rural congrega­ tion. At this time the Crosby Rural Parish was begun and Reverend Orlin Ness was called to serve. Plans for a new church were being laid and a build­ ing fund canvass was begun in the fall of 1953. Reverend Thvedt tendered his resignation to leave his pastorate to serve the Ephphatha Church Mission at Faribault, Min­ nesota. Reverend H. S. Skilbred began his ministry in Concordia in 1954. Ground-breaking ceremonies for the new church were held on April 10, and on October 23, 1955, the cornerstone was laid. September 2, 1956, was the day of entrance into the new church. The day started with a service in the old church and then the proces­ sion of entrance into the new church began. The pro­ cession was led by the color guard followed by the pastor and officers carrying the sacred objects and the congre­ gation singing, "Onward, Christian Soldiers." The build­ ing was formally dedicated on October 20, 1957. Rever­ end Skilbred, who had .shortly before resigned as pastor of Concordia due to illness, was able to be present at the service. The Reverend Rosholt who had served the congregation faithfully some years earlier returned as Interim Pastor until the Reverend Howard Benson came to shepherd the flock on May 11, 1958, and is currently serving the Concordia Congregation.

92 15

Trinity Lutheran at Bismarck

Although Lutheran meetings had been conducted in Bismarck as early as the spring of 1907 by the Reverend Olaf Glasoe, a district missionary, it was not until De­ cember 22, 1907, that a small devoted group of Luther­ ans met in the City Hall at Bismarck and took steps to organize a Lutheran congregation and proposed the name "Trinity Congregation." Due to financial uncertainties no formal call was issued until December 20, 1908, when a call to Reverend O. G. Belsheim was accepted. He served the congregation until 1914. At a special meeting held on October 29, 1913, a contract for a basement was approved but the superstructure was not completed un­ til the fall of 1914. Soon after the completion of the church and the liquidation of the debt measures were taken to call a full-time resident pastor. Reverend Bel­ sheim was asked to resign. He lived at Mandan and served a group of congregations including Bismarck, Dris­ coll, Lien and Mandan. The Reverend O. R. Svore as­ sumed the duties as pastor at Bismarck in July 1915. It is interesting to note that after conferring with repre­ sentatives of the churches in the other towns formerly served by Reverend Belsheim, it was decided that the 93 pastor should serve them all but that he should reside in Bismarck. Pastor Svore served the congregation until May 1918. The Reverend John Flint was called and re­ mained until April 1920. For a time the congregation was served by two temporary pastors, Reverend G. A. Larson and Reverend Henry Langum. The District Mis­ sion Committee directed Reverend I. G. Monson to serve the congregation temporarily. He continued in this ca­ pacity until the close of the year 1928. The Reverend Opie S. Rindahl succeeded Pastor Mon­ son and remained to minister to the congregation for 25 years. This time included approximately three years' leave of absence at which time he served as Chaplain in World War II. During Pastor Rindahl's absence the pulpit was filled by Reverend T. W. Tysdal through arrangements with Dr. Aasgaard and Reverend Stoeve. In February 1954 the resignation of Reverend Rindahl was accepted. Reverend Magnus P. Lutness was called and installed at Trinity in July 1954, with Pastor Rindahl as officiating clergyman. In the spring of 1955 the congregation callerl an assistant pastor in the person of Reverend John H. Nicolai. These are the present pastors of Trinity. Trinity, in common with other churches in Bismarck, has enjoyed the unique advantages and opportunities of a capital city location. Down through the years it has provided church services for numerous state officials, em­ ployees and legislators. The Trinity Lutheran Church is considered one of the finest examples of the Gothic type of architecture in North Dakota. It has a seating capacitv of 550 persons. The new church was dedicated in June 1931.

94 16

The Trinity Lutheran Church of Jamestown

In the year 1906 a small group of men and women who lived in Jamestown felt the need of coming together to worship God in the manner to which they were ac­ customed from their childhood. This was the teaching and practice of the Lutheran Church. These they wanted to preserve for themselves and hand them down to their children. During the years 1906 to 1911 Pastors Frost from Sheyenne, Ivar Havneros from Maddock and A. A. Oppegard from Pingree, visited these people and con­ ducted services for them. These services were held in Scandia Hall on what is now 2nd Street and 3rd Avenue Northeast. During this period a Ladies Aid Society was organized on May 8th, 1910, at the home of Mrs. R. N. Anderson. Pastor Oppegard helped them prepare a con­ stitution. A Sunday school was also begun these early years. On Sunday forenoon, October 22, 1911, a congre­ gation was organized and a constitution adopted. About a dozen families made up this new congregation. Pastor Havneros assisted them in its formation. The name chos­ en was The Jamestown Scandinavian Lutheran Church. This name was changed in 1935 to Trinity Lutheran Church of Jamestown, North Dakota. 95 In the summer of 1912 a church building which had belonged to another denomination was bought. This was located on the same site that we now have. This church was used until the summer of 1929, when it was sold and moved away. That same year the present church was bought from the St. John Lutheran Church, moved to the present location, remodelled and later dedicated to the glory and worship of God. For many years after its or­ ganization, the services of the congregation alternated between the Norwegian and English languages. Gradu­ ally more and more English was used so that after 1930 the work of the congregation has been conducted entirely in the language of our country. The first resident pastor of the church was installed at an evening service on Sunday, July 28, 1912. He was the Reverend J. C. Wisnaess who now lives at Fargo, North Dakota. Besides the Jamestown congregation he also served at different times three to seven other churches. He preached his farewell sermon at an evening service on Sunday, May 1, 1921. On the following Sun­ day, May 8, 1921, Joseph Johnson was installed as pas­ tor. Pastor Johnson served the Montpelier and Ypsilanti Lutheran Churches until July 1, 1938, when the parish was divided and Montpelier and Ypsilanti secured their own pastor. Since that time Trinity has been a parish by itself. Pastor Joseph Johnson resigned as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in January of 1954. On August 29, 1954, he preached his farewell message and ter­ minated his ministry. J. A. Nestingen, who had been called on May 28, 1954, from the Wiota Lutheran parish of Woodford, Lafayette County, Wisconsin, accepted the call to be pastor of Trinity Lutheran on June 28, 1954. He was installed as pastor and began his ministry October 10, 1954. Dr. L. E. Tallakson, President of the North Dakota District of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, officiated at the in­ stallation service which was held in the Jamestown 96 Armory located on 2nd Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets. After much planning and deliberation the con­ gregation met on Thursday evening, May 12, 1955, and gave the building committee and the church council authority to enter into contract with the A. E. Moline Construction Company to build a new church edifice. Groundbreaking service was held the following Sunday, May 15, and excavation began on Monday, May 23rd. The beautiful church, built on traditional Gothic lines, was dedicated on Palm Sunday, April 14, 1957. The predominating symbol of the church is the cross which symbolizes the atoning and redeeming work of Jesus Christ. There are three crosses on the outside, one on the south end of the parish wing, one on the west side of the tower, and one on the top of the spire pointing men heavenward. There are three in the windows of the balcony and three in the chancel. There is one in each pulpit and one at the focal point of the chancel. (In­ cidentally, the District Meeting will be held here in June this year.) On December 19, 1954, the first worship service was broadcast over KEYJ and services are still broadcast each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. As of January 1, 1959, baptized membership in Trinity is well over 1200.

97 17

Our Schools

From the very beginning the church has sought to ad­ vance the cause of education in the church and nation. D. Elton Trueblood, Professor of Earlham College, Rich­ mond, Indiana, said, "Anyone who gives his nights and days to the spiritual undergirding of our American youth is struggling on the front line in the battle of the century." I want to give more than just an honorable mention to the schools and leaders in education in our church though both may have laid their burdens down at this time. Reverend Bjug Harstad conceived the idea of our first institution of learning in North Dakota. He was serving the Gran Congregation in Trail County when, seeing the need of preparation before and during the Con­ firmation age, he organized a Boarding School. Thus Bruflat Academy at Portland was born. A building was erected at a cost of $10,000—a goodly sum at that time— and the school was opened to students on November 18, 1889. The school flourished and in 1896 a dormitory was added at a cost also of $10,000. Professor I. G. Halland, a professor at Luther College, was called to direct the High School division and I. Gloppen to take care of the pre-confirmation group. In 1899 an effort was made to 98 move die Academy to Grand Forks but the loyal local constituents fought the proposition and Bruflat Academy continued to serve our young people until 1919 when it was deemed advisable to close its doors. Grand Forks College was organized in 1891 under United Church auspices with Professor H. Roalkvam as Superintendent. It was cumbered with a heavy debt and for that reason was given over to a private corporation which saw to its maintenance for a while but later sold it to the Synod Church for the sum of $9000. The new school was dedicated by Professor Laur. Larsen of Lu­ ther College on October 14, 1900, and the first day saw 40 students enrolled. Professor K. A. Kasberg was called as Superintendent. The next year 186 students matricu­ lated and by 1903 the enrollment reached 215. Grand Forks is pleasantly situated in the midst of Norwegian settlements and it is a little difficult to understand why it later became insolvent but records show that the corporation was advised to arrange its affairs in accord­ ance with a resolution "that no attempt be made to establish or operate a Lutheran High School in the ter­ ritory while the stringency due to the present war is upon us." Some time later the properties of the school were moved to Velva hoping to establish a school there. While a bit of enthusiasm was shown for a time, it died in its infancy. That left the North Dakota District with no school of its own. It was natural that a feeling of belonging to a school should be evident and so it came to pass that the District more or less adopted Concordia College which is located just across the Red river which forms the eastern border of our District. Concordia College was established in Moorhead, Min­ nesota, in 1891. One of the most active men in organizing the school was the Reverend J. M. O. Ness of Perley, Minnesota, who also served as president of die college corporation from the beginning until 1927. Lars Chris- 99 lianson of Fargo was another of the founders who ren­ dered great service to the school for many years. He served as secretary of the corporation for more than half a century. Associated with these men in the work of organization were pastors and laymen of the surround­ ing area, especially of the southern part of the Red River Valley. With few exceptions they were members of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church. A pastor in Fargo at that time, the Reverend J. O. Hougen, is cred­ ited with suggesting the name which die new institu­ tion came to bear. "Concordia" means harmony, concord, union. The name was considered especially appropriate because of the union of three Lutheran synods which had been effected in 1890. Although the school was called a college it was such only by anticipation for sixteen years for it was not until 1907 that some college courses were offered, and not until 1917 was the first class graduated from the college department. In 1892 a similar institution was started in Fergus Falls, Minne­ sota—Park Region Luther College. The chief promoter was the Reverend O. N. Fosmark, a pastor in Fergus Falls. He was also directly active in the management of the school for some years. The support came mainly from the members of the Norwegian Synod congrega­ tions in the surrounding territory. College work was stressed somewhat earlier at this school so that the first class was graduated in 1912. In 1917 the college depart­ ment of the Park Region Luther College was merged with that of Concordia College at Moorhead. This con­ solidation was one of the results of the church union which was consummated that year when the Hauge Synod, the Norwegian Synod and the United Norwegian Lutheran were combined to form the Norwegian Luther­ an Church of America, now the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Both these schools operated chiefly as academies for several years. The academy curriculum contained a classical course of four years. In this course stress was

100 laid upon languages—German, Latin, Norwegian and later also Greek. One of the aims of this course was to prepare students for the study of theology. There were two courses that prepared teachers: one for public school work, the other for parochial school teaching. There were also two business courses: one centering around bookkeeping, the other stressing shorthand and typewrit­ ing. Toward the end of the first decade, a so-called ladies' course, which emphasized domestic science, was added. From the very beginning there had been some instruction in music but eventually there came to be a spe­ cial music course. The academy met a definite need and rendered a distinct service in its day before high schools were common in the Northwest. At a time when there still was a great influx of Norwegian immigrants into this area, the academy furnished these people an opportunity to learn the English language and to become familiar with our form of government as a prerequisite to assum­ ing the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship. The training of workers for the church was an important aim of the academy as it has been of the college department. At the present time Concordia College offers work of college grade only. In the liberal arts curriculum stu­ dents pursue courses from five different groups—phil­ osophy and religion, languages and literature, science and mathematics, social sciences, fine and liberal arts. The degree of bachelor of arts is granted. For students who desire to become professional performers and teachers a comprehensive program in music leading to the bachelor of music degree is provided. (In 1952 the bachelor of science degree was granted for the first time.) Now Concordia College trains teachers also for the ele­ mentary schools. For many years a considerable number of graduates have gone into high school teaching. In the early years most of the students and most of the financial support came from the immediate territory. 101 Today the particular territory of the school consists of the Northern Minnesota and North Dakota districts and part of the Rocky Mountain district of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. During the 1958-1959 school year, Concordia had an enrollment of 1,545 students and a faculty of 103.

102 18

The Language Question

It was the year 1918 that brought to the church the language problem. Lamartine said, "If God is thy father, man is Ithy brother and the integral part of Christianity is the responsibility of our brother." On this foundation rests our whole educational program. Jesus threw down the prejudice of nationality and language and teaches unity in love with no distinction of race, color, merit or rank. The Evangelical Lutheran Church appreciated the fact that the language was inherent to the whole history of the Christian church. It constituted a crisis during the World War and in fact had confronted the church at the very threshold of her existence. Of Pentecost we read, "Every man heard them speak­ ing his own language." The apostles caught the spirit of world destiny as is proven by the fact that the New Testament came down to us in a world language. No less does the Lord expect of us the spirit of sacrifice (for such it was to some) and service even in a matter so near and dear to the heart as that of ancestral speech. The writer remembers how a dear old lady spoke in 103 favor of the language transition—'! diink in Norwegian and pray in Norwegian but one Scripture passage comes to me again and again—'Baner baner, rydder vei; Tager anstod bort fra mit folks vei.'" ("Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way; take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people.") Isaiah 57:14. The transition proved to be less painful than we had anticipated. Two ideas prevailed. Either a bi-lingual church or a gradual transition to an eventual unlimited English-speaking church. This meant more than a par­ liamentary change. There were problems—problems which became spiritual especially among the "new-com­ ers" and older people. The ritual and outward forms had to be made congenial to the worshippers. But it was a matter of life and death. Amputation became necessary to prevent mortification setting in. At the 1918 convention the church went on record as being ready to change, and at once. We look back to this era with gratefulness; we look forward with humility, not knowing what other problems may meet us, but we shall continue to build with confidence, the while praying for wisdom, strength and guidance for each task as it confronts us, for Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

104 19

God's Word Is Our Great Heritage

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomelh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." MATTHEW 13:31-32 "And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground: And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not hoiv." MARK 4:26-27 Our Christian church is pictured in these words. It shows its humble beginning, its growth and its purpose. A very modest beginning indeed but by God's grace it has become a spiritual home for generations. Jesus and His little band of missionaries did not ask for much in the wav of equipment, did not exact many conditions as they set out on their journey to sow the first seeds, but the fruit of their labors is still enjoyed by their followers today. As the early Christian church pros- 105 pered so has also one of the branches grown beyond proportion. The builders of the Lutheran Church fol­ lowed the techniques of the early church in the establish­ ment of new churches. The early church was truly a mis­ sionary church establishing churches in Jerusalem, An- tioch, Ephesus, Galatia, Philippi, Corinth, Rome and Alex­ andria. Little by little the church grew and expanded, following the Mediterranean and on to new fields. We find St. Boniface in Germany and St. Ansgar directing his work Northward. The little seed has become a tree and we Christians, like the birds, have sought refuge in its branches. When Dr. Martin Luther on October 31, 1517, nailed the 95 theses on the door at Wittenberg he had not planned that it should become a world conflict. Again it was like a grain of mustard seed which became one of the greatest among herbs. "We plow the field and scatter the good seed on the ground, But it is fed and watered by God's Almighty Hand." The ground had been parched for some time when Luther planted and God watered and we have our be­ loved Lutheran Church as a result of the planting. It has become a magnificent church—it is still growing night and day and we rest in its shadow. "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." Rev. 14:6. We believe one of the angels must have been commissioned to fly on Ref­ ormation's wings to our people wherever they were sit­ uated to bring them the Gospel of Peace! Wherever they went and whenever they saw fit to stop, the gospel message followed. Church history has seen the fulfillment of the promise concerning the growth and development of the Lutheran 106 Church, especially as to the transplanting and transition on American soil. The conditions of the church as of now and the future are not the result of missionary activity like that of a Boniface or an Ansgar who converted the stiff-necked heathen and the slow-to-believe men of the North, but rather that when the Lutherans emigrated from Germany and Norway they brought with them a well-founded and well-grounded religion. They were for the most part well-versed as Paul says to Timothy, "And that from a child thou hast known the Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." The early pioneers "hanged dieir harps on the willow boughs" and longed for the church of their childhood. They remembered the paths and waterways that led to the church; they heard the singing of the good old hymns and the chanting at the altar—they felt bereft and lone­ ly. But again God was good and sent His gospel angel to pave the way for seed to be planted on new ground. The mustard seed has become a great tree and we are nesting in its branches.

O Thou Who always dost abide Thy church's Head and Savior, Be still thy servants' constant guide Direct our whole behavior Thy statutes to Thy church declare Still watch o'er its salvation. Each member make Thy special care And aid him in his station.

It has become traditional to observe the Reformation at special services each year. To some congregations it is an occasion of much significance.* Minot and surround­ ing parishes join in a Reformation Festival each year. We

•Centers such as Grand Forks, Bismarck, Fargo, Dickinson, Crosby and Rugby. 107 submit this coverage of the Minot Festival by The Minot Daily News:

6,300 AT LUTHERAN REFORMATION SERVICE Following the tremendous success of the first Luther­ an Reformation service at Minot Municipal Auditorium Sunday, sponsors announced today that the event would become annual. The auditorium already has been booked for Nov. 1, 1959, and the Concordia College Band of Moorhead, Minnesota, scheduled to appear again. At yesterday's event the Lutherans set three records: 1. The largest religious gathering ever held in Minot, perhaps the largest in the state. 2. The largest attendance at the Municipal auditorium since its opening in 1954. An estimated 6,300 persons were present. 3. The largest massed choir to appear in the city— 300 voices. The crowd overflowed the 5,800 seats provided, sat in the aisles and filled available standing room. Sixty ushers had their hands full handling the large crowd. Parking facilities were jammed for blocks around the auditorium. Six Minot Lutheran churches cooperated in the ven­ ture. They were Mount Olivet, Bethany, First, Augustana, Zion and Christ's Lutheran. The Reverend George Aus, D.D., professor at Luther Theological seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, was the speaker. Reverend E. E. Ostroot, chairman of the Minot Lutheran Pastors' Association was liturgist, assisted by Reverend Marvin Odland and Chester Johnson. Reverend Harold B. Kildahl, Jr., and Reverend Harry Sorenson were co-chairmen of arrangements and Mrs. Kildahl di­ rected the 300-voice choir. Ralph Wallin was organist. 108 A number of area Lutheran churches cooperated in the venture by dropping their regular Sunday services to enable their congregations to attend the Minot pro­ gram. They included churches at Granville, Butte, Kief, Velva, Deering, Lansford, Drake, Wolseth, Balfour, Berthold and Max. Delegations also attended from Makoti, Plaza and Palermo. The service began at 11 a.m., but the crowd began to arrive shortly after 9:30 a.m. A 45 minute musical pre­ lude was presented by the Concordia college band un­ der the baton of Lief Christiansen. The Concordia group left after the service to present an afternoon concert at Underwood. A nursery for young children was maintained at Zion Lutheran church by Trinity hospital nurses. Following the services, ministers of participating churches and their families attended a dinner at First Lutheran church.

109 20

Glad Tidings Are Broadcast

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in the North Dakota District has recognized both responsibility and opportu­ nity for proclaiming the "Good News" by every available means, as evidenced by the fact that from East to West, and North to South the entire state is covered by radio broadcasts of worship Sunday after Sunday in regular pattern. Regular broadcasts of worship originate at Fargo, Valley City, Jamestown, Bismarck and Hettinger in the South; from Grand Forks, Devils Lake, Minot and Willis­ ton in the North. It has been said by travelers who ride the trains, and by those who travel by car that on Sun­ day morning it is practically impossible to listen to radio in the state of North Dakota without "going to an Evan­ gelical Lutheran Church." Some churches in North Dakota, using radio for evan­ gelism purposes, have a history of twenty-five years or more of unbroken radio ministries. In addition to radio, television is making its appeal to the church as a means of conveying the Gospel. One church, First Lutheran Church of Minot, has regularly televised the full worship hour on Sunday mornings for the 110 past three years (1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59) on station KXMC-TV during the period of Advent through Lent, and concluding on Easter Sunday. The motivation for this serv­ ice which is a means of reaching into a minimum of 30,000 lives every Sunday is a mission motive, one that recognizes the irregular pattern of worship in many areas due to weather, roads and the existence of many multiple parishes. Insofar as information reveals, First Lutheran Church of Minot is the only church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to regularly make use of television for mission and evangelism purposes through the televising of worship.

Ill 21

Our Missions — Home and Foreign

The Mission program is not a separate activity within the church. It is a part of the great work in extending the Kingdom. For seventy years and more our church has shared this privilege. Our North Dakota district has been mission minded almost since the beginning. Today we claim twenty-four missionaries as ours because they are native sons and daughters. While we were celebrating the 70th anniversary of our missions in '57, plans were being formulated for another advance—into Brazil. How could we better celebrate the occasion than by reaching out further? Young people were volunteering to go. The WMF stood ready to support the venture and others pledged their help. The church gave its approval at the 1956 convention and it was endorsed by the Church Council and the Board of Trustees. The Board of Foreign Missions, after having investigated and surveyed the field, decided to begin work in 1958. Mission work is essentially an outreach—a sending of men and women with the gospel into unevangelized areas. So we continue to carry out the work on our mission fields. But we need to pray that God will give us eyes that can 112 see other places of need and that He will provide willing hands and hearts to carry on. The latest foreign project, if our information is correct, is the building of the Boys' Dormitory at Cianorte, Brazil, and we pride ourselves on being the first district to subscribe to the plan. This is our spiritual response to God. While our interest in Foreign Missions seems to have been of greater concern for a longer period of time we have not forgotten those of our own household. The Home Mission approach of today is somewhat different from the pioneer era. Very often the missionary pastor ventured out in response to a call for the gospel message —today we seek to find and to save those who have fallen away, more or less. In the 80's mission churches were springing up in all communities. The Norwegian Lutheran Synod made an early entry into the Dakotas. The pioneer clergy for the most part were young men, theological seminaries were new, only the younger pastors ventured forth from Nor­ way to brave the hardships of pioneer life in the valley. The Synod was split in about 1885 over the doctrine of predestination, forming the Anti-Missouri Brotherhood (later the Norwegian-Danish Conference). In the course of 80 years the Norwegian Lutherans were divided into as many as 14 fragments in contrast to the continuous solidity of the Augustana Synod of Swedish origin. De­ spite this subdivision nearly all fragments of the Nor­ wegian Lutheran Church were reunited in 1917 in St. Paul, Minnesota, into the body we now proudly call the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and our eyes were opened to see the opportunity for Home Mission work. The Christian church in America is experiencing un­ precedented growth but fails to keep pace with the in­ crease in population. More children are born annually than are brought into the church. The total number of un­ churched therefore increases from 300 to 400 a day and 113 has now reached the staggering total of around 70 million. The picture in Canada is much the same. Here is where our Home Mission work comes in. A philosopher by the name of Lamartine said, "If God is thy Father, man is thy brother," and if we agree with him, the integral part of Christianity is the responsibility of our brother. This be­ comes the foundation of the Home Mission program. Christ threw down the prejudices of nationality and taught us universal love with no distinction of race, color, merit, rank or age. "Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." But Paul goes on: "How are men to call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent?" Romans 10:13-15. In recent years the Home Mission Board has had to say "No" to about one out of two requests due to a shortage of pastors and a lack of funds. Today the outlook is bright. The Home Mission milestone in our church was reached in 1958. For the first time we arrived at a point in the development of our program when we could honestly say that every organized congregation in the Evangelical Lu­ theran Church had a church building of its own or had one under construction. This puts an end to the weary waiting and ends the problem of looking for a suitable location for services, come Sunday. Now at last we follow the advice of our Lord, to sit down and count the cost and see if we have the where­ withal to complete the project. So the Board of Home Missions, steered by Dr. Philip Dybvig, has decided that we establish no more congregations than can be complete­ ly financed at the start. And because we did not want to face the merger year with a heavy backlog of unfulfilled promises, there had to be fewer Home Mission congrega­ tions in 1958 than in any recent year in order that we 114 could catch up to ourselves, so to speak! Now the decks are clear and from now on we purpose to build the first unit, whenever possible, even before the first service is held. In no case will a pastor be called to conduct services under an umbrella. The Church-of-the-Month Club is in its infancy but we are told the venture is showing promise. The program of Trust Certificates continues to have appeal for our people. Individuals are using the plan for their life savings. The program of Home Mission work will likely under­ go constant analysis as the need arises; our leaders will seek to make the program of Evangelism effective. The changeless Christ must be brought to the changing world. Our Home Mission pastors a century ago listened with interest to the soughing of the wind, the hoot of the owl, the mournful howl of the coyote on the hill, and the rhyth­ mic beat of hoofs and the squeak of a neighbor's wagon wheels—all this was interesting to him but today we listen to the beep of satellites registering on instrumental panels and we look longingly to die moon wondering who will get there first. The faith of our fathers is basically the same—so is man's nature, basically sinful and unclean. In spite of advances in science he is as able to mar and scar and deface his life as ever before. The method of com­ municating the gospel, however, has changed. We must be able to offer it promisingly to a world filled with self- possessed fives, agnostics and neurotics. The gospel story is the same^ChrisIt came to save sinners. "I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also and they will heed my voice." John 10:16. The odier sheep are our brothers too. We must help diem to see then- need of a Savior and dien we must lead them to see the Savior they need. That is Home Mission work. We must provide inner-city churches in order to reach Out more effectively to the people of the area, regardless of race, color or economic circumstances.

115 The romantic frontiers are a thing of the past, but we have neglected communities, villages or new industrial centers. My neighbor is my responsibility—every new neighbor is my concern. We are a part of what we know as the Home Mission program and what do we get out of it? The next chapter will show us some of the dividends.

20 Circuits of ELC in North Dakota

Home Mission Information—North Dakota District

* * HANNAH WESTHOPE *ROLLA * LANGDON

* BLAISDELL * MINOT * LAWTON GRAND FORKS*

*COLEHARBOR * GRACE CITY 21 GARDNER * Home Mission * RIVERDALE Congregations in N. D. District 1944-1957 * BISMARCK FARGO*

* ELIOT EDGELEY* * ENGEVALE McLEOD* • ELLENDALE 116 HOME MISSION HELPS E.L.C. BOARD OF HOME MISSIONS Ten members, one from each District N. D. District is represented by Mr. Kenneth Urdahl, Jamestown, N. D.

GENERAL SUPERVISION STAFF INSTITUTIONS AND SPECIAL ACTIVITIES 1. Regional Commit­ 1. Executive Director: tees (26) Dr. Philip S. 1. Eskimo Mission: 26 Regions, Dybvig Rev. Norval Heg- 2 members each. 2. Regional Directors: land, Supt., North Dakota is Rev. Otto E. Hesla Teller, Alaska called: Rev. Clarence Miss Helen Frost, Fargo Region. Solberg Sitka Dr. Loyal E. Tal- Rev. T. .Arnold Miss Bertha Stedje, lakson Thompsen Teller Mr. O. Leonard Or- 3. Loan Re-financing: Rev. J. L. Maake- vedal Mr. Merrill S. stad, Shishmaref, 2. Home Mission Moline Alaska Superintendents: 4. Office Secretary: 2. Seattle Seamen's 10 — President of Miss Jennie O. Berg Center: each Dist. serves Rev. H. Siqueland, in his district. Supt. •3. District Home Board of 9 mem­ Mission Com.: bers from the 5 members for each West Coast District. 3. Committee on North Dakota Com­ Rural Life: mittee: ELC Board of 8 Rev. C. F. Savereid, members- Hillsboro, Chmn. Rev. Harold Hof­ Rev. J. B. Jerstad, stad, Bismarck, is Grand Forks, the N. D. member Secretary 4. Committee on Mr. Kenneth Ur­ Urban Life: dahl, Jamestown ELC Board of 8 Mr. Guy Engen, members from cities Bismarck 5. Commission on Rev. Roy Gilbert- Evangelism: son, Newtown ELC Board of 7 members. N. D. member: Melvin North Dakota District congrega­ Olson, Valley City tions purchased $115,000 in Home 10 Evangelists. Dr. Mission Trust Certificates during the Conrad Thomp­ 10 months from July, 1957. son, Supt., Min­ neapolis, Minn. 117 PRESENT STATUS OF N. D. HOME aMISSION PLANS (1958) Bismarck—Lutheran Church of the Cress. Growth .slow but steady. Dickinson—Assigned to ELC for establishing a new congregation in the future. Ellendale and Edgeley—New churches erected in both towns. Fargo—Bethlehem Lutheran. Progress good. Fargo—North side, Hope Lutheran, Henry Roufs, Pastor. First unit com­ plete. Promising field. Fargo—Southwest. Property for building site to be purchased in 1958. Gardner—Church building needed. Seminarian called. Grace City—Good progress. Grand Forks—University Lutheran. Promising field in University area. Grand Forks—Calvary Lutheran. Promising field in south Grand Forks. Grand Forks—Airbase. This field has been assigned to the ELC by the Regional Committee. Nothing has been clone pending developments. Jamestown—Assigned, to ELC for a new congregation in an area to be determined. Langdon—Refinancing planned. Lankin—Good possibility of refinancing. Minot—Christ Lutheran, is developing. Minot—Money has been allotted to purchase property for new field S.W. part of Minot. Morden, Canada—Pastor Feddc on field. Progress slow but steady. New church finished. Riverdale—Refinancing about completed. Rolla—Hope to refinance in near future. Williston—Knollcrest. Money has been allotted for purchase of a site. District Home Mission Board: Pastor C. F. Savereid, Hillsboro, N. D., Chairman Pastor J. B. Jerstad, 808 15th Ave., Grand Forks, Secretary. Pastor Roy Gilbertson, New Town, N. D.-Mr. Guy Engen, 415 6th St., Bismarck, N. D. Mr. Kenneth Urdahl, 609 8th Ave. S.E., Jamestown, N. D. (President of the District, Dr. L. E. Tallakson is general director for Home Missions in the N. D. District).

118 22

First Lutheran at Tioga

The history of this Home Mission church must of neces­ sity begin with the Ladies Aid for there was as yet no church organization when on December 12, 1903, the Aid met at the home of C. H. Borstad. According to the minutes of the Ladies Aid they met to secure a pastor. On December 18, 1904, the Tioga Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized at the home of Henry N. Baker. Reverend S. Svennungson assisted in organizing and later accepted the call as "minister and pastor" (prest og sjaelesorger). In 1919 the name was changed to The First Lutheran Congregation of Tioga. On March 9, 1952, First Lutheran voted to go independent from the Ray- Tioga four point parish.

God builds no church. By His plan That labor has been left to man. God sends no churches from the skies, From our gifts of love they must rise. Tioga is one of our early Home Mission congregations. In 1951 the population of Tioga was 450. Today it is a rural-industrial community of 3000 people. The commu- 119 nity is about 60 percent Lutheran. It is interesting to observe too that 95 percent of the oil is produced from Lutheran-owned land. On January 27, 1953, the Reverend J. Elmo Agrimson arrived as the first resident pastor in several years, since they had been served by a pastor from Ray, 14 miles west of Tioga. For nearly two years from January 27, 1953, Home Missions subsidized the pastor's salary and parsonage mortage interest. The mem­ bership at that time was 55 families, 155 baptized souls and 60 members in the Sunday School. A $20,000 parson­ age was built in a new residential area of the town. To­ day the congregation numbers 512 baptized, 137 families, 115 non-member affiliate families and 270 children en­ rolled in Sunday school. Besides the 512 members, .500 other people in Tioga consider First Lutheran as their re­ ligious preference for family counsel, baptism, marriages and Sunday School. Worship visitors have represented Germany, Norway, England, Ceylon, Alaska, Texas and Brooklyn. Until oil was discovered, Tioga was purely rural-village-farm group with only one or two with col­ lege degrees. Now the congregation of a Sunday morning may include 20 college degrees—a dozen from the school faculty, half a dozen engineers, and various administrative and industrial personnel from the oil industry. Over half of the employees form the Signal Gas and Oil Refinery affiliate with First Lutheran. The church council, the building committee and the Sunday school staff have rep­ resentatives from every group, from plant superintendent to machine operators and farmers. Only 15 percent ol the congregation are fanners at the present time.

Much of the pastor's time is devoted to work as chaplain to the many trailer families. At one time 500 trailers could be counted. Dozens of families now have moved from Trailer Courts to new homes or bigger trailers to excel­ lent industrial positions of employment. Dwellers on wheels, because of their easy mobility, receive and too often accept, secondary social recognition. Ninety per- 120 cent of the people are under 45 years of age. Reverend Agrimson feels diat his big job in this very complex community of new working and social habits is to "find" people who so frequently get lost from the church. Once found, their coming to church presents a need to intro­ duce them into a fellowship that joyfully accepts them. A great deal of the pastor's time is spent in counselling. The community has no more moral problems than the average North Dakota town, if one allows for the age grouping which has the heaviest marital adjustment peri­ od, and the new housing and working conditions unknown to prairie youth. Plans for a new church edifice have been made and if bids are favorable, will materialize this year. The plans call for a seating capacity of 500 with 38 class rooms. Another Home Mission Congregation that has built on the faith of our fathers!

121 23

Medora Lutheran Church

By 1880 most of the Indians in the North Dakota Bad­ lands area were subdued and the buffaloes were making their last stand! Soon herds of cattle were dotting the landscape and wheat farming began. Then came the in­ flux from the east. From Badger, Fort Dodge and Eagle Grove, Iowa, came Norwegians and settled around Gorham. Quite a few of these built their tar-paper shacks, sod or frame houses in the vicinity of Belfield and Medora. The need for a house of worship soon became apparent and under the leadership of Pastor Theodore H. Larsen of Taylor an organizational meeting was held at the Evenson School in July 1908. In 1909 the Reverend H. J. Thorpe was called as pastor and in that same year the St. Jacobs Lutheran Church of Gorham obtained synodical relations with the ULC in Minneapolis. The Ladies Aid was organ­ ized on May 5,1909, and raising funds for a church build­ ing became their chief objective money-wise. Records show that Reverend Larsen was chosen as pastor on July 6, 1908, with a salary of $75 per year. Home Missions was asked on December 21, 1908, to send another pastor as Reverend Larsen already was over-burdened with preach­ ing places. Thus Reverend Thorpe was sent by Home Missions and was installed February 1, 1909. The congre-

122 gation joined the United Church and alternated services between the English and Norwegian languages. For a time the congregation flourished and then came difficulties. It soon became apparent to the settlers that what they had hoped would prove profitable farm lands was in reality ranch land. Drought set in and many families, conceding defeat, moved away. On December 6, 1926, it was de­ cided to close the church for a time. In 1933 they cele­ brated the 25th anniversary of the church but on De­ cember 3,1950, the church was closed. In 1955 the Medora Lutherans obtained tide to St. Jacobs Lutheran Church of Gorham and thus the new frontier. On April 21, 1955, the charter membership was listed. Reverend Clarence Sol- berg of the Home Mission Department of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Reverend Loyal E. Tallakson, North Dakota District President, together with Reverend Lam­ bert Locker, pastor of the Belfield parish, gave guidance and counsel to the Lutherans in this Medora area. Inci­ dentally, property for the new church home came as a gift from Louis Manca De Vallambrosa, oldest son of Marquis De Mores, founder of the town of Medora. You will re­ call that the latter named the town in honor of his wife whose name was Medora. For a number of years a small group of Lutherans in Medora had been worshipping in the Billings County Courthouse. Members of the Medora congregation have worked faithfully preparing their church. Over the altar hangs a painting by Einar Olstad, a rancher-artist, and on the altar stands a beautiful brass cross which was given to the church at Gorham by its young people. All of the old furnishings have been used in this church which is snugly situated deep in the hills of the Badlands. Here in this town of Medora the Marquis De Mores erected a meat-packing plant; here Theodore Roosevelt operated his ranching interests and did much of his writing; here Howard Eaton started America's first dude ranch at the Custer Trail Ranch five miles south of the town. The Custer Trail Ranch is now the Lutheran

123 Badlands Bible Camp. Ranchers and farmers living near­ by make up part of the congregation; townspeople and rangers from the nearby National Roosevelt Memorial Park are also members. The dedication of the Medora Lutheran Church building was held January 20, 1957, and went off Home Missions on September 15, 19.57. There are only 22 families in membership but volunteer labor continues to improve the church, such as refinishing the pews and improvement of the Sunday school and base­ ment rooms. Under God's blessing this frontier church continues to grow and we can be justly proud of the dedi­ cation and inspiration of the people who constitute its membership.

124 Our Rural Life Commission

The North Dakota District, ELC is comprised of the state of North Dakota with its 70,000 square miles of diversity ranging from the flats of the Red River Valley, westward through the rolling plains and finally the Mis­ souri slope area with its magnificent Bad Lands and numerous buttes. To some 640,000 people this is home, and scores of people diroughout the United States refer to North Dakota, "back home." Admitted to the union in 1889, its early beginnings, growth and development paral­ lels the history of the ELC, and particularly so with refer­ ence to the land. Even to this day considering the abund­ ance of coal, and more recently the discovery of oil with its unknown potential, more than 90 percent of the annual produced wealth comes from the soil as agricultural pro­ duction. North Dakota stands first in the nation in the production of rye, flax, barley, durum, spring wheat and wild hay. Red River Valley potatoes have nation-wide dis­ tribution. Numerous small towns and villages dot the plains as "service centers" for a thriving family-type agriculture. Only 13 population centers of more than 2,500 popula- 125 tion are found in the state, and only nine of these may be classified as primary or major cities, without the metro­ politan and industrial pattern prevalent in most parts of our country. According to the 1950 census, 73 percent of the state's population lived on the farms or in the small towns and villages of less than 2500 population. North Dakota people have no concept of the term "population pressure" in day to day living, for space and distances are accepted as "normal" factors to be overcome with better means of communication and transportation in the devel­ opment of a modern society. Rural electrification has reached more than 90 percent of farm families, and is per­ haps the greatest single factor that has had so much Ito contribute to improvement of rural living, and particularly so for the homemaker and the family circle in the home. This progress has taken place since the close of the sec­ ond World War, and today the friendly yardlights blinking as stars in the night, remove the "loneness" of the traveler as he makes his way about the countryside at night. Since modern technology moved into agriculture in the last twenty years, the state has experienced a "face lifting" never dreamed of by the pioneer fathers. Rubber-tired power equipment supplanted the "old dobbins," increas­ ing man-day production to staggering figures. More land can be farmed with modern equipment, with the 1955 farmer handling 674 acres on the average compared to .343 acres in 1900. Fewer people living on the land, a loss of nearly 25,000 farm families since 1930, and agricul­ tural production today is at the highest point in the history of the state. The complexion of the rural face in North Dakota is changing. This means within-state migration of people as well as out migration. (North Dakota has fewer residents in 1959 than it had in 1920 the high point in the state's history.) This is part of the adjustment that is taking place in the state with reference to agriculture, and while this is occurring, a concerted effort is being 126 made to create new opportunities for small industry to augment income and stabilize the state's economy. This then is the mission field of the ELC. The church planning occurred in the pioneer era, and the congrega­ tional patterns met the needs of the day. To be abreast of the changing times, the North Dakota District in 1947 in convention created the Rural Life Commission, and a year later extended a call to O. Leonard Orvedal, a layman to serve as Commissioner, a position he holds at this writ­ ing. Similarly in the Synod in 1947, a Parish Conservation Service was established, headed by another layman Arthur Christenson. While these were two different actions, it pointed to the necessity of the church being aware of changes taking place in the social-economic pattern, and to serve effectively, the church should be the master of change instead of a victim of change. While the state has not grown numerically, the ELC membership has increased considerably. Some of the growth is represented in new congregations, but the major growth is in new membership reached by established congregations. The church has a message, not only for its own as it had to be in early years because of language barriers, but for the entire community, and all of the peo­ ple in the state.

127 j^mmt V^

Our Charities

"And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." I COB. 13:13 It was Christmas Day in 1882 that Sister Elizabeth Fedde of Norway received a letter from New York telling her of the need of her countrymen. There had been a party at the home of Consul Bors in New York. The hostess was visiting with the Sea Chaplain, A. Martenson. He discussed his work, more specifically his work among the new immigrants. Mrs. Bors became interested and offered the sum of $150.00 per year if a Deaconess could be secured and said she would do her best to interest others in the project. Sister Elizabeth arrived at Long Island on April 8 and the next day landed in Hoboken. A group of benevolence- minded people met her on April 19, 1883, and organized The American Deaconess Association of America. Sister Elizabeth spent no money on transportation. She covered the territory walking and carrying a basket of provisions. Later she was permitted entrance to the sick at Castle Garden on the East river where the immigrants disem­ barked. This was called Ward's Island Immigrant Hos­ pital. 128 We believe Sister Elizabeth to be the first Deaconess and her organization the first Charity House (Barmhjer- tighedsanstalt) among the Lutherans in America. Forward in Faith! What is faith? It is a growing plant, filling every need; it branches out like the proverbial mustard seed. Hope is the blooming flower of that plant, but charity, the greatest of these, reaches beyond our­ selves. It reaches other hearts as we love and live. Because love or charity is a transforming power we are able through it to lift our fellowmen to higher ground. Charity is our legacy in Christ and we must share His love with the world. Let us acknowledge our mission on earth and meet love with love. Giving is living, withholding is dying, We scatter, and hi It returnest again. 'Tis the law of our Maker—why cant we believe it? And get such a blessing we cannot receive it? The blessing of giving and living. We are at liberty to use the words love and charity synonomously. The hand-outs to the tramp at your back door may be carelessly called charity. But we prefer to treat charity in its true sense—benevolence or good will. There are two kinds of charity, remedial and preventative. The North Dakota District has been richly blessed in its efforts to minister to the needy, the bereft, the sick and the sinful. Since charity is a legacy we are beholden to share our inheritance with our less fortunate, and so it is that a well organized Department of Charities has been emphasized. We have five segment-owned Homes for Aged. They are The Bethel Home at Williston, Pastor Pernie Pedersen, Supt.; The Minot Lutheran Home at Minot, Pastor Peter Troen, Supt. These are both sub­ sidized because of the chaplaincy program. We are grateful to Pastor S. H. Njaa, Superintendent of the Northwood Old People's Home. 129 The Parkside Lutheran Home at Lisbon, N. D., the Reverend J. O. Ronsberg, Supt., is also subsidized. There are two Children's Homes—The Nellie Svee Me­ morial Home in Fargo and the Nellie Svee Home in Devils Lake. Mr. Don Moe supervises the Home in Fargo and Mr. Philip Weigand has charge of the Home in Devils Lake. The North Dakota House of Mercy continues to serve unfortunate girls. Miss Minnie Sigdestad directs this work. The Board of Charities and the Lutheran Welfare So­ ciety are supporting five chaplains at our state institutions. The Lutheran Welfare Society last year cared for 228 chil­ dren and completed 55 adoptions.

130 26

Our Minority Groups

Because the church, at last, woke up to the fact that the sum total of all peoples have the same Creator and that therefore, all have the same parentage and that all men are brothers, work among the minority groups has begun. We find the arm of the church reaching out to the work­ ers of the Red River Valley who have come from the deep south and we find much in the way of evangelizing among the Indians throughout the state. At Rolla we have a good example of what can be done if we make the effort. The gospel in its fullness and the story of redemption belong to these as well as to us. The Reverend Loren Spaulding is doing wonderful work among the Indians. His is a full-time service and his field includes all of North Dakota. A little chapel has been completed, a congregation organized and Sunday school and Choir work is going good. Here Pastor Spaulding is supported by his good wife who gives her all to the work. Rolla houses the watch precision industry where the workers are 80 percent Indian. So it is a very practical place for pioneering the work among the minorities. 131 We know that especially today, there is a great deal of discussion throughout our land and throughout the whole world about the race question. We too, as a church, are concerned and we seek to follow the will of God and we know it is His will that all shall be able to take the saving grace offered us. The Reverend Ah Kraabel (formerly pastor of the Lu­ theran Church of Fessenden, N. D.), says in his little book, "Grace and Race," . . . "The rhythm of these words ought to produce a harmony." The minority groups must be helped to accept the truth that life's ultimate for them, too, is to know the one true God and the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

132 27

Our Auxiliary Groups

The Women's Missionary Federation As time goes on the estimation in which the settlers who formed the vanguard of the Lutheran Church in the northwest will be higher; and the generations now so rap­ idly taking their places should appreciate the presence of the few who remain and endeavor to strew with flowers the pathways that must terminate at no distant day. Let kindness and consideration wait on diem while they are still with us and not postpone our substantial appreciation of their merit until they are gone and then erect cold and passionless monuments to their memory. Just now I am thinking of the women of the church and primarily of the ministers' wives. The minister's wife was for the most part noble, loving and true, an indispensable component in the development of the church, one who with true devotion severed the ties of childhood and youth to follow her husband into unknown regions, there to endure hardships and privations. The highest award of praise should be accorded her and as the ranks of the mistress of the pioneer parsonage decrease, our sincere gratitude should go to those who remain with us. It would indeed be interesting to catolog a record of 133 the emotions that have lived and died within a Lutheran parsonage. No doubt our hearts would be stirred. We might find in the deep sources of a life of faith and its majestic purposes the result of kind and encouraging words from the "preacher's wife." It is quite impossible in this little history to write of the many who have graced our parsonages up to the present time, even though they might be worthy of a tribute at this time—and so, with the consent of the other members of the History Committee, I chose more or less at random one who would typify all ministers' wives and she becomes then a symbol of our "Ladv of the Par­ sonage." Mary Elizabeth Schlitt Larsen was born and reared in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1870, the first child of John Melchior Schlitt and Augusta Griese Schlitt. John was a native of Baltimore but Augusta came from Hanover, Germany. John fought in the Civil War on the side of the North. His father had fought for his country in the Mexican War. An earlier ancestor was among the Hessian soldiers sold by the government to die English to fight the American colonists in the Revolutionary War. When he arrived here, his sympathies were with the Colonists and so he joined General Washington's forces and took part in the memorable Christmas crossing of the Dela­ ware. Augusta's father was a doctor in Germany but both her parents died when she was very young and she was left to shift between relatives and friends. Two children were born in diis devout Christian home, Josephine, and the subject of this sketch, .Mary Elizabeth. When the chil­ dren became of school age they were sent to a German Parochial school. Religion was taught but the three R's were also offered. At the age of ten Mary Elizabedi was transferred to the public Grammar school. Meanwhile she had been attending the Sunday school at St. Peter's Evan- 134 gelical Lutheran Church (Ohio Synod), and it was there she met the Theological Candidate, Thorval Larsen, who had come to Baltimore from Capitol University at Colum­ bus to assist Pastor Tressel of St. Peters. Reverend Larsen proved to be very helpful especially since he was Norweg­ ian and could talk to the sailors who were frequent visitors at the church when their ship was in port. Later Mary Elizabeth made her home at the Tressel parsonage, teach­ ing Sunday school and helping with the house work, since Mrs. Tressel was an invalid. After his ordination Pastor Larsen was installed as a pastor of the Lutheran Church near Cooperstown but could not forget the sweet little girl in Baltimore so after two years he persuaded her to come to North Dakota as his bride. The two-room parsonage must have been a far cry from the home in Baltimore but Elizabeth soon had the parsonage looking real homey—what with the furniture, linens and dishes brought from the east. Most of the folks in the congregation had come from Norway and did not .speak English so Mrs. Larsen set out to learn their language. So beautifully did she speak that many thought she must have come directly from Norway. The promised salary of $350.00 was not always paid in cash but butter, eggs and meat could always be used in a parsonage, the doors of which were open at all times. After five years she accompanied her husband to his call in Park River and later to Ada. Each parsonage seemed more inadequate than the last but Mrs. Larsen was adept at saw and hammer. She managed to build book shelves and kitchen cupboards and saw to it that rag carpets —wall to wall—covered die floors. Soon a call came for the pastor to headquarter at Taylor to do Home Mission work out from there. We see our "prestefrue" in many roles—we see her as spiritual advisor, as nurse, as cook, and now and again a toy-maker. In 1918 she made a trip back home to Balti- 135 more and brought back her aged parents to remain with her the rest of their days. After Baltimore, Taylor must have seemed a very strange place, but who could be lonely in a household that held so much love and loyalty! At about this time Reverend Larsen's health began to fail. At Thanksgiving of 1935 he was unable to conduct the scheduled services, and two days later, Saturday evening, just as the church year died, he went with it, at the age of 79, and Elizabeth was left to carry on. The older a person grows, the narrower becomes the guff between heaven and earth, providing the growing older has been accomplished in God's way, and so Mary Elizabeth Schlitt Larsen did not weep unduly or too long —she picked up the threads to carry on and to live radiant­ ly and serve faithfully as her husband had done. Since the retirement she divided her time between her children and grandchildren. The writer remembers her especially at a Bible Camp near Medora. She seemed to be the first in her place for Bible study, the first to locate a Scripture passage, and the first to voice an appreciation of the lesson. On the 14th of December 1955 at the age of 85 she spent most of the day getting ready her Christmas greet­ ings. Did she know that the following day she would be called to spend Christmas at Home with God? The story of Mary Elizabeth Schlitt Larsen is a pretty story. As said—there could be many more of its kind— nor do we want to include only the pastors' wives of the strictly pioneer days. Our tribute must include all who grace our parsonages even today. At this very moment we know of one who is directing four choirs that sing regularly on the Lord's Day, and when later this evening we may take a trip to a hospital to see a friend—we may come upon this busy pastor's wife sitting by a bedside, singing to a patient—it may even be a Norwegian or a German hymn! No, the minister's wife is still marching on! We sometimes think the life of the minister's wife must 136 be a lonely one for she is so submerged in the crowd, but we think too it makes for creative loneliness. The loves of earth and the home ties of earth are very dear to our hearts. There shall be a new earth—that we know—where we shall unerringly find our way to the deepest source of life. There will be those in flowing white garments and shining faces—and as we look we may recognize our pas­ tors' wives who were the rainbows in the storm and night's diamonds in the dark while on earth. a a o In depicting the pioneer scene, whether in song, story or drama, it is obvious that the women of that day played an important roh>-"The woman behind the man behind the plow." Though unaware of the silhouette they made in the onward march they played a stellar part not only in the building of the commonwealth but especially in the building of the church of God. No history of the state of North Dakota would be complete without a tribute to the Lutheran women from its earliest settlement to the present day. There was the wife in the prairie schooner, the wagon or the buggy. Though she set her face toward the setting sun beside her eager-faced husband, she was nevertheless one of a vast company of lonely-eyed women whose thoughts turned back continually to the loved folks and familiar places. It was not only the sadness of the fare­ wells that kept her wakeful while the campfire burned low amid the rustling of the grasses in the night wind, the howl of the coyote, and the stamp of oxen and horses. There were also the shadows cast by unknown and un­ charted lands ahead. Joyce Kilmer has described it— Because the road was steep and long And through a dark and lonely land, God set upon my lips a song And put a lantern in my hand. The road was indeed often steep and long, the land dark 137 and lonely to the pioneer mother. But the God-given song upon her lips was courage, the lantern in her hand was love. And she had need of both. We call ours the "singing church" and I believe this is true mostly because our pioneer mothers left us this great heritage of song. They loved to sing! Lullabies sung to the accompaniment of the sway of the prairie schooner or the old rocking chair; hymns for the evening devotions, and hymns, lots of them, at every Ladies Aid meeting and church service. The women of pioneer days were not neurotics and yet the diary of an early pastor in the Dakotas tells of one home broken up and offered for sale because the wife simply could not endure the loneliness of the prairies. There were many things that called for courage be­ sides loneliness—poverty, drought, grasshoppers, hail, ill­ ness without medical care, blizzards, floods, Indians, prairie fires. It was often the mother in the home who first began to talk and plan for church and school, roads, wells and cemeteries. Yes, even a cemetery had to be provided for the growing community. It was usually the mother who suggested parochial school for the children growing up; often her suggestion that the new granary in the process of building for the fall harvest be utilized in early summer as the center for the parochial school; her sug­ gestion that this or that Lutheran settler living at a dis­ tance be invited to bring children of confirmation age to her home to remain as guests for the duration of the parochial school term. We can learn much of hospitality from those early homes. "Abide with us for it is towards evening and the day is far spent." That was the spirit of the day. And the host and hostess did not consider the lack of a bed to be adequate excuse for lack of hospitality. For many was the time a pastor, an honored and welcome guest, was in­ vited to sleep on the floor, while making his mi.ssionary rounds. The sound of the coffee grinder and the fragrance 138 of the steaming cup of coffee was always the postlude to every visit. Side by side with the pioneer traits of courage and love went humor. And there was need of humor too. The saga of pioneer days abounds in anecdotes which bring laughter even now when original actors and lan­ guage are a part of the dim past. Humor served often as a saving balance when the days brought disappointment and tragedy and heartache. The center of social activity became the church and the Ladies Aid was an organization dear to the heart of the women of the church. With the 1917 merger of the three church bodies came a quickening of the pulse of this group also. And when the Women's Missionary Fed­ eration came into being and absorbed all these small groups in the state, it was Frida Bue Homnes (Mrs. George P. Homnes) who helped perfect the organization in North Dakota and became the first District President of the group. She was followed by Mrs. H. A. Helsem of Grafton; Mrs. E. H. Gilbertson of Finley; Mrs. R. W. Kennard of Minot; Mrs. W. R. Reitaii of Larimore; Mrs. Arne Gregor of Leeds, and by Mrs. Lionel Opgrande of Dickinson, who is presently serving in this capacity. The Lutheran woman of today is fully appreciative of the heritage she has received. But she is convinced that, using this as a background only, she must move quickly forward to the increasing demands and challenges of the church of which she is an auxiliary. There is no completed task, there is no parking place for an indefinite view of the scene—doe must be ready too when the count-down is heard in the continued forward surge of the Lutheran Church in North Dakota.

The LDR The LDR is a missionary organization for the girls and young women of the church. One branch of the LDR is the LCR (Lutheran Children of the Reformation) which in­ cludes boys and girls below confirmation age; another 139 group is the Junior LDR for high school girls; the third group is the Senior LDR of business and professional girls. The LDR has a definite Christian purpose. It is not a social club although sociable fellowship is surely one of the assets of the organization. The Missionary program of the LDR is helping to ful­ fill Christ's command to bring the Gospel to every creature. One mission project is assigned to each month. The motto, Forward With Christ, was adopted by the general board as the official motto of the LDR in 1936. North Dakota's own Arna Njaa has served the LDR faithfully as Executive Secretary since 1936.

International Young People's Luther League Each of the three church bodies that were to merge in 1917 had developed its own youth organization. Oldest of these was the Norwegian Synod's Young Peo­ ple's Association, organized in 1903. It grew out of a col­ lege group known as the Luther College Sunday Associa­ tion. As a result of the interest and work of its seminary stu­ dents, the United Church organized the Young People's League five years later. In 1911 the Young People's Federation was formed in the Hauge Synod. In 1917 with the merger of the three churches the Leagues also merged and declared "The Consolidated Young People's League" to be the official youth organiza­ tion of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. The name was later changed to "Young People's Luther League." Projects continue to increase in number and scope. It aims to unite youth in Christian fellowship and to train youth in stewardship and evangelism. It conducts leader­ ship schools, workshops, sponsorships, and assists Bible 140 camps. It also operates in areas of the Pocket Testament Movement, group Bible Study promotion, mission em­ phasis, vocational guidance, church college recruitment, and circuit visitation programs. The Reverend E. O. Gilbertson of Crosby served as National President of the League.

The Brotherhood of the ELC The Brotherhood is an organization of men in the con­ gregation through which the men are uniting and dedi­ cating their energies, abilities and resources to bring Christ to men and men to Christ through their personal witness and collective effort in the achievement of specific congregational goals and the fulfillment of special purposes and functions. Under the first Executive Secretary (who was a lay volunteer), N. N. Ronning, the Brotherhood was given its first literature. In 1936 a full time Executive Secretary, Rev. Roy Olson, was called. Under the able leadership of the late Oscar Westberg of Williston, as national president, several developments began to materialize. A national house organ, the Broad­ caster, later the Bulletin, came into being. Among projects of the Brotherhood we would mention the promotion of the Retirement Plan for pastors and church workers; The Placement Service as a means of parish conservation. Dr. C. C. Swain of Minot served as national executive and did much to lay a firm foundation for work in the North Dakota District.

141 28

Our Executives

Let Dr. Laurence Field tell us what an executive is and what he does. We quote without his permission (since he once served a pastorate in N. D.) from his little book "Whimsv": "From where I am now privileged to sit, I am more keenly and respectfully aware than ever of the great and noble role of the Presidents, District Presidents, Depart­ ment Heads, Executive Secretaries, and other traveling 'Brass' in all the churches, as they flit and fly and run and roll and circulate among us. Theirs is a wonderful re­ sponsibility. But let us dismiss the glamor. As any of them will tell you, it resolves itself into hard work, unceasing drudgery, constant travel, continued absence from home, disrupted family life, work and decisions to be met around the clock—today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year." Up to die time of the merger of 1917 the three church bodies each had their president, the Reverend Jacob Ja­ cobson Ekse of the Hauge church; the Reverend Theodor Halvorson Dahl of the United and the Reverend G. H. Stub of the Svnod church. After reorganization following the union the office fell to Dr. Stub. 142 Dr. I. D. Ylvisaker of Mayville was elected President of the North Dakota District. His tasks were challenging since this was the year of union adjustments. He served his people faithfully and efficiently until his sudden death in 1926. Dr. David Stoeve, who was serving as Vice Presi­ dent, found himself suddenly occupying the President's chair to fill the unexpired tenn. Dr. Ylvisaker was sadly missed for he was loved by his people and especially the young pastors had learned to look to him for guidance and inspiration. The absence of Dr. Ylvisaker at the next district convention was keenly felt. Dr. Stoeve, in his report paid this tribute to Dr. Ylvisaker: "It seems strange to assemble on this occasion and not see the figure nor hear the voice of him who for almost nine years was our chosen head and leader. Elected to the office of president at the time of the union of 1917, he administered the affairs of our district ably and faithfully during the very difficult period of adjustment. He was untiring in his efforts for the welfare of the district. He gave without reserve, his time, his strength, his talents. We think we see clear evidence of the fact that God has blessed his service. There has been a steady progress in our district. Our mission fields have been well cared for, a number of charges have become self-supporting. The contributions of our district have increased so that last year we gave our allotted share to the four activities of our general church body, and even a little in excess. "Good will and confidence and cooperation among the clergy and laity have been in the ascendency, and never more apparent than during the past year. His own mental and spiritual powers also grew and developed so that never did he stand forth in such strength and power as he did at our last pastoral conference at Grafton. It was therefore a great shock to receive the message of his sudden death. It brought home to us the uncertainty of 143 life, perhaps, as it had never been brought home before. Surely we feel impelled to say with the Psalmist, 'So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.'" Dr. Stoeve was elected as president and served the District for twenty-five years until his retirement in 1950 when the Reverend Loyal E. Tallakson was elected to serve and is currently serving as our President. Dr. Stoeve will always be remembered as a kind, cap­ able, courageous, forward-looking district president with an aggressive zeal for evangelism clothed in a spirit of deep humility before God and a love for his fellowmen. Dr. Stoeve and Mrs. Stoeve are now living in California where they have more time for rest and play but well we know that at least one eye is on the church at all times and we venture to say at least one ear bends just a bit toward North Dakota. June 1959 marks our last District Convention. Then plans will be laid for the merged church and it may be that our North Dakota District will find itself cut into two —die Western and the Eastern Districts. That too, we shall accept. Changes will have to be made in order that more effective work may be carried out. Other District Presidents have faced the problems of crop failures and depressions but we feel Dr. Tallakson, our present president, has been facing a greater task- that of sudden prosperity. One officer of a congregation put in this way, "Can we remain Christian?" The problem faces the individual, the local church and the parish. Dr. Tallakson is busy, week in and week out, counseling, ad­ monishing and organizing that the church may measure up in getting ready for every new problem and eveiy need. We revere our president—while we know him as a friend with a keen sense of humor yet we know that his one ruling passion is to live, to love and to lead others to a closer walk with God. 144 We love our church and we appreciate its leadership. The horizon is dotted with church spires. Inside God's table is spread and from the inside songs of praise are lifted—"The Lord has done great things.' We pause to remember those who have labored so faithfully that the faith of our fathers might live with us. In 1961 our beloved church, The Evangelical Lutheran Church, will retreat into the shadows of history to give place to the new merged church, The American Lutheran Church. Our General Conventions held in Minneapolis, with its auxiliary groups, the Womens Missionary Federa­ tion, and the Lutheran Daughters of the Reformation, will be a part of the never-to-be-forgotten beloved past. In lesser degree perhaps the District meetings with its close, friendly contacts, will bring nostalgic memories to all who have attended and participated. The program of missionary effort, stewardship, evan­ gelization, Christian Education and Charities—all these have been a part of the very life blood of the church and its auxiliaries. We have been inspired to strong and ef­ fective crusades in all these fields. And it is this onward urge and compulsion that will overcome the lesser feel­ ings of longing and love for the things and customs of the past and lead us into the 1960 merger with confidence and courage. "Hitherto hath the Lard helped us," and He will surely continue to help and guide and sustain if we are faithful.

Now thank we all our God, With heart and hands and voices, Who wondrous things hath done, In whom His world rejoices; Who from our mother's arms Hath blessed us on our way With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today. 145